The Oldie
Encyclopedia
The Oldie is a monthly magazine
launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams
, who for 23 years was the editor
of Private Eye
. It carries general interest articles, humour and cartoons, and has an eclectic list of contributors, including James Le Fanu
, John Sweeney
, Thomas Stuttaford
, Virginia Ironside
, Melanie McDonagh and Raymond Briggs
. It is sometimes regarded as a haven for 'grumpy old men and women' – an image it has played up to over the years with such slogans as The Oldie: Buy it before you snuff it', and its lampooning of 'yoof' culture
and the absurdities of modern life (even though it has for many years had its own internet column, by "Webster"). Many regard it to be the spiritual successor to Punch
magazine.
Despite being called The Oldie, the magazine often stresses that it is not an age-specific publication, and does seem to have many readers in their 20s, 30s and 40s. It has similarities to Punch, Viz
, The Spectator
, Private Eye
, and The New Yorker
.
Richard Ingrams writes: ‘After editing Private Eye
for over twenty years, I decided in 1992, along with a group of friends (Auberon Waugh, Alexander Chancellor and Stephen Glover), to launch The Oldie. The aim was to produce an antidote to youth culture but, more importantly, a magazine with emphasis on good writing, humour and quality illustration. Almost twenty years later, The Oldie can well claim to be a success story, attracting some of our best writers, illustrators and cartoonists... We provide all you should expect from a quality monthly magazine – reviews of arts and books, great features, independent opinions – as well as some things you might not expect, such as our I Once Met column, where readers write about their encounters with the famous or infamous, Still With Us, which catches up with people you might have thought were dead, and our World’s Worst Dumps slot, where readers reveal their most horrific travel tales.’ The Independent on Sunday said this about it: 'The most original magazine in the country... The Oldies eclectic embrace of human variety is a monthly rebuke to the formulaic, celebrity-led concept of features in our newspapers and magazines.'
. The awards celebrate lifetime achievement, as well as 'oldie' achievements and/or notoriety over the previous year, the whole ceremony being very much tongue-in-cheek. Past winners include Ian Paisley
, David Hockney
, Eileen Atkins
, Stanley Baxter
and Moira Stewart. At the magazine's 2011 awards, Prince Philip was named Consort of the Year. Oldie of the Year was Barry Humphries
.
The Oldie monthly Literary Lunches are held in London (at Simpson's-in-the-Strand
). Guests over the years have included Michael Palin
, Clive James
, Maureen Lipman
, Colin Dexter
and P. D. James
.
Oldie Literary Lunches
The Oldie magazine is owned by Oldie Publications Ltd.
- Editor
Robert Joseph
- Wine Columnist
Lizzie Enfield - Mind the Age Gap
Candida Lycett Green
- Unwrecked England
Elisabeth Luard - Food columnist
Paul Bailey
- Theatre critic
Frank Keating
- Sport
Richard Osborne
- Music
Virginia Ironside
- Granny Annexe
Mavis Nicholson
- Agony Aunt
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams
Richard Ingrams
Richard Ingrams is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye, and now editor of The Oldie magazine.-Career:...
, who for 23 years was the editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
of Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
. It carries general interest articles, humour and cartoons, and has an eclectic list of contributors, including James Le Fanu
James Le Fanu
James Le Fanu is a British physician, medical journalist and author of several books. He is best known for his weekly columns in the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph.-Life:...
, John Sweeney
John Sweeney
John Sweeney may refer to:*John E. Sweeney , U.S. Representative from New York*John Roland Sweeney , Canadian, politician and educator*John Sweeney , BBC journalist*John James Sweeney, Pennsylvania politician...
, Thomas Stuttaford
Thomas Stuttaford
Dr Irving Thomas Stuttaford OBE, is a British doctor, author, medical columnist of The Times and former Conservative Member of Parliament. In 2002 he retired as Senior Medical Advisor for Barclays Bank.-Politics:...
, Virginia Ironside
Virginia Ironside
Virginia Ironside is a British journalist and author. She is the daughter of painter and coin designer Christopher Ironside and fashion designer and professor of fashion design at the Royal College of Art Janey Acheson. Ironside writes a column, "Dilemmas", for The Independent and a monthly column...
, Melanie McDonagh and Raymond Briggs
Raymond Briggs
Raymond Redvers Briggs is an English illustrator, cartoonist, graphic novelist, and author who has achieved critical and popular success among adults and children...
. It is sometimes regarded as a haven for 'grumpy old men and women' – an image it has played up to over the years with such slogans as The Oldie: Buy it before you snuff it', and its lampooning of 'yoof' culture
Youth subculture
A youth subculture is a youth-based subculture with distinct styles, behaviors, and interests. Youth subcultures offer participants an identity outside of that ascribed by social institutions such as family, work, home and school...
and the absurdities of modern life (even though it has for many years had its own internet column, by "Webster"). Many regard it to be the spiritual successor to Punch
Punch (magazine)
Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
magazine.
Despite being called The Oldie, the magazine often stresses that it is not an age-specific publication, and does seem to have many readers in their 20s, 30s and 40s. It has similarities to Punch, Viz
Viz (comic)
Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...
, The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
, Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
, and The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
.
Richard Ingrams writes: ‘After editing Private Eye
Private Eye
Private Eye is a fortnightly British satirical and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop.Since its first publication in 1961, Private Eye has been a prominent critic and lampooner of public figures and entities that it deemed guilty of any of the sins of incompetence, inefficiency,...
for over twenty years, I decided in 1992, along with a group of friends (Auberon Waugh, Alexander Chancellor and Stephen Glover), to launch The Oldie. The aim was to produce an antidote to youth culture but, more importantly, a magazine with emphasis on good writing, humour and quality illustration. Almost twenty years later, The Oldie can well claim to be a success story, attracting some of our best writers, illustrators and cartoonists... We provide all you should expect from a quality monthly magazine – reviews of arts and books, great features, independent opinions – as well as some things you might not expect, such as our I Once Met column, where readers write about their encounters with the famous or infamous, Still With Us, which catches up with people you might have thought were dead, and our World’s Worst Dumps slot, where readers reveal their most horrific travel tales.’ The Independent on Sunday said this about it: 'The most original magazine in the country... The Oldies eclectic embrace of human variety is a monthly rebuke to the formulaic, celebrity-led concept of features in our newspapers and magazines.'
Oldie of The Year Awards
The Oldie of the Year Awards (TOOTY) is the magazine's annual awards ceremony, hosted by Terry WoganTerry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
. The awards celebrate lifetime achievement, as well as 'oldie' achievements and/or notoriety over the previous year, the whole ceremony being very much tongue-in-cheek. Past winners include Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
, David Hockney
David Hockney
David Hockney, CH, RA, is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer, who is based in Bridlington, Yorkshire and Kensington, London....
, Eileen Atkins
Eileen Atkins
Dame Eileen June Atkins, DBE is an English actress and occasional screenwriter.- Early life :Atkins was born in the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton, a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London...
, Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter
Stanley Baxter is a Scottish comic actor and impressionist, best known for his British television shows. He worked in radio, theatre, television and film.-Early life:...
and Moira Stewart. At the magazine's 2011 awards, Prince Philip was named Consort of the Year. Oldie of the Year was Barry Humphries
Barry Humphries
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
.
The Oldie monthly Literary Lunches are held in London (at Simpson's-in-the-Strand
Simpson's-in-the-Strand
Simpson's-in-the-Strand is one of London's oldest traditional English restaurants. Situated in the Strand, it is part of the Savoy Buildings, which also contain one of the world's most famous hotels, the Savoy....
). Guests over the years have included Michael Palin
Michael Palin
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best known for being one of the members of the comedy group Monty Python and for his travel documentaries....
, Clive James
Clive James
Clive James, AM is an Australian author, critic, broadcaster, poet and memoirist, best known for his autobiographical series Unreliable Memoirs, for his chat shows and documentaries on British television and for his prolific journalism...
, Maureen Lipman
Maureen Lipman
Maureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
, Colin Dexter
Colin Dexter
Norman Colin Dexter, OBE, is an English crime writer, known for his Inspector Morse novels which were written between 1975 and 1999 and adapted as a television series from 1987 to 2000.-Early life and career:...
and P. D. James
P. D. James
Phyllis Dorothy James, Baroness James of Holland Park, OBE, FRSA, FRSL , commonly known as P. D. James, is an English crime writer and Conservative life peer in the House of Lords, most famous for a series of detective novels starring policeman and poet Adam Dalgliesh.-Life and career:James...
.
Oldie Literary Lunches
The Oldie magazine is owned by Oldie Publications Ltd.
Writers for The Oldie Magazine include...
Richard IngramsRichard Ingrams
Richard Ingrams is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British satirical magazine Private Eye, and now editor of The Oldie magazine.-Career:...
- Editor
Robert Joseph
Robert Joseph
Robert G. Joseph is a senior scholar at the National Institute for Public Policy and professor at Missouri State University. He was the United States Special Envoy for Nuclear Nonproliferation, with ambassadorial rank. Prior to this post, Dr...
- Wine Columnist
Lizzie Enfield - Mind the Age Gap
Candida Lycett Green
Candida Lycett Green
Candida Lycett Green is the author of sixteen books including English Cottages, Goodbye London, The Perfect English House, Over the Hills and Far Away and The Dangerous Edge of Things. Her television documentaries include “The Englishwoman and the Horse” and “The Front Garden”...
- Unwrecked England
Elisabeth Luard - Food columnist
Paul Bailey
Paul Bailey
Paul Bailey is a British writer and critic, author of several novels as well as biographies of Cynthia Payne and Quentin Crisp.-Biography:...
- Theatre critic
Frank Keating
Frank Keating
Francis Anthony "Frank" Keating is an American politician from Oklahoma. Keating served as the 25th Governor of Oklahoma. His first term began in 1995 and ended in 1999...
- Sport
Richard Osborne
Richard Osborne
Richard Osborne is a former Australian rules footballer who enjoyed a lengthy career in the VFL/AFL. He played a total of 283 games in 17 seasons, and played with four different clubs, as well as representing Victoria 7 times in interstate competition.Originally from Bulleen/Templestowe, he...
- Music
Virginia Ironside
Virginia Ironside
Virginia Ironside is a British journalist and author. She is the daughter of painter and coin designer Christopher Ironside and fashion designer and professor of fashion design at the Royal College of Art Janey Acheson. Ironside writes a column, "Dilemmas", for The Independent and a monthly column...
- Granny Annexe
Mavis Nicholson
Mavis Nicholson
Mavis Nicholson is a British writer and TV broadcaster.She was born Mavis Mainwaring and spent her childhood in Briton Ferry. She became a student at Swansea University...
- Agony Aunt