The Oldie

The idea for the Oldie was cooked up 25 years ago by its founding editor, Richard Ingrams, and his much-lamented successor, the late Alexander Chancellor. Their aim was to create a free-thinking, funny magazine, a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity. The Oldie is ageless and timeless, free of retirement advice, crammed with rejuvenating wit, intelligence and delight. With over 100 pages in every issue, The Oldie is packed with funny cartoons and free-thinking and intelligent articles covering a wide range of topics – from gardening and books to travel, arts, entertainment, and so much more.

The Oldie

Among this month's contributors

The Old Un's Notes

NOT MANY DEAD • Important stories you may have missed

The MPs’ guide to whips and prostitutes • Fancy an orgy? I preferred dinner with Nicholas Parsons

Black tie – worse than the Black Death • A friend's party meant the ultimate torture – ordeal by bow tie

OLDEN LIFE

MODERN LIFE

The 2022 Oldie ofthe Year Awards • Our champion, from Darkest Peru, was beloved by the Queen

The Duke of Kent FIRST-TIME AUTHOR OF THE YEAR

Siân Phillips and Edward Fox OLDIE STAGERS OF THE YEAR

Dr Henry Marsh OLDIE BRAINBOX OF THE YEAR

Jeremy Paxman CUDDLY OLDIE ROTTWEILER OF THE YEAR

Jane Goodall OLDIE QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE

Alan Garner WISE OLDIE MAN OF THE YEAR

I'm dreaming of a comic Christmas • Joseph Connolly yearns for the Beano parties of his 1950s youth with top pals Dennis the Menace and Minnie the Minx

Stay-at-home grandpa • Richard Oldfield went from looking after a bank to looking after two toddlers – and he's shattered

Single bells • Jane Brooke, a 75-year-old singleton, will be lonely this Christmas

My 1939 pub crawl • As a show of drinking pictures opens, Hugh Thompson staggers around London pubs in the footsteps of artist Edward Ardizzone

Once more unto the breach • Martin Jarvis, 81, was in Twelfth Night at school, 70 years ago. Now, after four appearances in the play, he's finally directing it

Fringe benefits of colourful hair • White locks can look stylish – but why not dare to go violet or burnt sienna?

My Oz trials • For Bruce Beresford, Christmas in the Outback meant spiders, snakes and his aunt stripping naked in the intense heat

Mrs Who • Verity Lambert produced Doctor Who, Rum pole of the Bailey and Minder – and revolutionised TV. By Nick Brown

Grandad's perfect present • What should you get oldies for Christmas? Miranda Thomas has the answer

The Jeremy Lewis Prize for New Writing • A Kind of Mugging by Heather Malcolm This year's winner of the annual award in honour of our late deputy-editor

It doesn't add up • Why does the Prime Minister want us to learn maths until we're 18? By Liz Hodgkinson, who's good with money and bad with figures

You're nicked! • Despite his dodgy driving record, Roderick Gilchrist loved learning to catch speeding motorists

Knock me off my pedestal! • With her customary modesty, Dame Edna Everage actually wants her statue to be toppled

Make it snappy, vicar! • This Christmas, Ysenda Maxtone Graham is praying for a short sermon

In London, the world is your oyster

My journey to tropical Hell and back

Gay hero of the SAS • Paddy Mayne, a tormented warrior, drowned his sorrows with Mary Kenny's brother

My brief encounter at Cleethorpes Station • I fell for a beauty on the platform – until a pigeon chased her away

Wicked war against classic books

Quite Interesting Things about … owls

Mary, a picture of patience

Dame Carmen Callil (1938-2022)

To screen or not to...