Radio Oldie

The Oldie magazine’s podcast featuring discussion and debate around the lead features in the latest magazine, plus live recordings from our famous Literary Lunches. Presented by Harry Mount.

Play

Open in

33 episodes
Avg 20 min
English

Episodes 33

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

#506
Tuesday · 22 min
506: Sister Teresa Keswick in conversation with Harry Mount
Sister Teresa Keswick has written unique columns for The Oldie for 12 years. Now she has written a book, Comfort and Joy: A Nun’s Reflections, about her life in a monastery, illuminated by her favourite books and artists. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#505
September 16 · 15 min
505: When Harry met Fruity - the October issue of the Oldie Magazine
Editor Harry Mount and Supplements Editor Charlotte 'Fruity' Metcalf discuss the new issue of the Oldie. In his book, Idle in Provence, Eric Idle looks back at 55 years in his French hideaway. In his interview with Harry Mount, he mourns the terrible loss of 29 nearby houses in the forest fires this summer. And he still doesn't know why the other Pythons aren't talking to him any more. Fruity is much moved by Rachael Stirling's new book about her mother, Diana Rigg, and the actor Simon Williams's review of the book. And they discuss the theory coined by Oldie rock columnist Mark Ellen - that stars are frozen at the age they become famous. Nigel Planer - Neil in The Young Ones - is much taken with the theory in his article in the new issue. All in the thrilling October issue! This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#504
September 11 · 21 min
504: John Humphrys, the Rottweiler of the Today programme, argues with Oldie columnist Matthew Norman about defence spending
We're not at war, says John - so why waste money that could go to African aid? Russian attacks are increasing - and the Far Right is on the march - across Europe. So we must pay to keep them at bay, says Matthew. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#503
September 10 · 35 min
503: Ian La Frenais in conversation with Harry Mount
Ian La Frenais tells Harry Mount about his extraordinary writing partnership with Dick Clement that has lasted over 60 years. Starting with The Likely Lads in 1964, they have written Porridge, Lovejoy, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet - and The Commitments. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#502
September 8 · 16 min
502: Mary Beard at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Mary Beard speaking about his new book, Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on September 8th 2026. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#501
September 8 · 9 min
501: Julian Lloyd-Webber at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Julian Lloyd-Webber speaking about his new book, Bows and Arrows: The Autobiography, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on September 8th 2026. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#500
September 8 · 14 min
500: Matthew Sweet at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Matthew Sweet speaking about his new book, The Great Dictator: A Life of Barbara Cartland, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on September 8th 2026. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#499
September 7 · 30 min
499: Natalie Livingstone in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Natalie Livingstone is a writer whose book, The Nuremberg Women, published earlier this year, became an instant bestseller. She’s also chairs the Cliveden Literary Festival, now in its ninth year and coming up in October. She talks to Charlotte Metcalf about the festival and about extraordinary women involved in the Nuremberg trials. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#498
August 24 · 23 min
498: Robert Harris in conversation with Harry Mount
Robert Harris tells Harry Mount about his new historical novel, Agrippa. Agrippa, Emperor Augustus's righthand man, built the Pantheon and won the Battle of Actium. But he was a plebeian - and the ultimate insider-outsider of the Roman Empire. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#497
August 17 · 29 min
497: Nigel Havers in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Nigel Havers is the well-known actor, renowned for his numerous movies from Passage to India with David Lean to Chariots of Fire alongside his television work. He’s been in The Charmer and acted for long stints in Coronation Street, Don’t Wait Up and the very popular The Bidding Room. He talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his latest one-man show Talking Bollocks, being in the annual pantomime at the Palladium and much more. This week’s podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#496
August 12 · 13 min
496: When Harry Met Fruity - the September issue of The Oldie
Harry Mount, Oldie editor, talks to Charlotte 'Fruity' Metcalf, Supplements Editor, about the new issue. They discuss Mary Kenny's article on what it means to be bohemian. They salute Geoff Roberts, 101, the last British survivor of Operation Market Garden in Arnhem in 1944. And they swap their favourite hymns as they read the article by Sarah Sands, publisher of Hymns Ancient & Modern, who's campaigning to revive those glorious songs.
#495
August 10 · 35 min
495: Michael Rosen in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Michael Rosen is the multi award-winning and prolific children’s author and poet and the former Children’s Laureate. He’s also the presenter of BBC Radio Four’s Word of Mouth, a hugely successful You Tuber and Professor of Children’s Literature at Goldsmith’s College. He talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his latest book Where are You Eddie? Exploring his feelings around his son’s tragic death from Meningitis, as well as about his own near death from Covid and his life and work. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#494
August 7 · 36 min
494: The Odd Couple, sponsored by Baillie Gifford, actual investors
John Humphrys talks to Matthew Norman about the death of Rod Liddle, 66, his dear friend and old producer at the Today programme. John also salutes his old Today colleague, the late Ed Stourton, and analyses the art of the perfect interview. Recorded at Yamaha Studios This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#493
July 30 · 9 min
493: When Harry Met Fruity - Ed Stourton remembered
Charlotte 'Fruity' Metcalf pays tribute to her dear Cambridge friend, the BBC broadcaster Ed Stourton, who has died at 68. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#492
July 27 · 28 min
492: Amanda Craig in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Amanda Craig is a critic, award-winning journalist and author. She’s one of our only female state-of-the-nation novelists and has been compared with Balzac, Trollope and Dickens. She talks to Charlotte Metcalf about her latest novel High and Low. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#491
July 20 · 19 min
491: Titus Mills in conversation with Harry Mount
Titus Mills is a headmaster - and an expert on Operation Market Garden, the doomed Allied landings in Holland in 1944, recalled in A Bridge Too Far (1977). As we approach the 82nd anniversary, Titus took a group of Oldie readers to Arnhem. There, he told Harry Mount about the many veterans he got to know and their epic, heroic actions.
#490
July 16 · 14 min
490: When Harry Met Fruity – the August issue of The Oldie
Editor Harry Mount chats to Supplements Editor Charlotte Metcalf about the new issue. They admire the article on David Hockney by his friend, biographer and fellow Yorkshireman, Christopher Sykes. And they're moved and abused by Anne Sebba's distress at all the condolence letters on her husband's premature death. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#489
July 15 · 25 min
489: Tony Adams tells Harry Mount about his new book, '1996 – Reflections on the Year that Changed My Life'.
It will be his last book, he says. As England play the semi-final against Argentina, he recalls the 1996 Euro semi-final against Germany and the 1998 World Cup, and how he consoled David Beckham after losing. He doesn’t really miss football because he was never really a fan. Rather, he admired the qualities of individual players from different teams. And he did all he could wish for in his career. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#488
July 14 · 11 min
488: Tony Adams at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Tony Adams speaking about his new book, 1996 - Reflections on the Year that Changed My Life, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on July 14th 2026. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.
#487
July 14 · 11 min
487: Rowan Williams at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Rowan Williams speaking about his new book, Solidarity - The Work of Recognition, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on July 14th 2026. This week's podcast is kindly sponsored by Baillie Gifford, Actual Investors, who take a long-term approach to investing in exceptional companies.

Showing 1–20 of 33 episodes