Radio Oldie

By Radio OldieSociety & Culture Personal Journals

Radio Oldie episodes

February 11 435: Stephen Frears at the 2025 Oldie of the Year Awards
Stephen Frears, 84 – Silver-Screen Evergreen Oldie

Over a period of six decades and with remarkably little fuss, Stephen Frears has established himself as our pre-eminent film director.
Introduced by Gyles Brandreth.
5 min
February 11 434: Anita Lasker-Walfisch at the 2025 Oldie of the Year Awards
Anita Lasker-Walfisch, 100 – Oldie Maestra

Anita Lasker Wallfisch, 100, a German-British cellist, was a member of the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. After the war, she co-founded ensembles including the English Chamber Orchestra and has been honoured for her contributions to music and Holocaust remembrance.
Introduced by Gyles Brandreth
5 min
February 11 433: Susan Hampshire at the 2025 Oldie of the Year Awards
Susan Hampshire, 88 – Oldie Comeback Kid

Susan Hampshire starred in The Forsyte Saga as Fleur in the late 1960s. Then, last year, she returned as Lady Carteret in the prequel, The Forsytes.

Introduced by Gyles Brandreth.
6 min
February 02 432: Stephen Frears in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Stephen Frears is one of Britain’s most prolific and successful film and television directors. His 1985 film My Beautiful Laundrette made his name and launched the careers of Daniel Day-Lewis and Tim Bevan of Working Title.
Stephen talks to Charlotte Metcalf about his phenomenal career, from directing Dangerous Liaisons, written by Christopher Hampton in 1988 and starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer, to working with Martin Scorsese on Grifters and with Stephen Knight on Dirty Pretty Things (2002).
He also talks about his admiration for Hugh Grant who played Jeremy Thorpe in his 2018 mini-series A Very English Scandal and his enduring friendship Hanif Kureshi, who wrote the screenplay for My Beautiful Laundrette.
27 min
January 26 431: Jeremy King in conversation with Harry Mount
Jeremy King, the greatest restaurateur of the age, tells Harry Mount how he set up the Caprice, the Ivy and the Wolseley. He explains how he trains his waiters, how he spots when a diner is about to hit him and why he wrote his new book, Without Reservation - Lessons from a Life in Restaurants.
30 min
January 21 430: Mary Berry at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Mary Berry speaking about her new book, Mary 90: My Very Best Recipes, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 20th 2026.
14 min
January 21 429: Jeremy King at the Oldie Literary Lunch
Jeremy King speaking about his new book, Without Reservation: Lessons from a Life in Restaurants, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 20th 2026.
17 min
January 20 428: John Davie at the Oldie Literary Lunch
John Davie speaking about his new book, Greek to Us: the Fascinating Ancient Greek that Shapes our World, at the Oldie Literary Lunch, held at London’s National Liberal Club, on January 20th 2026.
14 min
January 19 427: Helen Macdonald in conversation with Charlotte Metcalf
Charlotte Metcalf talks to Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk - the best-selling story of how she dealt with the grief over her father's death by bringing up a goshawk in Cambridge. The book has just been made into a film, starring Claire Foy (pictured) as Helen - it comes out this Friday, January 23rd.
31 min
January 12 426: Hunter Davies in conversation with Harry Mount
As he turns 90, Hunter Davies tells Harry Mount about being the Beatles' only official biographer – the priceless, hand-written lyrics he picked up off the floor of Abbey Road Studios, John Lennon's disapproving Aunt Mimi and the swimming trunks Paul McCartney left at his Portugal house.
50 min

About Radio Oldie

From the publisher's feed

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.