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Editor Richard Ingrams Assistant editor Sonali Chapman

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At large Richard Beatty Our quiet American David Kowitz

Sir Alan John Brown

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I S S U E 2 8 2 • M A Y 2 0 1 2

Ed’s letter…

eaders will be interested to know that Mr Ed Reardon, well known to Radio 4 listeners as a popular and successful broadcaster, has volunteered to write a regular feature in The Oldie.

escribing himself as an ‘author, pipe-smoker, consummate fare-dodger and master of the abusive email’, Berkhamsted-based Reardon has had his fair share of disappointments in recent months and some may see his application to The Oldie as the act of a desperate man. Personally, I do not see it in that light.

nother novelty is the inauguration of the OBAs, our award for aspiring oldie artists. Full details are on page 52.

CHARD INGRAMS

CONTENTS

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12

what went wrong with parky? …asks Jeremy Hornsby pearls of wisdom Shirley Hughes talks to Melanie McFadyean 20

ABC Primary Figure: 41,008 Subscription rates for 12 issues: UK £37.50; Europe £42; USA £43; Rest of World £52.50

The Oldie is published by Oldie Publications Ltd, 65 Newman Street, London W1T 3EG ISSN 0965-2507. Printed in England by Wyndeham Group

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Cover illustration by: Alan de la Nougerede

38

making a difference Chris Mullin takes his hat off to Joe Homan face value Barry Fantoni on caricaturist Jimmy Thomson 46

18 a night at the opera Stafford Dean recalls some of opera’s infelicitous moments 25 I ONCE MET… boy george John Brown’s toilet torment 43 still with us Edward Mirzoeff meets Bamber Gascoigne

56 classrooms & gorillas Mark Ellingham takes a trip to Ethiopia and Rwanda free craig brown CD Attention subscribers:

download your Craig Brown CD See page 11

My Oyster hell: see page 32