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Cover illustration by Martin Honeysett

Ed’s letter…

In spite of all the dire warnings from Mayor Boris, the Olympic Games passed off peacefully and nobody was forced to walk to work by the promised crowds of foreign visitors as these failed to materialise.

he ‘feelgood factor’ emanating from the Olympic Park has had some beneficial results, notably a further increase in TheOldie’s

I S S U E 2 8 7 • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 2

circulation, which now stands at 42,314 – an increase of five per cent year-on-year.

eam Oldie has every reason to take pride in this achievement. We have shown the world that we are capable of an almost unheard of feat: a successful British project on the grand scale.

RICHARD INGRAMS

C O N T E N T S

14

12

46 The mORMON conquest James Pettifer on Mormonism in Britain on the road Miriam Lewis learnt to drive the hard way an artist in hungary Nick Baker visits Budapest 60

LL WITH US: bil frankland Leila Haddou meets the 100-year-old allergist 32

20 COLIN WELLAND Why Ben Mallalieu was not impressed with the Chariots of Fire man... 24 ionce met... Mira Bar-Hillel’s blind date with Ehud Olmert 34 me and my dRONES Charles Elliott’s passion for big boys’ toys 42 PEARLS OF WISDOM Melanie McFadyean talks to singer-songwriter Ralph McTell

57 the fragile forest Paola Hanna in Bangladesh

BUYOUR NEWBOOK: THE BEST OF THE OLDIE

1992–2012

ee Page 69

Virginia’s new love: see page 23