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When Liz Truss pulled out of The Oldie Literary Lunch, leading classicist author, Daisy Dunn, stepped in. Daisy, who wrote the Ladybird guide to Homer, has just written 'The Missing Thread', which is a new history of the ancient world through women. Daisy set the record straight that in no way was this a history, where she had shoehorned 'some girls into the grand narrative of ancient history for the sake of equality and branding it woke, to which I respond ladies and gentleman, I write for The Spectator'. Following Geoffrey Wheatcroft's speech, Daisy told the audience: 'You will notice that I'm not Liz Truss either, for which I'm sorry. Or maybe I'm not.' Daisy met Liz Truss for the first time 'about 9 months after she left Downing Street or to put it another way, about 10 months after she arrived at Downing Street and she was actually very friendly so I am sort of sorry not to see her in some respects.' Daisy came to The Oldie lunch thinking of something that Liz had once said that 'nobody wants to be in a room, or their business to be funded, because they are a woman. Of all the things that Liz Truss has said, I happen to agree with that one'.

Charlotte Metcalf is a journalist, editor, award-winning documentary film-maker and was co-presenter of the Break Out Culture podcast.   She is Supplements Editor and a frequent contributor at The Oldie. John Humphrys is the legendary BBC journalist who presented Radio Four’s Today for 30 years.  He talks about his Welsh upbringing, how Superman inspired him to become a journalist and what it was like digging for truth from the dominant politicians of our time, notably Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

Wearing an elegant cream suit and American accent, almost remnant of Wallis Simpson, historian Jane admitted to The Oldie audience of the huge challenges, facing her when writing about Edward VIII. "There is no denying that the material I presented in Once A King paints a very different portrait of Edward VIII than the one that we have in recent years become all too familiar with" - a monarch with selfish ambitions and Nazi sympathies. When the Duchess died in 1986, a "suffering narrative has prevented a balanced understanding of Edward VIII." She confessed to being "clearly very much a newbie, not very much an oldie!" Jane announced: "I am no idealist, but I recognise that one book, however startling, will not overturn decades of judgements about this most controversial of British royals".

"The Oldie, for me, has undisputedly become my favourite magazine"

It was rather ironic that Lady Anne Somerset addressed The Oldie about her latest book on Queen Victoria, at The National Liberal Club, yesterday because as Gladstone said of Queen Victoria,"there is no greater Tory in the land!" "It's wonderful to be talking to you here today, the only thing that is perhaps a bit awkward is that the event is taking place in The National Liberal Club!" The club was founded in 1882 by William Gladstone for the Liberal cause - certainly not a cause close to Queen Victoria's heart! Queen Victoria had an eye for the men, strongly supporting Lord Melbourne's Whig movement, only because "she simply adored the enchanting Lord Melbourne", finally accepting the Tories in 1841, "what does she owe them (the Tories)? Nothing but hate!"  Politicians these days can sit easy. Nothing compares to Queen Victoria with her "absurdly high notions" of the amount of political control she ought to exercise. She despised Gladstone whom she challenged, but when Tory, Benjamin Disraeli, became Prime Minister in 1874, he knew how to work the monarch successfully: "Every one likes flattery and when you come to monarchy, you should lay it on with a trowel".

Twentieth Century Heroines. 1.Citation  2. Edith Cavell  3. Maxine Elliott  4. Gertrude Bell  5. WW2 Operations  6. Ursula Graham Bower  7. MI9  a. Pat O’Leary Line b. Nancy Wake c. Dédé   d. Mary Lindell  8. Virginia Hall 9. Special Operations Executive  10. SOE Women a. Vera Atkins  b. Noor Khan  c. Violette Szabo  d. Odette Churchill  11. Bletchley Park  12. The Banka Island Massacre  13. Conclusion Many are names in the wartime Hall of Fame.  Yet others have faded from view and collective memory.  All are heroines and all sacrificed much in two world wars to defend their country and help others in need.  As nurses or secret agents, from Edith Cavell to Violette Szabo, they stand as extraordinary examples of courage, fortitude, and duty. Reading from Leo Marks code poem for Violette Zabo.  Read by David Hartley First published: https://www.bloodyviolenthistory.com The Oldie subscriptions: https://www.theoldie.co.uk

"You would make a good Labour MP!" said Chaplin, and "Selfish, arrogant he believes he is at the centre of the world - he is a great man!" said Charles de Gaulle about Churchill. Sinclair McKay reveals Winston's encounters at The Oldie Literary Lunch. Why is Sinclair's book called '90 Encounters?' Well, Churchill was the 'dazzling' age of 90 when he died, Sinclair told The Oldie. Sinclair continued, 'there have been many books written about Churchill, but not one that researches his encounters'. We asked Sinclair what view he had of Churchill post writing the book - 'Churchill was the opposite of cancel culture' and kept enemies 'close to his bosom' replied Sinclair. The Oldie Lunch was sponsored by Noble Caledonia River Cruises. Photos by Neil Spence Photography. Audio by Tom Assheton. Held at The National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London.

'There is a sort-of link between my two books', Rick Stroud told The Oldie audience today, 'I have had an enormous amount of satisfaction trying to write about very, very brave women'. Rick's latest book 'I'm Not Afraid of Looking Into The Rifles' was sold to Publisher, Simon & Schuster on what would have been his late daughter Nell's 47th birthday (in 2020). 'There is a link to (my books), and that is Lonely Courage is dedicated to my daughter Nell who died of cancer, she was a very, very brave woman and ran a circus, and I'm Not Afraid Of Looking Into The Rifles was sold to publisher Simon Schulster by a sad coincidence on what would have been her 47th birthday, but by then she left us'. Rick had tears in his eyes. He ended his speech with the poem 'The Life That I Have' by Leo Marks. The Oldie Lunch was sponsored by Noble Caledonia River Cruises. Photos by Neil Spence Photography. Audio by Tom Assheton. Held at The National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London.

Charles Spencer recounted, to The Oldie Literary Lunch today, the stories of 24 boys who had been at Maidwell Hall in 1972 and the terrifying story of how the Headmaster's religion had affected them. The Headmaster told one boy that he was 'outraged that the boy's parents were getting divorced'. This was something that the boy was clearly struggling with. The Headmaster announced 'I think you should consider me as your father now'. The boy was taken down on Sunday evenings for what were called 'Sunday Night Confessions'. He had to strip and tell the Headmaster all the things that he had done wrong that week. He hadn't done anything wrong, so he invented 'little schoolboy crimes' said Spencer. Charles Spencer told The Oldie Literary Lunch 'Maidwell Hall is actually a very good school now - that's not lawyers asking me to say that'. Charles told us: 'I have friends with children there (Maidwell Hall) and they seem to like it very much' Earl Spencer called the book A Very Private School 'because that is how it thrived'. Charles recounted the horrendous experience of having a pediphile and sadist headmaster. 'It was utterly terrifying for all of us'. The Oldie Lunch was sponsored by Noble Caledonia River Cruises. Photos by Neil Spence Photography. Audio by Tom Assheton. Held at The National Liberal Club, 1 Whitehall Place, London.