Richard Reid Ingrams (born 19 August 1937) is an English journalist, a co-founder and second editor of the British

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual arts, visual, literature, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently Nonfiction, non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ...

magazine ''

Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely recognised ...

'', and founding editor of ''

The Oldie ''The Oldie'' is a British monthly magazine written for older people "as a light-hearted alternative to a press obsessed with youth and celebrity", according to its website. The magazine was launched in 1992 by Richard Ingrams, who was its edit ...

'' magazine. He left the latter job at the end of May 2014.Ben Quin
"Richard Ingrams resigns as editor of the Oldie over dispute with publisher"
''The Guardian'', 31 May 2014

Early life and education

Ingrams's parents, who had three other sons including the banker and opera impresario Leonard Ingrams, were Leonard St Clair Ingrams (1900–1953) an investment banker from a clergy family who worked as a government official in propaganda, economic warfare and the secret services during World War II, and Victoria, the daughter of Sir James Reid, private physician to Queen Victoria. Through his maternal grandmother and her ties to the

Baring family The Baring family is a German and British family of merchants and bankers. In Germany, the family belongs to the '' Bildungsbürgertum'', and in England, it belongs to the aristocracy. History The family's earliest known ancestor is Peter Bari ...

, Ingrams is a direct descendant of the 19th-century prime minister Charles Grey.Leonard Ingrams
by Paul Levy, ''The Independent'', 1 August 2005. Ingrams was educated at the independent preparatory school West Downs in

Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...

, Hampshire, followed by

Shrewsbury School Shrewsbury School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Shrewsbury. Founded in 1552 by Edward VI by royal charter, to replace the town's Saxon collegiate foundations which were disestablished in the sixteenth century, Shrewsb ...

, where he met

Willie Rushton William George Rushton (18 August 1937 – 11 December 1996) was an English cartoonist, comedian actor and satirist who co-founded the satirical magazine ''Private Eye''. Early life Rushton was born 18 August 1937 at 3 Wilbraham Place, Chelsea, ...

and edited the school magazine. Before attending Oxford, he did his

National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...

in the army ranks after failing his interview for officer training, something which was unusual for someone from his background at the time. At

University College, Oxford University College, formally The Master and Fellows of the College of the Great Hall of the University commonly called University College in the University of Oxford and colloquially referred to as "Univ", is a Colleges of the University of Oxf ...

, where he read Classics, he shared tutorials with Robin Butler, later cabinet secretary and sometimes referred to as a "pillar of

the Establishment In sociology and in political science, the term the establishment describes the dominant social group, the elite who control a polity, an organization, or an institution. In the Praxis (process), praxis of wealth and Power (social and politica ...

". Ingrams also met Paul Foot, another former Shrewsbury pupil, not yet the left-wing radical he became, who became a lifelong friend and whose biography Ingrams wrote after Foot's death.

Career

Along with several other Old Salopians, including

, Ingrams founded ''Private Eye'' in 1962, taking over the editorship from

Christopher Booker Christopher John Penrice Booker (7 October 1937 – 3 July 2019) was an English journalist and author. He was a founder and first editor of the satirical magazine '' Private Eye'' in 1961. From 1990 onward he was a columnist for ''The Sunday Te ...

in 1963. It was a classic case, he claimed on ''

Desert Island Discs ''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942. Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...

'' in 2008, of the "old boy network". ''

'' was part of the satire boom of the early 1960s, which included the television show ''

That Was The Week That Was ''That Was the Week That Was'', informally ''TWTWTW'' or ''TW3'', is a satirical television comedy programme that aired on BBC Television in 1962 and 1963. It was devised, produced, and directed by Ned Sherrin and Jack (aka John) Duncan, and pr ...

'', for which Ingrams wrote, and

The Establishment In sociology and in political science, the term the establishment describes the dominant social group, the elite who control a polity, an organization, or an institution. In the Praxis (process), praxis of wealth and Power (social and politica ...

nightclub, run by

Peter Cook Peter Edward Cook (17 November 1937 – 9 January 1995) was an English comedian, actor, satirist, playwright and screenwriter. He was the leading figure of the British satire boom of the 1960s, and he was associated with the anti-establishmen ...

. When ''Private Eye'' ran into financial problems Cook was able to gain a majority shareholding on the proceeds of his brief but financially successful venture. Ingrams vacated the editor's chair at the ''Eye'' in 1986, when

Ian Hislop Ian David Hislop (born 13 July 1960) is a British journalist, satirist, and television personality. He is the editor of the satirical magazine '' Private Eye'', a position he has held since 1986. He has appeared on many radio and television pr ...

took over. In 1992 Ingrams created and became editor of ''

'', a now monthly humorous lifestyle and issues magazine mainly aimed at the older generation. As of 2005 he was still chairman of ''Private Eye'', working there every Monday,Rob McGibbo
"Richard Ingrams interview"
''

Press Gazette ''Press Gazette'', formerly known as ''UK Press Gazette'' (UKPG), is a British trade magazine dedicated to journalism and the press. First published in 1965, it had a circulation of about 2,500 before becoming online-only in 2013. Published wit ...

'' 15 December 2005. spending four days a week in London. He was television critic for ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British political and cultural news magazine. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving magazine in the world. ''The Spectator'' is politically conservative, and its principal subject a ...

'' from 1976 to 1984, though he rarely showed much enthusiasm for the medium. He was a regular on the radio panel quiz '' The News Quiz'' for its first twenty years and contributed a column to ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' for eighteen years. In late 2005 he moved to ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'', considering ''The Observer'' to have gone downhill, particularly as a consequence of its support for the Iraq war. In his 27 August 2011 column, he announced that he had been sacked by the newly appointed editor of ''The Independent''. Shortly after the death of

Jimmy Savile Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English media personality and DJ. He was known for his eccentric image, charitable work, and hosting the BBC shows ''Top of the Pops'' and ''Jim'll Fix It''. A ...

, Ingrams' ''The Oldie'' was the first publication to break the story of Savile's history of child abuse, after several national newspapers had been unwilling to print it. After a series of clashes with James Pembroke, owner and publisher of ''The Oldie'', Ingrams left the magazine at the end of May 2014 having resigned as editor. His most recent book is a biography of

Ludovic Kennedy Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy, (3 November 191918 October 2009) was a Scottish journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author. As well as his wartime service in the Royal Navy, he is known for presenting many current affairs programmes and ...

Personal life

Ingrams married Mary Morgan on 24 November 1962; they had three children: a son, Fred, who is an artist; a second son, Arthur, who was disabled and died in childhood; and a daughter, Margaret ("Jubby") a mother of three who died in 2004, aged 39, of a heroin overdose in Brighton. Ingrams played the organ for many years in his local

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

church in

Aldworth Aldworth is a village and mainly farmland civil parish in the English county of Berkshire, near the boundary with Oxfordshire. Orthography and slight change of name Aldworth was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 by scribes whose orthogra ...

, Berkshire, each Sunday. The

Romney Marsh Romney Marsh is a sparsely populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. It covers about . The Marsh has been in use for centuries, though its inhabitants commonly suffered from malaria until the ...

Historic Churches Trust was formed under the patronage of Ingrams and the then

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, Robert Runcie. In 2011 he announced he had converted to

Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

. Ingrams currently lives in Berkshire with his wife (who is also his god-daughter) Sara, a medical researcher. Before they married in 2011 he had a "long-term partner, Debbie Bosley, a waitress-turned novelist 27 years his junior". His sister-in-law (wife of his late brother Rupert, a publisher) was Davina Ingrams, 18th Baroness Darcy de Knayth; his nephew Caspar is the present baron. A biography, ''Richard Ingrams: Lord of the Gnomes'' () by Harry Thompson, was published in 1994. In 2020, his life was encapsulated in a satirical mock-autobiography, "Richard Ingrams Writes his Memoirs," published in ''The Fence''.'Richard Ingrams Writes his Memoirs', Kevin Gardner, ''The Fence'', Issue 4, Summer 2020, p. 44
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Books by Ingrams

As author

* ''Mrs Wilson's Diary'' (with John Wells) 1965 * ''Mrs Wilson's Second Diary'' (with John Wells) 1966 * ''Mrs Wilson's Diaries'' (with John Wells) 1967 * ''The Tale of Driver Grope'' (with

Ralph Steadman Ralph Idris Steadman (born 15 May 1936) is a British illustrator and collaborator with the American writer Hunter S. Thompson. Steadman draws satirical political cartoons, social caricatures, and picture books. Early life Steadman was born in ...

) 1969 * ''The Bible for Motorists: By Old Jowett'' (with Barry Fantoni) 1970 * ''Harris in Wonderland: By Philip Reid'' (pseudonym of Ingrams and Andrew Osmond) 1973 * ''God's Apology: A Chronicle of Three Friends'' 1977 * ''Goldenballs'' 1979 * '' Dear Bill: The Collected Letters of Denis Thatcher'' (with John Wells) 1980 * ''Romney Marsh and the Royal Military Canal'' (with Fay Godwin) 1980 * ''The Other Half: Further Letters of Denis Thatcher'' (with John Wells) 1981 * ''One for the Road'' (with John Wells) 1982 * ''Piper's Places: John Piper in England & Wales'' (with John Piper) 1983 * ''My Round!'' (with John Wells) 1983 * ''Bottoms Up!'' (with John Wells) 1984 * ''Down the Hatch!'' (with John Wells) 1985 * '' John Stewart Collis: A Memoir'' 1986 * ''Just the One'' (with John Wells) 1986 * ''The Best of "Dear Bill"'' (with John Wells) 1986 * ''Mud in Your Eye!'' (with John Wells) 1987 * ''You Might as Well be Dead'' 1988 * ''Still Going Strong'' (with John Wells) 1988 * '' The Ridgeway: Europe's Oldest Road'' 1988 * ''Number 10'' (with John Wells) 1989 * ''On and On'' (with John Wells) 1990 * '' Muggeridge: The Biography'' 1995 * ''My Friend Footy: A Memoir of Paul Foot'' 2005 * ''The Life and Adventures of

William Cobbett William Cobbett (9 March 1763 – 18 June 1835) was an English pamphleteer, journalist, politician, and farmer born in Farnham, Surrey. He was one of an Agrarianism, agrarian faction seeking to reform Parliament, abolish "rotten boroughs", restr ...

'' 2005 * ''Quips and Quotes: A Journalist's Commonplace Book'' 2011 * ''Ludo and the Power of the Book:

's Campaigns for Justice'' 2017 * ''The Sins of G. K. Chesterton'' 2021

As compiler and editor

* ''What the Papers Never Meant to Say: "Private Eye's" Second Book of Boobs'' 1968 * ''The Life and Times of Private Eye 1961–1971'' 1971 * ''Beachcomber: The Works of J. B. Morton'' 1974 * ''Cobbett's Country Book: An Anthology of William Cobbett's Writings on Country Matters'' 1974 * ''"Private Eye's" Book of Pseuds: A Mood Statement'' 1975 * ''"Private Eye's" Second Book of Pseuds'' 1977 * ''The Penguin Book of Private Eye Cartoons'' 1983 * ''

Dr Johnson Samuel Johnson ( – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary criticism, literary critic, sermonist, biographer, editor, and lexicograp ...

by Mrs Thrale: The "Anecdotes" of Mrs Piozzi in Their Original Form'' 1984 * ''England: An Anthology'' 1989 * ''The Bumper Beachcomber'' 1991 * ''The Oldie Book of Cartoons'' 1996 * ''More Cartoons'' 1996 * ''I Once Met: Fifty Encounters with the Famous'' 1996 * ''Jesus: Authors Take Sides: An Anthology'' 1999 * ''The Oldie Book of Cartoons, 1992–2009'' 2009 * ''The Oldie Book of Cartoons: A New Selection'' 2013

References

External links

Richard Ingrams interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ingrams, Richard 1937 births Military personnel from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea People from Chelsea, London 20th-century British Army personnel 20th-century English journalists 21st-century English journalists Alumni of University College, Oxford British Army soldiers British magazine founders Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism English Roman Catholics English magazine editors English male journalists English radio personalities Living people People educated at Shrewsbury School People educated at West Downs School Private Eye contributors The Independent people The Observer people The Spectator people English columnists British humourous columnists British satirical columnists