Hello and welcome to 2024 – a very special year for the magazine as it marks our 40th anniversary. When Saga’s founder-editor, the legendary Paul Bach, was busily putting the final touches to his first issue (below, right) back in the autumn of 1984, I was in my second year of university wondering why I’d decided to study theology and dreaming of a career in journalism. I could never in my wildest imaginings have believed that I would one day end up at the helm of what was to become the best-selling magazine in the country.
It also became my dad’s favourite magazine – I so wish he had lived long enough to see my name on the masthead.
As a dedicated Newsnight fan, he also would have been deeply impressed that I have Jeremy Paxman’s number in my phone. To be honest, I am too – though I wouldn’t dream of admitting it to him!
I’m incredibly excited that Jeremy and his fellow columnists Hunter Davies and Dr Mark Porter will be joining me on the Saga Magazine cruise, which sets sail to the Canaries this month. We are all looking forward to meeting our fellow passengers and getting some more feedback on the magazine.
We have numerous events planned to mark our milestone birthday, so watch this space over the next few months. In the meantime, I do hope you enjoy this issue, which is packed with some great reads.
We were thrilled when the queen of country music, Dolly Parton, agreed to be our cover star (p22) – what an inspiration she is. And I particularly enjoyed our interview with the brilliant actor Sue Johnston (p32), who has just celebrated her 80th birthday and, like so many of her generat
