no joy for Justin

Sydney nightclub mogul Justin Hemmes had his application against police rejected today in the Supreme Court.
Hemmes had applied to have an order overturned- from licensing police to class his Ivy and Establishment venues from today as 'type 2' venues . The classification forces bars to close earlier than usual with alcohol served only in plastic beakers as opposed to glass and is applied when there have been over 12 assaults reported.

Despite Hemmes claiming his various bars have up to 2 million patrons a year passing through without incident and that he had no time to order enough plastic beakers, the judge rejected his application with the comment: "it would have been prudent to anticipate any development" .

 This is a blow to Hemmes who is possibly one of the most gentlemanly hosts and has always had excellent security at his nite-spots. Hemmes is expected to appeal.

Santa Baby...

The last time tSS encountered the diminutive Bob Dylan was a year ago in the now closed Ritz Carlton Hotel in Double Bay. That was the inn were Princess Diana hid out on her last ever charity visit to Oz in 1996 and where INXS frontman Michael Hutchence hanged himself. The evening before his death tSS had shared drinks with Hutchence in the hotel bar.

Dylan and a friend entered a lift along with tSS and being near the operating buttons became slightly agitated as the elevator failed to respond to his repeated finger stabbing. "Swipe your room-key" was our advice and -voila !-the lift began to rise as Dylan gratefully responded, "thank's man, you saved my life". A slight exageration-he was only going one  floor. As he alighted holding 2 plastic beakers of take-away coffee tSS was rewarded with a  friendly wave.

Later we learned he had just returned from Graeme Goldberg's DeeBees cafe where he had spotted hanging amongst the flags of the world fluttering outside,a Jewish kippah and asked the waiter why it was there. That was enough to bring Goldberg from his office and 20 minutes later, Dylan left clutching his takeaway coffee after posing for a snap and signing an autograph which now takes pride of place amongst dozens of similar celebrity snaps lining the cafe's walls.

And that's by way of introducing Dylan's new Yuletide offering- Must Be Santa

Exclusive !-famous cottager to attend Mardi Gras

tSS can confirm that singer George Michael will be the guest star at the 2010 Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney.

Promoter Paul Dainty announced Michael's tour on Thursday and now a shift in dates has one show in Sydney scheduled for February 26th-the Mardi Gras is on the 28th February.

  It’s George Michael’s first Aussie tour since 1988 and both Dainty and the office for the Mardi Gras have refused to comment-which basically confirms he will be present.

The gay pride event, the largest of it's kind in the world , began as a political protest in 1978 when a group of protesters marched up Sydney's Oxford Street to protest the Stonewall Riots in New York. Hundreds of police officers weighed into the marchers with batons and 53 were arrested with claims of vicious bashings in police vans. 

These days the police march in the 2 kilometre parade along with thousands of gays and lesbians and colourful floats with parents and children of the marchers, representatives of the police, armed services, firefighters and hundreds of drag queens walking side by side to Fox Studios where a mass orgy party begins at 10pm and ends around 12 hours later. Politicians from the Prime Minister down send their best wishes and crowds of spectators have at times, numbered up to one million..

top Aussies..

The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend magazine has published it's list of the Most Influential Australians of the past 50 years and feminist Germaine Greer has come out tops, chosen by a panel of 8 judges that included conservative historian Geoffrey Blainey, former Labor Party chairman and top egghead Barry Jones and publisher Louise Adler.

Greer was chosen  "for revolutionising how women thought about themselves and forcing men to rethink women, too." Coming in third is the antique clock collector and former Labor PM Paul Keating for "formenting the culture wars and refashioning the economy". 

 Scot's born chef and best-selling cook-book writer Margaret Fulton, philosopher Peter Singer and builder A.V.Jennings received kudos for changing the way people cook, think and view homes they live in.

Writer Patrick White, much beloved by intellectuals earned a guernsey and the singing budgie Kylie Minogue clocked in at number 20 for, as Blainey puts it : "showing what the girl next door could do"

handy guide to those climate skeptic Liberal Party MPs

As featured in Climategate in the Telegraph.co.uk

Tony Abbott MP: known as the 'Mad Monk'. Disciple of the late Catholic powerbroker , communist conspiracy nutter,anti-capitalist and Franco & Mussolini admirer B.A.Santamaria-who caused the split within the Labor Party that kept it out of power for 2 decades. The Mad Monk looks like doing the same favour to his Liberal Party.

Senator Erca Abetz : known as the Tasmanian Devil  Born in Stuttgart, West Germany and makes Attila the Hun look like a Girl Guide. Great-nephew of SS-Brigadeführer Otto Abetz, Nazi German ambassador to Vichy France from 1940 to 1944.

Sophe Mirrabella MP : "Ginger Group" member who wants tax cuts for the rich and reduced spending.on the poor. Denies there was a 'Stolen Children Generation' and when pregnant was told by Labor's Belinda Neal MP in Parliament "if you think evil thoughts you will give birth to a devil "

Senator Nick Minchin : Liberal Party Senate leader and right-winger who wants compulsory voting abolished, total privatisation of anything not nailed down and abolition of labour market controls. Famous quote as the infamous WorkChoices went down in flames at the last general election : "The Australian public don't seem to agree with our policies-in fact they violently disagree"

Tony Smith MP : former research assistant at the conservative think tank Institute of Public Affairs Championed the abolition of compulsory student union fees for which a decade of new university students vow to never forgive him for. No other distinguishing features.

more woes

As Justin Hemmes ponders a decline in fortune at his $50M Ivy nightclub complex with the economic dowturn, local police at The Rock's police station have classed the club and his nearby restaurant and bar complex Establishment, with a 'level two' restriction under new laws that come into force next Tuesday.

The restrictions are applied to venues that have had 12 to 18 reported assaults but as Hemmes points out-this number pales in comparison with the over 2 million visitors who pass through his venues each year. Not helping his cause is the alleged sexual assault of a female patron last month.

The restrictions can have a dramatic affect on liquor sales with bars having to cease serving alcohol 30 mnutes before closing time and with drinks served in plastic beakers, something that would not help the uber-chic feel of Hemmes' watering holes. It's reported Justin borrowed heavily to build Ivy after the amazing success of Establishment with it's award winning restaurants, boutique hotel and various bars.

Earlier this year Hemmes put up for sale the mansion that sits above his parents harbourside, abbey style home where Justin still lives. The house was used as a guest lodge but was passed in with a bid of only $6M just as the financial crunch hit like a tsunami wave.

Hemmes is currently appealing in the NSW Supreme Court with cries of foul that the arbitary imposition of the restrictions is unfair.

On the brighter side, Justin's recently ill dad John, and mum Merivale, both looking a picture of health, gave tSS a cheery wave today as they cruised up leafy Macleay Street in Potts Point in the latest Roll's convertible. Both are justly proud of Justin's entrepreneurial achievments which have surpassed his father and mother's fashion and property empire, and daughter Bettina's skills in decorating her brothers nite-spots.
On Tuesday night Justin's Hemmesphere bar played host to a small select reception for visiting singer Robbie Williams who was the special guest star at last night's ARIA Awards.
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Distant Cousins ? # 1:

     
 Luke Steele                                                                                                             Billy Idol

                                                                                    

tango success in the US

Hearty congratulations to tSS friend and local TV presenter Kym Johnson who has just won the American Dancing With The Stars with a perfectly executed tango with Donny Osmond.

pretty in pink

As Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull survives a leadership spill-for now, that lovely lass from the Welsh village of Barry, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard is featured in the new Christmas edition of the Australian Women's Weekly out tomorrow.

Gillard 48, one the countries most popular political figures who has impressed many in her tough role as Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and is tipped to be the next, and first female PM, shows off her soft side as she describes returning to her father's mining village in Wales to visit relatives.

Living with hairdresser Tim Mathieson Gillard,a former left-wing socialist leader is regarded as stodgy PM Kevin Rudd's best asset. Liberal knockers who have described the pic (above) as a "publicity stunt" can look forward to the article on their very own shadow treasurer Joe Hockey in the same mag who is bathed in a pink glow as he describes the joys of fatherhood.

hack-watch : a skeptic in our midst..

Michael Peschardt, the highly likable BBC Australian based correspondent has outed himself as climate change skeptic.

Peschardt was appearing this morning on Kerri-Anne Kennerley's Morning Show during a segment where various journalists comment on newspaper headlines and expressed his view of Opposition Leader (see below) Malcolm Turnbull's successful negotiations with the government on climate change.

Peschardt who originally came to Oz to cover Alan Bond America's Cup bid, and never left, pondered why local politicians should be rushing in so soon before the Copenhagen climate change meeting this month (can't have Aussies making independent decisions !) and the dubious claim this week in the British media that researchers had "massaged" figures despite those researchers claims that hacked emails were being taken out of context.

But as fellow panelist Julie McCrossin-broadcaster, comedian, happy lesbian and journalist said :"now he's in trouble-he's quoting English newspapers "!
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Earth to Fairfax Newspapers : today is Wednesday 25th November, always has been and always will be on the same day.
Not as your first edition announced this morning as it thudded on the doorstep :Thursday 26th November.

(The fact that dozens of sub-editors have been laid off and standards are falling is entirely co-incidental. )

an invite

A stiffy arrives with a request to share Christmas drinks at the splendiferous Point Piper mansion of Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull and his charming wife Lucy, former Sydney Lord Mayor.

Rhodes scholar Turnbull, a cousin of the famous US based British actress Angela Lansbury and Lucy, the niece of art critic Robert Hughes are under attack from within the Liberal Party as the rather odd Kevin Andrews announces he will challenge Malcolm this week for the leadership role.

Andrews-who fortunately has a head of wavy hair that grows blacker as he ages, is one of the reasons his party was thrown into the wilderness 2 years ago. It was he that bungled the Dr Mohamed Haneef debacle when the hapless Indian doctor was arrested at Brisbane Airport on his way home to visit his new-born child and incarcerated illegally for nearly 3 weeks by Federal police, following the Glasgow Airport terrorist bombing.

Haneef was a distant relation of one of the bombers and despite a Scotland Yard terrorism expert visiting Oz and declaring there was nothing in the matter, Andrews solemnly intoned there was a case to answer-as the cards came crashing down around him.

Dr Haneef now lives in the Middle East and is still negotiating a compensation settlement some say will be as high as $5M.

Turnbull-urbane, intelligent and very very rich, inexplicably  incurs suspicion from his party colleagues and the public alike and is possibly more to the left of the political spectrum than the ruling Labor Party. As a former merchant banker and solicitor to media mogul Kerry Packer he is worth about $200M. As a barrister he successfully defended former MI5 boss Peter Wright when the UK government attempted to ban his 'Spycatcher' book about his life as a top spy and prosecuted the case in the English courts for compensation over the Maralinga nuclear bomb testing site.

Although it seems unlikely he will topple the most popular PM ever, Kevin Rudd, the Liberals would be foolhardy to ditch him this soon. RSVP-invite accepted !
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footnote : The Maralinga bomb site makes Australia the most nuclear weapon bombed country on the planet with 8 major devices and numerous small ones being exploded between 1955 and 1963.

wedding bells in my head..

The side-show known as the Dr Geoffrey Edelsten / Brynne Gordon wedding rolls on as plans are announced for next Saturday's nuptials at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

Gordon 25, a fitness instructor from Las Vegas has claimed she isn't comfortable with all the attention-possibly why she invited media to the lunch the pair hosted on Friday at Bondi Beach's chic Iceberg's Restaurant , went for a photo-op walk on the beach after and asked press along to her wedding shower on the weekend, sans females and which had only muscle men in attendance.

Robbie Williams ( in Sydney for the ARIA Awards) has been nixed as entertainment after he asked for $450,000 to sing just one song. Instead local talent in the form of John Farnham will entertain guests along with the rather un-exciting host Richard Wilkins from Channel Nine. 

Fran Drescher and Seinfelds's  Jason Alexander will also tell a few jokes for a reputed $50,000 each and Edelsten, 65 (?) has announced it will be a "very traditional Jewish affair" and has requested guests donate to charity rather then give wedding gifts. Dr Geoff reckons the whole do will cost $2million !

So what's wrong with a rabbi and the local community hall then ?.

Lion King

Christian the Lion's John Rendall has landed back in town for a few months to work on the next stage of the growing industry surrounding the dead Kings Road feline.

Rendall and his partner, Anthony 'Ace' Bourke, a descendant of the controversial Irish Governor of NSW, Sir Richard Bourke, found world-wide fame when a grainy film of them greeting their former pet lion Christian, who they had returned to Africa in the care of animal conservationist George Adamson, greeted them like a long lost friend. The youtube film was viewed by millions.

At Saturday's Paspaley Polo in The Park , Rendall filled in the Shuttle with the latest plans that include  a feature film,, a lecture tour and a range of children's toys. Rendall's 2 sons are studying at a local school and university.

Rendall also has a daughter Tallulah by London publicist Liz Brewer who is starring in the current Ladette to Lady TV show where rough Aussie gals are 'finished off' after a good dressing down by Brewer and others  in the imaginary Eggleston Hall Finishing School. Observant viewers of the high camp show have noticed how portraits and furniture in the series seems to move from room to room. The heritage listed house is available for weddings, parties and bar mitzvahs.

The unruly lasses receive a nicely framed diploma after a winner is chosen as Chief Ladette to Lady by a bunch of new age aristocrats that include former used car dealers and Colonel Blimp  types who pass these days for the landed gentry, along with the delightful Lady Georgia Campbell.

that publicist guide in full...an occasional series

Cracking the so-called social scene isn't as easy as it seems. Talent and beauty is all very well but why not take the fast track and hire a publicist. But not just any PR will do. As one of the richest woman in Australia, Lady Mary Fairfax (right) found when she bought the most expensive apartment in New York in 1990-the penthouse of the Pierre Hotel which came complete with it's own ballroom and 4 amazing terraces overlooking Central Park and the NY skyline.

Lady Mary's Sydney parties were legendary-US presidents and the British Royal family members were regulars. Lady Fairfax is the Honoury Consul for Monaco and her palatial harbourside mansion Fairwater the Consulate with Prince Rainier and Prince Albert dropping in as household guests.

She had all the qualities to crack the New York scene-she is mega-rich, a noted philanthropist, has impeccable credentials and top-notch connections and was a regular guest at the Ronald Reagan White House. But did Lady Mary hire the right PR firm ?. An expensive publicist isn't always the best and in the end you are only as good as your publicist's connections.

Whilst New York's social media was intrigued by the media mogulette from Down Under, she really needed 3 of the most connected PRs in town to infiltrate New York's snooty upper class. The Pierre apartment remained largely empty for years except for the occasional visit from Lady Mary's loyal chauffeur and his wife who acted as a part-time caretakers. In 1999, she sold it for the knock-down price of $21M to a hedge fund manager. She was asking $35M.

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Lady Mary may have done better with New York public relation's expert R.Couri Hay.

 Couri Hay is one of Andy Warhol's Factory survivors and a refugee from the legendary nightclub Studio 54 for which he was the publicist and has an amazing handle on the local media from  alternative publications to direct lines to the all-powerful Cindy Adams, Richard Johnson, and Michael Musto. Hay is an often featured commentator on diverse TV shows from Geraldo At Large to Larry King Live.

And he has the Hamptons wrapped up. If you can't make it in the Hamptons-forget New York.

clients: the Ritz Carlton Hotel, British Airways, department store Bergdof Goodman, fashion label Fendi, private eye Frank Monte, jewelers Bulgari & Harry Winston, magazine Ocean Drive and the American Ballet Theater.

the shame file..

Mystery still surrounds the ownership of the website Australia's Worst Journalist.

Here's the site's current top ten : Broadcaster Derryn Hinch (right) has been knocked off the top spot by Jamie Packer biographer Paul Barry.

• Paul Barry: A FAILURE YET AGAIN
• Adam Shand and Nick Coe : A Current Affair
• Kate McClymont : Sydney Morning Herald
• Jill Singer : Herald Sun
• Nick Tabakoff : The Daily Telegraph
• Ben Butler : Herald Sun
• Richard Hinds : Sydney Morning Herald
• Annette Sharp : The Daily Telegraph
• Andrew Hornery : Sydney Morning Herald

Annette Sharp cycling with actor Russell Crowe

The fact they have all written derogatory stories about soon-to-be married Dr Geoffrey Edelsten is entirely co-incidental.
Some of our best friends are journalists. Some of our best friends are these journalists. What a hoot.

what is this man doing ?

In Hyde Park near Whitlam Square. Just at the beginning of the Golden Gay Mile of Oxford Street.

It's a statue of  Captain Cook donated to Sydney by the good folk of Yorkshire, Cook's birthplace.

a strange exhibition..

The invitation to Justin Hemmes Ivy said 6pm for the opening of their Voyeur exhibtion of sexy snaps taken around the precint of Hemme's amazing multi-million dollar nightclub venture. One slight hitch-there seemed to be no photographs and few guests but heaps of champagne and nibbles. Perhaps the other invites are still in the post.

         At least we spotted marketing executive Sharon Sargent who brightens up any room. Sharon says she's threatening to attend the Polo In The Park this Saturday at Centenniel Park, wearing something sensational. Can't wait.

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The furore erupting over Demi Moore's photoshopped snap on the cover of W Magazine and described as "the"worst Photoshop ever" is another discovery of the excellent blog Photoshop Disasters. Check it out-it's good fun.

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And have a look at the very amusing Angry people in local newspapers, the sympathy blog for hapless local tabloid snappers.The entire Shuttle staff have worked on local newspapers at some stage -we feel their pain.

a little light entertainent...

It's not our usual patch but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

One of our favourite publicists was handling the press conference for wrestler Hulk Hogan and a bunch of his burly colleagues. Five minutes into the presser a ginormous bruiser spotted a giggling Shuttler and demanded to know "what are you laughing at..?". I pointed at Hulk.

All hell broke loose...bodies went flying..Hulk Hogan was thrown off the stage and landed at my feet. His attacker began to pound the Hulk's head right in front of me.

The blows rained down. Blood flowed. Amazingly the attacker was able to inflict terrible wounds by punching at the Hulk's head whilst missing by at least 6 inches. Perhaps he has special powers.

The poor Hulk was helped off as an aide shouted "is there a doctor in the house ?".

I've always wanted to hear someone say that.

Rudi's shorts up for grabs

A pair of leather Rudolf Nureyev's shorts will be auctioned tomorrow night at Australia House in the Strand in London to aid the Tait Memorial Trust. Designed and signed by Yves St Laurent and presented to the ballet star in 1961, the funds raised will go to scholarships to be awarded to young Australian dancers studying ballet in the UK.

The Tait Trust was set up by Isla Baring in 1992 to honour her parents Sir Frank and Lady Viola Tait who played an important part in the establishment of theatre and the performing arts in Australia. Dame Joan Sutherland, Barry Humphries and the Countess of Harewood are patrons. Actors Bryan Brown and Rachel Ward will be at the Tait-a-Tait night which will be a celebration of Tchaikovsky ballet music with young Aussie dancers performing and a recital by distinguished pianist Leslie Howard.Tickets are £45 and can still be had by emailing info@taitmemorialtrust.org or by phone/fax to 020 7385 2719.

 Will they be these shorts ?. In the 1960's Nureyev made his first visit to Australia with Sir Robert Helpmann. Staying at Sydney's Sebel Town House, on his second night he wandered down to the notorious gay beat in nearby Rushcutters Bay park. He chose the wrong night with the "pretty police' out in force-young handsome officers sent out to public conveniences to attract gay men with gay sex highly illegal (although rampant) at the time. The following day, after much diplomatic action late into the night to suppress Rudi's name, a small newspaper article appeared under the headline: "Leather shorted Pervert arrested in Park". A week later Nureyev flew out when charges were quietly dropped, presumably with his leather shorts intact.

Friends said later Nureyev would describe the scene almost imitating an Aussie accent correctly . Apparently he really fancied the young copper who slapped handcuffs on him, and thought it was part of a sex game. As he was hauled away he announced "I am the great Nureyev ! ", to which the plod said "I don't care who the fuck you are mate, you're nicked"

the Shuttle on the Today show..

"A grey gadabout" is how he's described but the Social Shuttle's snapper Bill Ranken takes it in his stride.

At 80 Ranken has seen it all and reckons he wouldn't be impressed :  "even if Jesus Christ walked through the Harbour Heads-unless there was a smart homecoming party for him."

Watch the Today show at ninemsn as they follow Bill on the party circuit and interview him at Graeme Goldberg's DeeBees cafe.

what a difference a year makes..

A year ago he was a happy-go-lucky young actor about town but now armed with a Hollywood publicist actor Sam Worthington has returned to Oz and is refusing all photograph opportunities as he rides the Avatar publicity circuit.

The December world-wide release of the James Cameron's 3D space epic is certain to catapult Worthington into instant international stardom and make Sam a new movie heart throb. Avatar is predicted to be the blockbuster's blockbuster. Here is an earlier Shuttle snap of Worthington-he hasn't changed much. He's still a nice chap.

a film about Percy

Percy Savage

No party or fashion event is complete these days without the dreaded PR 'officer'. Apart from a few rare exceptions (and it's worldwide) they're usually rude and full of self importance and have done some useless "media " course at a technical school, tacking on a few initials after their names as they become instant door bitches armed with attitude,a clipboard and 'list'.

We've encountered them everywhere. In Sydney they have a turnover rate of about a year, after which one must explain one's impeccable press credentials all over again to a whole new clueless fool who thinks a scruffy paparazzi is of equal importance as the nation's top columnist. We've stood with astonishment at some doors where the offending dolt has muttered "your name is not on the list" as a troupe of Sydney's most infamous gate-crashers are waved through (and these liggers would be OK if they were personalities-which they ain't). In Melbourne they are marginally more polite.

But now comes a film about the legendary Percy Savage who died at age 81 in 2008. Percy was a Shuttle friend and favourite in London and invented modern fashion PR in the 1950's when he clad Elizabeth Taylor in a Lanvin gown for a red carpet premiere in Paris. The resulting pictures swept the world and the "red carpet' phenomena was born. Percy went on to become the greatest manipulator of 'press opportunities" for a host of celebrities like Jackie Onassis or Yves St Laurent.

  Savage in his Chelsea garden

Born just outside Brisbane, Savage travelled first to London in 1947 and then to Paris to escape Britain's post-war gloom. With little formal training he designed for Lanvin, Nina Ricci and Balenciaga amongst other famous fashion houses.And he hung out with Jean Cocteau.

  Back in London where he spent the rest of his life he promoted new younger designers like Mary Quant and Zandra Rhodes and made them famous. He specialised in seating arrangements for photo ops at runway shows, seating Liz Taylor with Mick & Bianca Jagger. Savage was a joy, a gentleman, flamboyant, elegant, grand and gracious but never a snob. And Dior named one of the world's most famous fragrances after him : Eau Sauvage!

Savage, A Life In Fashion is showing at the ACMI cinemas at Federation Square in Melbourne with Sydney dates to be announced. Don't miss it.

                           

Harry hits the headlines..

The UK's Sunday Express tabloid  has jumped on a few pages in Harry M.Miller's autobiography Confessions Of a Not So Secret Agent over his claims of a dinner party conversation with HRH Prince Charles.

  
According to Miller, Charles said in 1977 that the Royal family was past it's use by date and that Australia should be made a republic. Charle's was puzzled : “why Australia bothered with us – we are really yesterday’s news”. Miller also says Prince Charles "bedded" a number of local girls and was annoyed that the NSW Governor and Victoria Cross recipient Sir Roden Cutler (known to his friends as Rodent Cutlet ) interfered with Charles night-time plans by sitting up late for him at the rather magnificent if somewhat stuffy Government House perched high above the Opera House..


It tops a month of a brilliant publicity campaign by Harry, one of the best in the business that has seen the book flying off the shelves.  But is it true ?. There's a clue here and it concerns the late Governor. It's pretty common knowledge who Charles was really bedding and she wasn't the wife of a politician as Miller claims. But she was the wife of a VIP linked to Cutler whose career was nipped in the bud by the state Governor who was furious at the time. Nor can we quite see Sir Roden really giving the Royal heir a hard time-he was an avowed monarchist. It was Charlie's choice of partner who it's said he spent the entire visit to Australia with, that annoyed Cutler. Perhaps Harry is being kind with his confessions. The Prince's flame is still married to her husband who has since gone onto have a stellar career in other areas and become a pillar of the establishment. That career didn't however include his ambition-to follow in Sir Roden's footsteps.

Batty Lord Departs

British Joker

And so we bid a sad farewell to one of the most amusing visitors to this land in the last year, Christopher Walter Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley.

The Shuttle was delighted to meet the charming peer at a small farewell drinks party recently where he illuminated us on the latest quest for world domination via the very dodgy proposition that the world's climate is rapidly about to turn upon man and seek revenge for our unthinking decimation of Mother Nature's natural recourses.

"It's all a plot" he says "and just the new face of the extreme left who have found a new way for world domination". 

Monkton put up finance for the popular film feature fantasy  The Great Global Warming Swindle. (the Great Rock' N' Roll Swindle with the Sex Pistols was more fun) and says US President Barack Obama plans to cede US sovereignty to a newly created world government.

Many of these pearls of wisdom were delivered on the most insane TV station in the world-Fox News in the USA via the wacky host Glenn Beck. (Even Fox boss Rupert Murdoch is expressing doubts about Beck's delivery but that is possibly more to do with advertisers fleeing from his show.) Needless to say, the venerable Lord found a willing listener at the home of Australia's radio king Alan Jones who has taken up the cause with gusto.

The Shuttle's probing inquiry to his Lordship never received a full answer-he was pulled away to meet other less troublesome guests. If, as he claims. global warming is part of a communist inspired plot to destroy manufacturing which they hate, how does he explain the USSR's extraordinary surge forward in the early part of the 20th century when Russia went from a feudal society to a mechanized miracle in a few short decades?. It's something we will need to ponder on our own. In the past Lord Monkton has announced that AIDs sufferers should be isolated on an island and that he, as adviser to PM Margaret Thatcher, helped win the Falklands War.

British Aussie joker

Still, as one comedian departs, we welcome the newest Aussie citizen to our shores-Ben Elton.

PS: Today, federal Climate Minister and proud lesbian Penny Wong MP has announced that airports and a few thousand houses in Sydney will be underwater within 50 years as seas rise. 

Now you know why Lachlan & Sarah Murdoch purchased the cities most expensive mansion on the tallest hill in the eastern suburbs.

we are the new media

So says film-maker and artist Bruno Grasswill the son of a noted French film director. Bruno was filming everything that moved and didn't, at the launch of top foodie Lyndey Milan's 4th book The Best Collection. Bruno is also married to top ABC TV producer Helen Grasswill, the driving force behind the hugely successful Australian Story (which featured the Shuttle once-we are biased) and Oz sections for the US series Entertainment Tonight.

Both were guests at the swell shindig given by Lyndey's merchant banker boyfriend in his magnificent duplex apartment in the Ikon building in Kings Cross. The Ikon is the home away from home (and the best kept secret until now) of Hollywood royalty and visiting film stars working at the near-by Fox Studios.With the most commanding views of the Sydney skyline from the harbor heads to the Opera House and beyond, it's hard to top these homes.

Lyndey presents food sections on the top morning show hosted by Kerri Anne Kennerley and is food editor on the Packer family pride and joy, the Woman's Weekly (which is published monthy to confuse readers). She is also a hostess with mostess-in every way. Bruno also painted a fab portrait of Lyndey for beau John and when our party gal saw it she immediately requested more cleavage should be added. Those who know the lovely Lyndey know this is par for the course. Delicious nibbles at the party came from Lyndey's recipes and were passed around by the handsome waiters from Mandy Foley-Quin's Stedmans (the French government is trying to lure this top caterer to Paris).
                                  


Food legend Margaret Fulton launched the book. At 85 , Scot's born Margaret has now sold millions of cookbooks and knows a great chef when she sees one.  In between glasses of champers and vintage wines from Lyndey's own cellar we forced down Bloody Mary shooters with oysters. And every time we tried to leave another crate of French champagne was wheeled out. Who are we to disappoint ?. No-one can actually re-call what time they left but the Shuttle woke up this morning clutching a bottle of wonderful Taittinger. Get the book now. For Christmas.

                       




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A darling of the new media Madame Arcati features a video on her blog by writer Duncan Fallowell. It's a superb piece titled  Andy Warhol in Church :



Check out Fallowell's books on his site. They are really very good. Put him on your reading list.Now.