Sale of The Century

Former politician and Liberal Party heavyweight Michael Yabsley has put his collection of Australian ephemera up for sale at Lawson Menzies auction house. Yabsley's Wombat Hollow, an estate in the beautiful Southern Highlands has been his home for years now but for personal reasons the whole shebang is for sale and can be viewed here.
Whisper's favourite is the 1937 Chev pick-up truck with an estimated price $25,000 - $35,000. Dozens of rather wacky looking lamp stands and shades are up for grabs along with a quite extraordinary collection of old surveyors tripods and vintage tools, dozens of old oil cans and Mulga wood bits & pieces- Yabsley must have been collecting for years.
It's bound to be a popular sale in the local area where so many city elites have hobby farms. The Southern Highlands is also home to a number of notable characters including Harry Potter actress Miriam Margolyes currently touring Australia for an ABC TV special and Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban who snapped up the former Governor's mansion.

Michael Yabsley was an MP and Prison's Minister in the distant past who hitched his fate to former NSW Premier Nick Greiner when Greiner was the subject of  an ICAC investigation over a complicated matter which eventually saw him resign along with Yabsley in sympathy. No problem- both went on to become Liberal Party heavyweights behind the scenes.

Whisper's exclusively alluded to Yabsley's move from the Highlands and his new living arrangements in Wollooomooloo. Today Michael "outed" himself as gay in a daily newspaper. Better late than never!.
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There seem to be some important moves for a small social group that includes top broadcaster Alan Jones who announced his retirement (at age 79) and the former well-liked social butterfly and top publicist Glen Marie Frost who has been down on her uppers of late for various reasons. Glen-Marie announced she had moved into a Housing Commission flat in Wooloomooloo and all we can say is : location, location, location. It has to be one of the most desirable suburbs in Sydney so well done Glen Marie !
And now that Lock Down measures have eased up lets hope Glen Marie's new business as a Marriage Celebrant goes into full flight. Honestly if you are planning to get hitched whether straight, gay or otherwise, Frost is the lady to make that special day even better.

You can contact her here at Glen Marie Frost Celebrant.

So all's well for this trio who often partied in the Southern Highlands where Jones has a rather splendid farm and where Glen Marie apparently lived for some time in a  cottage at Yabsley's Wombat Hollow- now they're all within a stone's throw of each other with Yablsey & Glen Marie in residence at The Loo and Jones who is just a hop step and jump away at his Harbour-side apartment at Circular Quay.
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Speaking of Alan Jones, please come back in a few days when Whisper's will reveal some never published before facts about Alan's infamous arrest in a toilet in Piccadilly in 1988.
Many so-called "left leaning" pundits like former broadcaster Mike Carlton have been quite malicious about this event, often smugly inferring all sorts of impropriety despite the fact Jones was never prosecuted and had no intention of pleading guilty to a stitch up and despite ridiculous gossip that Jones' powerful friend (then) Lord Jeffrey Archer, a Minister in Margaret Thatcher's government somehow pulled strings. It shows an extraordinary ignorance on their part especially Carlton who was a broadcaster on a London radio station and should have known that Britain's Metropolitan Police wouldn't give a stuff about an Antipodean "shock jock" if they thought charges would stick as surely demonstrated when they eventually prosecuted  Alan's good pal Jeffrey Archer for perverting the course of justice.

Fudging figures..

Alas Whispers missed the official launch for the exciting new cook book Conversations in The Kitchen authored by radio host Alan Jones and former Labor Party leader Mark Latham who has forsaken his former left leaning comrades and veered well and truly to the far right via various steps beginning with Sky News and now The Rebel Media. (you can read more about Latham here).

In the meantime a minor twitter dispute has broken out between Jones' critic Mike Carlton (who coined the term The Parrot to describe Jones) and publicist for the book, the effervescent Max Markson (last seem shepherding the strange Milo Yiannopoulos around town).
Markson claims the book has sold 6000 copies. "Not so" declares Carlton- at best 89 copies as the official figures shows.
We're not taking sides in this dispute having met all parties involved !

Meanwhile the wondrous MailOnline / Daily Mail is still having problems identifying colourful characters. As we revealed some time ago they mistook the Aussie actress Little Nell of Rocky Horror picture fame for the mother of British comedian Tracey Ullman.

Now they've discovered Lucy Turnbull, wife of our industrious Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull may have jumped into a time machine and found her teenage self to accompany Mal to the recent charity Gold Dinner.

It's a serious subject but the Mail recently posted this caption on the figures of male suicide in the UK. Rubbery figures surely ?

She's back !

How pleasing to see our favorite chanteuse and actress Maria Venuti made it to the Bong Bong Picnic Races this week. Maria suffered a stroke earlier this year after she found a stranger in her living room. But she's looking much better and as always, larger than life. Maria is pictured here with two Southern Highlands' residents broadcaster Alan Jones and the always stylish Glen Marie Frost.

There was a time when the Picnic Races had to be cancelled for a number of years due to the attendees imbibing just a little too much in alcoholic refreshments and basically running amok. Now they have returned to calmer times and really are a wonderful day out in a superb location.

Noticeable attendees: broadcaster Alan Jones who tends to be to the right of politics but his new friendship with the former Australian Labor Party candidate for Prime Minister Mark Latham has taken on all the attributes of a bromance. Latham seems to have veered to the right at a rapid pace and now writes for the right-wing website Rebel Media and when he's not castigating "snowflakes" he's cosying up to that Milo character or getting stuck into former Labor colleagues like ex-PM Kevin Rudd and former NSW premier Kristina Keneally who has a real chance of picking up the Bennelong seat in the upcoming by-election which could put Labor in power and PM Malcolm Turnbull out.

We digress: Latham and Jones have teamed up to give the world just what it needs- another cookbook as Mark tweeted with the accompanying photo : "Here we are in the kitchen enjoying the great story about Alan's sultana scone recipe. One of many cracking recipes to feature in the book.'
We can't wait.

About NSW Kids in Need Foundation Cocktail Party

This year's event will be in the presence of The Honourable John Howard OM AC Former Prime Minister of Australia.

Alan Jones AO will host the event and interview Mr Howard about his time as Prime Minister.

6pm-8pm Saturday October 21st, Kirribilli House, Kirribilli Ave, Kirribilli
Dress code: Lounge Suit

By purchasing tickets to this event you’ll be helping the NSW Kids in Need Foundation raise valuable funds to make a real difference in the lives of children.

Event Highlights include:
Cocktail Party with Canapés and Beverages
Master of Ceremonies 2GB’s Alan Jones AO

NSW Kids in Need Foundation Limited fundraises for the following six kid’s charities:
• Bear Cottage Children's Hospice
• The Burns Unit at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead
• Central Coast Kids in Need
• Duke of Edinburgh's International Award – Australia
• Muscular Dystrophy NSW
• SHINE for Kids.

You can purchase one or numerous tickets – Tickets are limited to the first 150 people.

¹ $285 is tax deductible

A Feel Good Story

If you have not encountered Sydney solicitor Christopher Murphy (on the left) - it's probably a good thing !
Don't get us wrong. Murphy is one of the most sought after criminal lawyers in Australia. He's also contributed to many newspapers with regular columns and he's one of those lawyers that goes into bat for the underprivileged.
Murphy is also great pals with many of this cities most notable personalities from all walks of life : sports persons. politicians, movie stars and business people.
This is all by the way of introducing a nice little poem penned by Chris' young son Jesse. Whispers thinks it's a pretty neat poem in that sort of extensional manner in which children (Jesse is 9!) somehow have the ability to cut to the chase and tell the truth. Out of the mouth of babes etc etc.
Others agree including broadcaster Alan Jones (above centre) who read out Jesse's work on radio and Whisper's favourite thespian Russel Crowe who tweeted his appreciation this morning.

Pick & Stick with Alan

It's a very Sydney story. A tale of drugs and murder. Four years ago the Shuttle attended  the launch of ex-copper Roger 'Dodger' Rogerson's autobiography at the former gangster hangout, the Iron Duke pub in Waterloo.

Glen McNamara            Tim Priest          Alan Jones            above Rogerson & Jones at Roger's book launch                                                                

Roxburgh as Rogerson

Rogerson's book was launched by radio host Alan Jones. Rogerson is famous for being kicked out of the NSW Police and was portrayed in the TV  film Blue Murder with Richard Roxburgh playing the Dodger.
Above in our photo set is Alan Jones with another former detective Tim Priest at his book launch and in the photo is another former cop Glen McNamara.
Police are now alleging that McNamara and Rogerson entered a storage facility on Saturday evening with 20 year old Jamie Gao. Minutes later, say police, the two ex-cops walked out carrying Gao's body. A body matching his description was found floating off Cronulla beach this morning wrapped in a blue tarpaulin. McNamara has been arrested and charged and police say Rogerson is on the run in Queensland.
Multi millionaire radio network owner Alan Jones is famed for his "pick and stick "claim when it comes to friends. McNamara & Rogerson look like needing all the friends they can get.
#Memorable Jones' quote at Roberson's book launch :" the NSW Police needed 100s of Rogersons."

Joe Spills The Beans

Joe with Blocker Roach             Alan Jones & Max Markson

Boxer Big Joe Bugner (he's 6'4" but seems taller) has finally written the story of his life.
Joe became the heavyweight champion in 1998 at the age of 45. And along the way he fought the world's greats including Frank Bruno, Henry Cooper and Joe Frazier. He's probably best remembered for being one who went 30 rounds with the greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali who predicted after that fight that Joe would be world champion one day.
Born in Hungary, Bugner and his family fled when Joe was aged 6 by walking to then Yugoslavia and eventually settled in the UK. At school he was bullied before he learned to fight back.

Broadcaster Alan Jones launched Bugner's book -Joe Bugner, My Story- at the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel (which found fame as the pub where Prince Frederick of Denmark met his future bride Mary). Jones gave us a potted history of Bugner's life which has been really quite adventurous. Joe also became a movie star appearing opposite Jean Claude Van Damme in the action flick Street Fighter. These days he lives on Queensland's Gold Coast with beloved wife Marlene Bugner, a former News Ltd journalist,  making personal appearances at Jupiter's Casino.
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One guest at Joe Bugner's book launch was the Porsche racing driver and boss of Fiji Water, Aaron Zerefos. Zerefos bid farewell to other guests at the bash and said he was popping over to the Finger Wharf for a bite to eat.


Taking in the evening air the Shuttle spotted him at Otto's deep in conversation with Khloe Kardashian.

left : a Kardashian heads to Otto's for a meeting with Aaron Zerefos (right)

Bright Young Things #1 (a new series)

He's just turned 18 but Cristian King (right) of Easter Suburb's newspaper Latte Life already has all the hallmarks of an old pro.

Having seen off one of the countries top gossip columnists with a flea in his ear after said scribe objected to a Latte Life item, Cristian has turned his gaze upon one of Australia's most influential broadcasters Alan Jones and put the rarely interviewed radio star under an intense grilling which will be published next week in Latte Life.
The Shuttle's spy disguised as fine china teacup discreetly placed on a side table by Jones' impeccably dressed butler in Alan's magnificent Circular Quay apartment  reports nothing was off limits and Jones at one stage left the room to compose himself before returning to answer King's questions which might have had lesser mortals screaming, "impertinence !".
Order your copy now at your favourite Double Bay coffee shop : that's Latte Life !! We can't wait.

Royal Updates

Most Fascinating MBE Recipient of The Year :

April Ashley who was Britain's first transgender model received her MBE from Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. Looking for all the world like a Dowager Duchess straight from the set of Downton Abbey, Ashley received the honour for her services to transgender equality.


Ashley married Lord Rowallan in 1970 but the potty peer was granted an annulment on the claim he didn't realise April was once a Liverpudlian sailor.

The Shuttle once accompanied Ms Ashley to a Berkley Square Ball where she kept the late Princess Margaret occupied in conversation whilst we assisted pop singer Marilyn over the fence.
Ashley says she had a string of Hollywood lovers including the late Michael Hutchence. On the night of the Berkley Ball she snared a handsome young city  type gent and had her way with him in the Shuttle's Fulham living room. As we escorted him to the door when he left to go to his city bank job in the morning he asked:"I know she's famous, what is her name again?"... " oh yes she was a James Bond girl,.just tell you pals at the bank you've been banging April Ashley all night" we replied.

Wackiest New Political Party

Proud Monarchist , the fragrant David Flint has announced the launch of a new political party CANdo to bring back capital punishment, a tougher line on refugees and all the other policies of the US Tea Party.
Confirmed bachelor Flint also wants a referendum on gay marriage and has voiced his support for wacko Senator Corey Bernardi who reckons legalising gay marriage may lead to bestiality and other such outrages.

Flint has been joined in his endevour by right wing mining magnate Hugh Morgan and our favourite shock jock Alan Jones who was recently ordered to apologise to the Muslim community on his radio program by ACMA which co-incidentally Flint was forced to resign from when he was head of the media watchdog and was discovered writing passionate  letters of support to Jones whilst he was being investigated by ACMA during the infamous Cash For Comments scandal.

""I've been called a perma-tanned Indonesian-born blow-in" says Flint of his critics. Indeed, the Shuttle well remembers a much younger Flint blowing into the infamous Paddington gay pub the Windsor Castle when he was just a mere lad.
Best Diplomatic Appointment

Bringing style back into diplomacy. It seems almost certain that Vogue supremo Anna Wintour will be appointed by Barack Obama as the American ambassador to the Court of St James.

Other famous Ambassadors to Britain include Australia's Sir Les Patterson !

Going Out In Style

Luna Park

Darryn Lyons

Some years ago the Shuttle attended a function at one of Sydney's most fab restaurants Quay.
 With it's glorious views over the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Luna Park (motto : 'Just For Fun') and a reputation as one of the world's top restaurants, it was one of those parties you just don't turn down.

The occasion was the Australian launch of Big Pictures- a newish paparazzi agency that was set to take Australia (and the UK ) by storm.

In typical Shuttle faux pas style we questioned just who was the conservatively suited rotund chap before us (protectively eyeing our third glass of Moët).
" I am Big Picture", he responded.
For it was he : the (not yet) cockatoo haired Darryn Lyons, late of Bendigo in Victoria and soon to take London by storm.
Sadly it's all come adrift. While the broadcaster Alan Jones' (left) media career seems to be plunging downwards- only days after the Shuttle sipped drinks with him at tailor John Serafinos's 50th year celebrations-so too is Big Picture grinding to halt with the announcement that it is in administration.  Read it all in the Press Gazette.

Alan Jones Stays Loyal

Les Murray, John Serafino and Alan Jones

 How 24 hours can change the world.
 Just before it seems his world was to crash, broadcaster Alan Jones was hobnobbing with city tailor John Serafino who hosted drinks at his new Pitt Street store to celebrate his half a century dressing Sydney businessmen and radio stars.

Aaaron Zerefos checks out the finery

Amongst Serafino's customers are Jones and his rival John Laws , singer Kamahl plus a host of corporate names who flock to John's store for their expertly tailored duds. Serafino travels to his store every day and has done so for the last 50 years and just recently moved to new premises. He has a sale on at present with a 50% discount. Check it out at 51 Pitt Street near Circular Quay.

Women Rule as Clover Claims Victory

Clover

Poor Alan Jones. The shock jock claimed a short time ago that 'these women are wrecking the joint' but it's only going to get worse for the radio host.
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore has been re-elected for a further four years in council elections after receiving over 51% of the vote.

This will be Clover's third term as the Independent Mayor and seals her popularity with the diverse electorate of Sydney with 5 seats on the 10 seat council. Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster (right) won a seat on the council for the Liberal party.

Anna Bligh

The Greens have picked up one seat which probably means Moore will be able to push ahead with her plans to 'green' Sydney with her promotion of villages and more bike friendly streets.
 On the minus side for the studded dog collar wearing Mayor is that she must now divest herself of the State seat she also holds under new rules introduced by the Coalition state government. This will mean a fiercely contested by-election will be fought by the Coalition and Labor.

The Shuttle's pick : Labor will most likely pick up the seat with a high profile candidate imported from Queensland : former State premier Anna Bligh. Watch this space !

Right Royal Punch Up

Barry Everingham

Verbal fisticuffs have broken out between Australian republican advocate and Melbourne journalist Barry Everingham and the vocal defender of the British Royals, the immaculately attired and coiffured  David Flint who is head of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) .

David Flint

Everingham, who has been described as the "ultimate name dropper" is something of an expert on the royals and has reported on royal weddings for US cable TV MSNBC.
 He penned a biography of Princess "Pushy" Michael of Kent and his royal connections appear to be impeccable.

He's sipped cocktails with the late Princess Margaret and was once told by HM The Queen at a party on the Britannica in Kuwait Harbour  to "be as naughty as you like" before she quizzed him about Sultan Qaboos of Oman's new palace in Muscat (the Shuttle has been inside-it's magnificent!).
 Everingham is a contributor to the ABC's The Drum and News Ltd's The Punch. One delightful piece from his biog tells how he once danced with Imelda Marcos after being commanded to by Lady Mary Fairfax.

Writing for Independent Australia, an on-line forum in a piece called Fantasies & Follies of Flint Everingham says:
"David Flint’s rantings and slurs on anyone who disagrees with him is a disgrace to the monarchist cause"  calling Flint a "disgraceful upholder of a moth eaten, out-of-date and insulting system of inherited privilege" . Heady stuff.

Flint has cried foul and responded a week ago in this piece on the IA website crying 'defamation' and says numerous furphies have been perpetuated about his relationship with former PM John Howard who successfully scuppered the Republcian referendum in 1999.
Howard appointed Flint ( a former head of the Press Council ) as head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) but that appointment ended in tears when Flint resigned in 2004 after being interviewed by Rado csar John Laws on his morning show whilst the ABA was investigating Laws over the 'cash for comments' scandal.

We feel sure there is much more titilation to come from this scuffle but in the meantime, here is David Flint wearing his Mystic Meg hat with predictions in 2010 where he confidently predicts the mining "Super Profits Tax will end in a legal minefield " (hasn't happened yet) and that Julia Gillard will be defeated at the general election in 2011. She won.

Annnie Get Your Gun-Maria Gets Engaged!

SHE'S THE LARGER than life red carpet regular but buxom Maria Venuti shocked even the jaded press tonight when she announced that she was engaged as she arrived at the premiere of the musical Annie.

Maria introduced the tall dark stranger accompanying her as her 'fiance' and who are we to doubt her?.
The gentleman's name is Glen Ware and Glen looked slightly taken aback at the news as out favourite Italian song bird gushed and grabbed her man to her side.  Good luck Glenn !

Annie is back for another season at the Lyric Theatre in the newly re-vamped Star Casino.

As I and a guest were escorted through the vast auditorium of the casino itself which looks like it's about 5 acres in size and packed to the gills with craps and roulette tables and thousands of poker machines as far as the eye can see, we now know where everyone has gone. There must have been a few thousand gamblers entranced by the spinning wheels and flashing lights.

Wiggle Anthony Field and kids

Annie stars Anthony Warlow as Daddy Warbucks and Nancye Hayes as the villain Miss Hannigan plus Todd McKenney-the Dancing With Star's judge everyone loves to hate plus several little Annies. And with the return of the famed TV show Young Talent Time where such discoveries as Kylie Minogue and sister Danni got their start, another YTT star was on hand-Debra Byrne as she escorted her granddaughter who plays one of the 'Annies'.

John Foreman flashes the paparazzi

And what a treat-in the Sydney production we have our favourite shock jock Alan Jones playing FDR. That will take some acting from Alan as everyone knows he and FDR's politics would have to be diametrically opposed.

Annie is on until March 25th and it then tours the nation.Book tickets here.
Right-Debra Byrne and Lucille who plays Annie.

Below is and one of the numbers from the show courtesy of theTheatreShowTV.