Love Still Going Strong

It was many moons ago when Whispers introduced to the world, the former Mrs Anna Murdoch, with her new husband William Mann at the Lord Mayor's News Year's Eve party at the Sydney Opera House. Anna & William (pictured centre left) had flown into town to visit family members as out exclusive photo shows with her brother Hans Torv and his wife Kaiya.
Hans, who runs a radio network centred on the Gold Coast in QLD (sister Anna is a shareholder) is also father of the successful actress Anna Torv (below) star of the cult TV series Fringe. She lives in New York and often holidays with her aunt Anna Mann.
How pleasing then to see William & Anna in fine form last week at The New York Center for Children's "The Sunflower Party" in Southampton in Long Island.                              
As for former hubby Rupert Murdoch, he is currently in Sydney visiting son & heir Lachlan Murdoch and wife Sarah. They were spotted last week at Hamilton Island for the Audi Race Week.
Early next year a New York court is expected to hear what could be America's most expensive divorce case when Rupert & Wendi Murdoch go to battle unless an amicable settlement is reached as it was when Rupert divorced Anna who picked up a reputed $500M.

William & Anna Mann at the New York Center for Children's "The Sunflower Party". photo by Patrick McMullan (c)

The Merry Wives Of Murdoch, the Gardener & the Crooner

Patricia Booker               Anna Torv                 Wendi Deng

Whilst the rest of the media is still reeling after having been caught on the hop by the announcement of the Rupert Murdoch divorce : unlike Social Shuttle readers who read 2 months ago that the marriage was on the rocks and the end was pending, a former Murdoch confidante has come up with an insightful article on Rupert Murdoch and his former wives including Patrica Booker, Anna Mann (nee Torv) and the soon to be Wendi Deng.

Most of the media have turned to Michael Woolf's excellent biography  The Man Who Owns the News: Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch for details but Rodney E.Lever was Rupert Murdoch's right hand man and a News Ltd executive for many years, a friend of the family and someone intimately involved in Rupert's personal and business affairs. He even accompanied Rupert and Anna on their honeymoon.

His series on Murdoch and his empire on the informative website Independent Australia are well worth reading.

One piece shines out as a previously unknown detail is revealed : In Adelaide when Rupert first set up home with his first wife Patricia, the gardens were tendered by a dusky hued handyman. And who was this gardener?.Step forward our favourite Malaysian import Kandiah Kamalesvaran , the late Queen Mother's favourite singer and now known as Kamahl !. Kamahl has certainly come a long way from the Adelaide Hills. He now lives in a large mansion on Sydney's elite North shore and drives a gleaming Rolls Royce. Last week we encountered Kamahl at an America Australia Association awards dinner attended by Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

What a small world we live in.
Here is a clip of Kamahl (hiding in the foliage) singing his 1975 hit The Elephant Song which won the heart of HRH Queen Mother who invited Kamahl to share a few G&Ts at Clarence House.
trivia : He first used the name Kamal but after an MC introduced him as 'Camel' he became Kamahl.

Lesley Bows Out

He made it to the Black & White Committee's annual ball last October at the Sydney Town Hall but on Friday, interior designer Lesley Walford succumbed to cancer at the age of 85.

Walford was the decorator of choice in the ritzy Eastern Suburbs and upper North Shore where mansions still boast elegant living rooms with the Walford touch.

The Packers, Fairfaxs, Waltons and Macarthur Onslows- all had their salons designed by Lesley although not, as he often claimed, "that brash newspaper chap from Adleaide who showed no interest in his surroundings. His wife Anna wanted to hire me but her husband said I was too expensive".

Lesley Walford at the Black & White Ball last year

He was referring of course to Rupert Murdoch who had taken up residence in Sydney having acquired the Daily Mirror at the beginning of his world-wide adventures.

Walford travelled all over the world collecting antiques and object'd'art for his clients.
A favourite stop was Tangier where he would stay with his pal the French champagne maker Nicholad Feuillatte in Feullatte's Moroccan palace.

Walford once recalled how he arrived after an exhausting flight from Melbourne, caught a taxi to the Feuillatte villa where the door was opened by a fair haired lady in her 60s who looked vaguely familiar. She directed hin to a first floor bedroom and told the jet lagged designer he should join her and their host on the terrace for lunch at 2pm after his nap. Waking refreshed Walford headed for the terrace and heard the lady, now in animated conversation with a strong Scanadanavian accent. It finally dawned on Lesley who she was-the Hollywood legend Great Garbo who became a friend and who Lesley would later visit in New York.

For a time he was the social scribe on the Sun Herald newspaper. Once at a Saturday evening ball he was photographed with a glass of champagne in hand, dictating copy to his secretary who transcribed his words on a portable typewriter held on a silver tray by a waiter.

Lesley Walford's funeral will take place on Moncay at 3pm at St Marks Church in Darling Point.

Locking up a Murdoch

Catherine Overington of the Media Diary on Rupert Murdoch's personal favourite publication, The Australian newspaper reports on a  happening today at the Surry Hills News Ltd headquarters :

A rather cute thing just happened in the foyer ...

A dapper young man approached the glass security doors. He was already inside; and wanted to get out.

He didn’t have one of those electronic passes you need, to make the doors open.

He motioned to one of News Ltd’s famously happy and extremely strict security guards, saying: ``I’m sorry, I want to get out. I don’t have a pass.’’

To which the security guard said: ``Well, how did you get in?’’

To which the dapper young man replied: ``I came in with my Dad?’’

It was, of course, James Murdoch.

Rupert Murdoch is in town and the word from the Surry Hill's bunker is that fear and loathing are spreading as sackings are expected. There is one rumour sweeping the building that the much feared New York Post editor Col Allan is to return and take the helm.

In fact rumours are sweeping ahead of him wherever he goes. He visited both PM Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in Canberra a few days ago over talks about new media laws that are predicted to give free-to-air TV stations much more sport's content. Rupert only owns shares in the cable TV network Foxtel under laws that prevent owners having both newspaper and broadcast coverage in any one city. News Corp publishes the main dailies of every state capital except for the Fairfax's Canberra Times.

One person Murdoch won't be visiting is Bruce Guthrie who has just published his book Man Bites Murdoch about his 40 years in publishing.

Amongst a host of newspapers and magazines Guthrie edited was Murdoch's top Victorian tabloid  the Herald Sun before he had a spectacular fallout with his boss.

2 weeks ago Guthrie was spotted meeting with Julia Gillard in Melbourne. Priming her for her first meeting with Murdoch or a mere co-incidence ?

Also in town and spotted at this week's christening of Sarah & Lachlan Murdoch's baby Aerin Elisabeth Murdoch-Rupert's ex-wife Anna Murdoch Mann and her husband William Mann. Anna attended the christening with her brother Hans Torv, the Gold Coast disc jockey and radio station owner.