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The statistics don't lie as internet surfers flock to Careless Whispers in their thousands. Is it because of our superb and unique take on society? Or are they simply bored. We'll never know but who cares as long as they keep visiting this distant corner of the internet.

Left is a screenshot of Blogger's 'stats' for this website and interestingly topics with a 'conservative' bent were all almost equally popular. Of the 'views ' of out little tale on Republican candidate Donald Trump, nearly three quarters came from the USA. Have we influenced the American election?.

Young professionals love the Black & White Ball

 They were there in force. Young professional thirty somethings who have discovered the famous Black & White Charity Ball which was held this year in the Intercontinental Double Bay's ballroom. Amongst a smattering of familiar social faces including a couple of High Court judges, social mavens and self made business folk were celebrity dentist David Carr (he does the gnashers of Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig) hairdressing boss Marylin Koch and arriving by humble taxi, the former Speaker of The House Bronwyn Bishop ( a waiter had whipped away the toy helicopter one wag had placed at her table setting). Now in it's 79th year the ball raised a tidy fortune which goes to aid Vision Australia.
 left : B&W president Susan Diver and Bronwyn Bishop MP

David Carr - always accompanied by a leggy blonde takes to the dance floor

The traditional Derby was run : young ladies compete by winding in a  wooden horse to win a prize and entertainment was from a Rat Pack  tribute act who while not looking like the originals, sang up a storm

Are Charles & Camilla In Town?

The couple below were spotted at the Black & White Committee's Masquerade Ball held last Saturday night at the Art Gallery of NSW.


200 hundred guests perused the Galleries exhibition of Australian masters like Rupert Bunny, Russell Drysdale and George Lambert sipping cocktails before dinner in the main auditorium. Sponsored by Emirates, the funds raised go to Vision Australia's Children's Services.

 And as always, the Derby mock horse race where young girls reel in wooden horses was extremely popular with much hooting and shouting after the firing psitol was fired by Browyn Bishop MP who flew up from Canberra for the night.

Shock & Awe At The Black & White

We always knew local party girl Sharon Sargeant would make a memorable entrance to the ritzy Black & White Charity Committee Ball last Friday evening at the Sydney Town Hall.

The first indication was when her limo pulled up at the entrance in the 'buses only' lane, sending an exasperated bus driver into a frenzy of horn blaring. That suddenly ceased  as she clambered out of the vehicle and smiled sweetly at the bus driver.
 All became clear as she alighted the Town hall steps and a major wardrobe malfunction was revealed (we've had to censor it for our more sensitive readers). There was spontaneous applause from the assembled onlookers and one Scot's bagpiper momentarily faltered and hit some very odd notes.

When Sharon and her escort, the famous private eye Frank Monte took to the dance floor all eyes at the front row tables were transfixed.

Today we spoke to a member of the charity committee to get their comments on the spectacle.

Her reply :
 "We just loved having Sharon attend the ball. She really livened up the evening. And Frank is always more than welcome considering he drops a bundle on raffle tickets" 

"Mind you one distinguished gentleman was very put out and couldn't stop talking about her and her fairly exposed assets. In fact he was so shocked he walked the length of the hall past her table at least seven times to check on the outrage until his wife put a stop to it."

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Australia's Got Talent winner, 14 year old Jack Vidgen takes to the stage tonight for his first appearance at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas-possibly the youngest ever performer to appear there.

Jack has been telling his friends he was bowled over when walking down a street in Vegas to suddenly see his face flashed  on a giant TV screen announcing his appearance.

Following the stage show at Caesar's Palace where various Talent winners will appear, some British singer called Elton John has to win over the audience.

 Not only has Vidgen's premier CD now been released in the USA, he has become a major star in Brazil with Sony rushing to get copies of his album to his fans there.

Black Is White

Let us cast our minds back to 1937.

Earl of Gowrie

Mrs Eric Sheller of Darling Point put forward, to a group of well heeled ladies, the idea of holding an annual charity ball. Soon the The Black and White charity committee was formed and thus Sydney's annual society get together began it's life with the then Governor General of Australia, the Earl of Gowrie,as the  guest of honour at the first Black and White Ball held at the Trocodero, the most glamorous event the city had ever seen.

The Town Hall

Lord Gowrie, late of the 3rd Battalion Highland Light Infantry, the Cameron Highlanders in Dublin, a companion to Lord Kitchener on his visit to Australia had been appointed by King George VI as Governor General to the former colony under the British born working class Labor Party Prime Minister Billy Hughes (later known as the Little Digger), the longest serving Australian parliamentarian in the countries history.

Fast forward to 2011 and last Friday night at the Sydney Town Hall where the 75th Black and White Ball was held with an impressive 450 guests.. One guest of honour was the interior designer Leslie Walford who has decorated grand houses from Belgravia to Beverley Hills and Sri Lanka.and is the son of the committee's founder Mrs Sheller.

Ita Buttrose & Professor Ross Steele

 And what a fab night it was. Like stepping back in time to an era of restrained elegance. They even rolled out the red carpet (only slightly soiled) while dozens of bemused (and confused) by-standers gathered at the foot of the Town Hall steps and gazed in awe at the spectacle unfolding before their eyes.

Leslie Walford & Susan Diver

They had no idea what it was all about of course but there was colour and movement, glamorous ball gowns and a Scots bag-pipe band to serenade the swells as as they arrived in line after line of limousines.

Up until the late 1980sw the B & W Ball was  the cities premier social event. Then a  sort of unfounded and ill-informed criticism was perpetuated in the popular media . Just who in the hell were these ladies, probably with too much time on their hands, many with wealthy husbands , organising these over the top shindigs where hundreds would gather to drink champagne, dine on fine fare and dance the night away all in the name of charity?.

Bronwyn Bishop MP & Angela Bishop

In light of the latest report here-where some of Australia's most well know charities have been exposed for spending up to 60% of donations on  "operating costs" one fact has been ignored. The ladies of the Black & White Committee work for free. They cajole, pressure, plead for every single aspect of the ball.

Caterers, waiters, alcohol suppliers, venues, entertainers, doormen, prize donaters and so on-not one single one is paid. Everything is donated and every penny raised goes directly to charity

The Town Hall looked as splendid as it can at times although sadly the great organ on the stage-the largest in the world -remained silent but a terrific 1940's style band belted out numbers from the past 70 years.

The traditional 'Derby' went off went off without a hitch (although we noticed one gent at a front table, an 87 old retired Admiral almost had a heart attack when the starter's gun was fired) and the throng were soon up and dancing a storm.

The Derby

One guest- Bronwyn Bishop MP who spent the first half of the evening in Canberra at the Parliament House reception for HM The Queen caught a plane to join her TV presenter daughter Angela Bishop at the ball.

Four former presidents of the committee were on hand but the current president, Sue Diver deserves a gold star stamp for her superb efforts. Having survived 75 years, the Black and White Ball looks assured of a future for many years to come.