Report from Liverpool

Whisper's spy disguised as top selling author Lesley -Ann Jones brings us some fascinating photos from Liverpool in the UK and the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts on Graduation Day, at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, courtesy of  Sir Paul McCartney, Lead Patron of the fame school that was once his and George Harrison's grammar school, Liverpool Institute.
right: Lesley Ann Jones with Paul McCartney 
 Jones has authored a number of best selling biographies of rock stars like David Bowie and Marc Bolan and her recent tome Bohemian Rhapsody timed for the release of the recent film of the same name has been a runaway success. And there were some familiar faces receiving honorary degrees: Rowan Atkinson, ballet dancer Wayne Sleep, Stephen Fry and musician Mike Batt ( The Wombles). It doesn't get much better than that!.

and some of those Lesley-Ann Jones must reads:

Web Finds

Our web spotters include New York based Aussie marketing guru David Art Wales who snapped this friendly gent known to you and me as David Bowie on a flight from New York to Austin. And in Cattle Class !

Above is the Head Belieber, Justin who has supplied this quick video to us of him accepting the Ice Bucket Challenge (whatever that is) viewed below :

Finally the latest from Dame Edna Everage who is now in the second year of her Farewell Tour

Donald Friend Re-visited

The Savill Galleries in Paddington has a retrospective of Donald Friend's works which is a must see. It's rare to get this many Friend paintings together at one time-there are 28 on show- works that come on the market are snapped up immediately by collectors.

Donald Friend studied at the Westminster School of Art in London and served as a gunner in the AIF during WW2. While stationed in Albury  he became friends with Russell Drysdale and the pair were instrumental in establishing the famous art colony at Hill End.

Donald Friend portrait by Greg Weight 1987

He's probably most famous for his Bali period although there are some wonderful portrait studies at the Savill from his time in Paris in the 1940s.
 Friend discovered Bali in the 1960s when the island paradise was unheard of by most in the West. He moved there and built a magnificent house where over the years he entertained all manner of people from visiting diplomats to pop stars like Mick Jagger and David Bowie.


He moved back to Australia in the 80s when Bali became an Antipodean version of the Costa Brava and died in 1989.

Savill Galleries
156 Hargrave Street
Paddington
Tel: +61 2 9327 8311

Only The Best

It's one of the world's finest champagnes so when Laurent Perrier announced they were launching two new versions the Shuttle felt that it would be only good manners to help them out.

Sepia is a relatively new bar and restaurant in downtown Sussex Street not far from Chinatown and it's quickly developed a  reputation for it's atmosphere and fine food presided over  by Martin Benn whose credentials are impeccable. Recently from the Boathouse, Glebe's top eatery but formerly Benn was head chef at Tetsuyas.

nice-Natarsha Belling at Laurent Perrier

And Tetsuyas -as anyone worth his salt knows, has received more world awards than one can poke a fork at including being voted amongst the fifty best restaurants in the world for 8 years.  Owner and chef Tetsuya Wakuda has now reached God-like status in his birth country Japan where he commands audiences in the thousands when he makes an appearance there. One of his regular customers David Bowie makes side trips to Sydney just to eat at Tetsuyas.

Georgia Stenmark & Gretel Packer at Sepia

So Marin Benn has been part of that magic and has now brought it to his own establishment, aided by partner Vicki Wild in a New York  type brasserie with Japanese and French influenced food that is quite simply, sensational.

But more on that champagne: Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut and Brut Millesime 2002 which are really quite superb and were served in copious amounts at the tasting.

Taste is far too personal to describe the exquisiteness of these two bubblys. Just go and grab a bottle now as they are on sale at $140 and $120 respectively. You will definitely not be disappointed.
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We've just scored a pair of tickets for Elton John's show at the Hope Estate at Polkolbin in the Hunter Valley in December.

This is how spectaculars always should have been-at one of the world's finest vineyards. Hope have really hit the jackpot with this brilliant concept by joining with promoter Michael Chugg , so much so they have now built their own 19000 seat amphitheatre. Recent shows have included The Who and Neil Diamond.

Pepper's Convent

It makes for one of the most pleasant weekends- a two hour drive to the glorious Hunter (especially in December), stay at one of the cheery hotels and guest houses (we always stay at Peppers, either the guesthouse or the Convent) and dinner at one of dozens of fantastic restaurants in the area and then on to the concert.

But you have to book now!. It will be sold out by September. Book here 
 ## And we will have 2 tickets to be given as prizes for Elton's just announced concert at Star City-there will only be 2000 seats !. More later.

Photo Finish !



Gai & Robbie Waterhouse, Hoda Vakili and Tom Waterhouse



Too many parties, too much champagne !.

Our discovery of the week : a travelling cocktail cabinet filled with Pommery Champagne. This we like.



The gorgeous Racheal Finch



It was at the  hot young bookmaker Tom Waterhouse's launch of his betting website at the Beach Haus nightclub in Kings Cross : http://www.tomwaterhouse.com/ : online betting.

Tom's family has been in the horse racing game for over 100 years. His mum Gai Waterhouse is Australia's (and one of the world's) top trainers who has trained so many winners she has billionaires and Middle East potentates battering down her door to have her train their stallions at her stud.



Terri Biviano & Tim Holmes a` Court

His dad is Robbie Waterhouse who had a slight mis-hap with a nag named Fine Cotton. Something about daubing it with paint and a substitution  horse. A few million bucks was won on the betting tote. The whole scheme came crashing down and Robbie was 'warned off' the course for awhile but he's back in business.



a Pommery cabinet !



But it's young Tom who has taken over the family mantle and he gave me a few tips for the track :

"it's always easier to back winners in the first half of a race meeting"-"if the track is heavy and the favourite is odds on, get on"- "if you like a horse and you are surprised the odds are longer than you expected, don't alter your bet, bet the amount you intended. Value is king"

So there it is, straight from the horse's mouth as they say.

                                             

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OK, enough already !. We've had a few dozen emails demanding to see our snaps of gal about town Sharon Sargeant who took the ritzy Black and White Ball crowd by storm in her glittering red outfit.



Here are 2 to go on with.  Sharon is launching her own website soon so check back for the address. She promises us you won't be disappointed.



The Parliamentarian who makes grown men tremble-Bronwyn Bishop MP & B&W president Sue Diver

# A special mention must go to Tamburlaine Organic Wines (alcoholic !) from the Hunter Valley who supplied their superb tipple at the Black & White Ball. Visit their website :  http://www.mywinery.com/. Not only  a very nice drop, healthy to boot !
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The Quay Restaurant is world famous. This year it was voted Number 27 on the coveted S.Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurant’s list, to become the highest ranked Australian restaurant in the world, as well as rewriting Australian restaurant award history by scoring a “double double” win, having been named Restaurant of The Year for the second consecutive year in the industry’s two top awards, the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards 2010 and The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2010.



Leon & Margaret Fink



Chef Peter Gilmore & John Fink



So of course you would be stark raving mad to miss a book launch there especially when it's a recipe book by the famed head chef at the Quay, Peter Gilmore.

You know the nibbles will be superb, the Bollinger chilled to perfection and the crowd friendly. The only thing missing were some of the restaurant's regular clients when in town-David Bowie, Gordon Ramsay, Mick Jagger and King Constantine II of Greece.



our favourite Murdoch family member-Matt Handbury and partner Clare



The Quay is owned by Leon Fink and run by his son John. John's mum is the film producer Margaret Fink who produced Candy with Heath Ledger and My Brilliant Career (for which she won an Academy Award )and which launched the careers of Judy Davis and Sam Neil.



The view from The Quay Restaurant







the Quay comes tops

The Quay and chef Peter Gilmour

Just days after Shuttlers enjoyed the hors d'oeuvres at the opening of the Victor Churchill Butcher Shop , the caterer and chef Peter Gilmour proudly accepted an award for The Quay as Australia's restaurant of the year presented by those who know -Australian Gourmet Traveller. The Quay faced stiff competition especially from Tetsuya-already rated in the world's 10 top eateries and a favourite of David Bowie who thinks nothing of flying into Sydney whenever in the Southern Hemisphere just to dine there.

Peter's contemporaries who joined in the celebrations at Qantas caterer Neil Perry's
Rockpool included Matt Moran & Luke Mangan
( Princess Mary of Denmark's favourite chef)