Pictures of the Week

B1 & B2 never disappoint. Former PM Bob Hawke and wife Blanche attended last Sunday's polo at Windsor and are pictured here with TV host Kris Smith. Of course the really smart polo was at Goulbourn on the same day but more of that later.

Meanwhile singing legend Petula Clark popped into Nine's Mornings and is seen here with hosts Sonia Kruger and David Campbell.
Petula is in the middle of an Australian tour and is heading for Perth and Adelaide.

below: her original hit Downtown.

Sweet Charity ; the new Hayes Theatre

Morning TV host and singer David Campbell has opened a new cabaret theatre in Kings Cross : the Hayes Theatre named after Aussie stage legend Nancye Hayes.

David with wife Lisa and dad Jimmy Barnes and Jane Barnes

On Tuesday Campbell hosted an intimate soiree for around 30 including the Lord Mayor Clover Moore and we were treated to a number from the opening presentation, Sweet Charity. And it was superb. With just a little over 100 seats not only do the audience have a superb view of the stage but this was a full blown number that is usually viewed by a few thousand . In such an intimate setting, it's no wonder nearly every performance is sold out. coming up in late February, Last Of the Red Hot Mamas.
David's dad, rocker Jimmy Barnes was also there and how wonderful to see Piper Heidsieck Champagne come on board as a sponsor for this new and badly needed theatre venture. Go to their website for more info.

  right : Nancye Hayes with Lord Mayor Clover Moore

New Hotel Rocks!

David & Lisa Campbell with Michelle Burke & Richard Wilkins

The copious flutes of Pol Roger, the delicious canapes have not affected this report in any way : we have discovered a new hotel and it's a beauty.

The Harbour Rocks Hotel opened on Wednesday night with a small party for a select 100 (Shuttle included)-various TV stars and travel bigwigs and a handful of those keen young men who are involved in finance.

song legends Helen Reddy & Barry Crocker

Funny gal Julia Morris and hubby Dan

And what a fantastic addition to Sydney's inns of quality.

 Tucked away in The Rocks and just a short walk from all manner of tourists spots, the Opera House and so on, the HRH has about 50 beautifully decorated rooms with sensational luxury bathrooms and a wonderful penthouse suite with views of the harbour.

Apparently the hotel has been there since 1887 as our pic shows but over the past few years it has been going under extensive renovations with millions of dollars spent on the makeover. And it was worth it.

And it was a swell opening party with champagne in the cosy book-lined foyer, drinks on the terrace with a harpist paying Mexican music (unusual but entertaining) and then finally drinks in the penthouse with crooner David Campbell.

stylish rooms

The Harbour Rocks Hotel in the early 1900s and today
                                     Below: the balcony/courtyard

Now a Top Murdoch reporter admits visiting gay sauna

Gay sauna visitor Paul Kent

Whilst his comrades are laying into the hapless former Transport Minister David Campbell for paying a visit to a gay sauna-an entirely legal act without any parliamentary rules broken, a Daily Telegraph reporter Paul Kent who won the 2009 Features Editor of The Year award at the News Awards has admitted he has also visited Kens Karate Klub the now famous gay sauna bath-house in Sydney's Kensington. (interested readers who feel they would like to partake in activities at Kens-just drive along Anzac Parade and look for Peters Of Kensington the glitzy bridal gift store. It's right next door)

In a piece wittily entitled 'All Bets and Towels Were Off" Kent gives us an account of his visit to the 'Roman orgy swap meet' as he describes it including a dungeon room with chains hanging from the roof and a bondage rack against the wall (a colleague emails me that surely Kent is confused and was  describing Rupert Murdoch's office), cell like rooms equipped with rubber gym mats and a relaxing visit to the pool room with it's perspex roof so visitors on the floor above could witness what was happening in the pool below in which Kent ominously says "much had happened". What can he mean ?. Had someone unkindly deflated the water wings , let out the air from the rubber ducky lilos?. Annoyingly, Kent leaves out all the saucy parts we want to hear.

He also peeked into the video room where someone was watching a film called Hombres! (possibly waiting until the credits rolled so he could catch the film's title.

But it's Kent's visit to the sauna room where he gives information that could be of great use for our many gay readers. Kent entered the sauna and sweated away with 2 other men in silence. Just as the heat got to him-one man stood up and left. According to Kent this is an invitation to follow the man to one of those gym mat cubicles so he was forced to stay much longer in the sauna. But he doesn't say why.Too shy ? Didn't fancy him?. I wish he had been more specific

Kent says he was identified as a 'newbie' but only spent 45 minutes at the sauna. He's certainly a fast learner in gaydar.

As for Ken 'Candy' Johnson the owner of Ken's, I tried to get him on the phone today for a  comment but his assistant said he wasn't available. I'd say he's at St Mary's Cathedral lighting a hundred candles and thanking the Lord for the million dollars worth of free publicity.

For more News Ltd froth and bubble, visit  their on-line lightweight 'Punch' magazine where former Daily Telegraph editor David Penberthy offers up an article :

"David Campbell has a lesser right to privacy than an ordinary citizen, for a number of reasons"

Penberthy was the editor of the Telegraph up until a while ago when he ran the disastrous front page saucy pics reputed to be of a young Pauline Hanson, the ex-politician, in frilly underwear, supplied by the paparazzi Jamie Fawcett. The pics turned out to be of  a lass from a Russian dating site.

Being relatively young Penberthy may like to research back to a former era when the Labor Party's Paul Keating was facing the so-called 1993 "unwinnable" election (which he won) against a right wing Liberal Party leader John Hewson whose policies included driving out of Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory the plethora of sex supermarkets that dominate the landscape. (Porn cannot be sold in states but only the 2 territories), The Conservatives abandoned the policy when the Eros Association in Canberra that represents the sex industry threatened to expose the hundreds of politicians -from all parties-who visited Canberra's dozens of brothels and porn shops.

We all know Rupert has thrown his weight behind the Liberal Party and has PM Kevin Rudd in his sights. I doubt an expose on the intimate lives of politicians, including the married Federal Liberal Party senator who also frequents a city gay sauna and the half dozen married closeted gay conservative MPs we know of, will go down well with the boss. Especially if he really does have those chains and bondage rack in his office.

Media's Role in Politician's Downfall !

There must be something in the water in the southern NSW city of Wollongong. Labor Party MPs are falling like ninepins.

steam lover David Campbell MP

Today poor David Campbell , the former Minister for Transport is splashed across the tabloids pictured emerging from the famous / infamous Ken's gay steam baths last night where he spent 2 hours.

It isn't apparent what Campbell's "crime" is that forced his resignation that came after a heated argument in his parliamentary office late last night with Labor bigwigs. We thought the days of gay bashing were over

Gay sex is legal and although he drove himself there in his government provided car, having given the chauffeur the night off, that is still within MP rules. In fact as far as anyone knows, Campbell could have just been taking a healthy steam bath.

The point of the Campbell travesty is that the people of NSW generally gave up any misgivings about whether their representative's sex orientations years ago and the leader of the Greens, Dr Bob Brown is openly gay and the Australian electorate have never judged him on his sexuality-just his policies. Likewise former Minister for the Environment in the Gillard government Penny Wong is a lesbian and it's obviously a matter her electors couldn't give a toss about-to coin a phrase.

Shock jocks and prudish journos were quick to accuse the man of living a 'double life' and 'betraying' his family. As though they knew the intimate goings-on within the Campbell's household. All without the slightest bit of proof. Campbell's family and wife were quick to jump to his defense and express their love for him.

We feel a Gay Rights demo will emerge from this tale and a backlash for the cowardly Labor heavies.

instant update : our psychic abilities are still in top form. As we blog the excellent Sydney Morning Herald political writer Andrew West has ripped into the reporting on Campbell's gay life and resignation. Campbell had committed no crime or sin even though he is a married man. He was pushed by increasingly desperate Labor Party heavies. This will backfire in spades.

Ken 'Candy' Johnson

For the naive, Ken's has had a long and varied life beginning in the late 1960's as the Purple Onion featuring spectacular drags shows that drew huge audiences on a Sunday night including any visiting international celebrity.

Ken 'Candy' Johnson the owner was the first to cash in on the gay steam bath business changing the premises to Ken's Karate Klub and eventually just Ken's featuring various steam rooms, plunge pools and cubicles where folks could meet up with a stranger , perhaps a 'bear' (in gay parlance) like Mr Campbell to discuss Ugandan politics.

Campbell was the former mayor of Wollongong before he became the local member. 3 years ago. Wollongong's council came under the attention of the Independent Commission for Corruption as bribes and all manner of rorts where uncovered between property developers and the local Labor Party dominated council (there is no suggestion Campbell was ever involved or knew).

Older readers may remember that a former Labor mayor of Wollongong Frank Arkell was accused in parliament by fellow Labor MP Franka Arena of being a paedophile and shortly after in 1988 was murdered in a brutal slashing in his home. Arena went on to similarly name a judge who gassed himself the following day in his garage. Under constant fire from her own party for anti-gay and witch hunt style statements, Arena retired when gay rights groups threaten to expose her twin sons who they claimed were active gays at the then illegal age of 17. Both boys fled abroad and have never returned.

In our last story we spoke of the MP for the neighboring electorate Kiama, Matt Brown who put in an appearance at the opening of the Art Bar in Kings Cross last week. He smiled warmly for the cameras at first and then curled his lip as he realised our snapper was from the media.

Brown's first career as Housing Minster collapsed 3 years ago as he stared into the TV cameras at a news conference and snarled that "public housing is a privilege not a right" to put the fear of God into public housing tenants and within the fortnight was discovered to own a few luxurious apartments in the docks area of Pyrmont where he had packed in visiting Asian students from floor to ceiling at outrageous rents,.

Briefly re-instated as Police Minister, further misery followed for the handsome MP when it was claimed he table topped danced at a Wollongong party in his underpants and "titty f*cked" MP Nora Hey. He has always denied it happened.

Where this leaves Labor Party heavy Nicholas Whitlam who moved to Wollongong after flogging his share of the merchant bank Whitlam Turnbull which he owned with Liberal Party MP Malcolm Turnbull (the nephew of British actress Angela Lansbury) to operate a luxury pub and pull a few political strings is a mystery. tSS knows Whitlam's wife Judy isn't fond of the working class city of Wollongong and perhaps this will give her the chance to convince Nick to move back to Sydney as the entire Wollongong shire will surely fall to the Liberals at the next election.

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Which leads us nicely into the small tale we related 2 days ago to Murdoch's Daily Telegraph that the great Labor Party hero and saint, former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, Nick Whitlam's, dad who broke the stranglehold of the conservatives 23 year rule federally in 1972, and now wheel chair bound, had moved into a luxury Potts Point retirement home at the age of 93. What was meant to be a column filler was soon shunted to page 2 and was picked up be every TV news broadcast that evening.

No news yet whether Gough's "adopted son", the very handsome Argentinian Andrew 'Bacci' Whitlam visits his benefactor at the nursing home, just as the Great Gough regularly visited Bacci in his Rose Bay flat to seek relief away from the stress and rigors of politics and knowing Mr Whitlam's huge intellect, no doubt indulged in fascinating discussions on Argentinian politics.

Claudia Marie & Sharon Sargeant

Even more pleasing was the picture spread sent to us by our Las Vegas operative of up and coming marketing executive and fiancee of the world's most famous private eye Frank Monte, Ms Sharon Sargeant which we kindly supplied the same Daily Telegraph.

Run as a double page spread in Annette Sharp's Sydney Confidential, the pneumatic Sharon had suffered a similar wardrobe malfunction as she had in a tale a few months ago.

Whilst Frank was doing PI business with a client, she and 2 friends crashed a party at the luxury hotel they were staying at only to discover it was an Adult Industry convention. The fun loving Sharon was soon dancing with gay abandon with all and sundry including a busty blond who we discovered is one of the USA's most famous porn stars Claudia Marie. Her website is here but not recommended for the feint of heart,

The on-line picture feature which is fairly tame compared to the print published version had gone mental and the hits had reached a staggering 800,000 by 4pm that day and over a million by 8pm.

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And do they ever listen ?. No. Five months ago Malcolm Turnbull announced his retirement from politics and said he would not stand for the seat of Wentworth at the next election when in a party room coup he was exchanged as leader for Tony "Mad Monk" Abbott. We predicted Malcolm would return to politics.

"Your predictions are useless" cried our critics. With smug satisfaction we raised a flute of excellent Nicholas Feuillatte champagne (proud sponsor and now the 4th biggest selling champagne in the world) as 2 weeks ago Turnbull announced he had changed his mind and will now remain as MP and when the Federal Liberals, despite their current hysteria over a few polls are trounced later this year at a Federal election, Turnbull will be elected as party leader again but have to wait until 2015 before he becomes Prime Minister. Put your money on it.

Jimmy Barnes goes kosher

Jimmy & Jane Barnes (copyright :the Shuttle)

It was an odd get-together at the Central Synagogue in Sydney. Working Class Man hero , Scot's born rocker and practising Buddhist Jimmy Barnes had news for the assembled audience who had turned up to see Barnsie sing Hava Nagila after being approached out of the blue by Rabbi Mendel Kastel who had the brilliant idea of Jimmy giving a benefit performance.

Barnes recalled his mother had given him a Star of David as a youth and many years later asked her why. "So you remember your family roots" was the reply as Jimmy recalled his grandmother's name was Esther as he confirmed what he had only recently discovered-he was Jewish.

"Except for a certain snip" quipped Barnes to a delighted audience.

Rabbi Katsel runs Jewish House, a centre for the homeless and people with alcohol and drug addiction and the performance deal followed a chance encounter in a Bondi restaurant where Barnes and party were seated at a nearby table to Rabbi Katsel who was dining with the chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv when both tables struck up a conversation.

Barnes and his crooner son David Campbell who has wowed New York audiences will also perform at a benefit for the centre at the Sofitel Wentworth Hotel on December 1st. Meanwhile, at the Synagogue Barnies gave a unique rendition of My Yiddish Mother followed by What a Wonderful World.