Kathy Lette-Swinging from The Chandeliers

Today is Kathy Lette is 53 and she plans to celebrate her birthday with hubby Geoffrey Robertson QC at London's Savoy Hotel where she says she will be "swinging from the chandeliers".

Kathy has been telling the London Evening Standard about her recent encounter with a would be handbag snatcher in London's East End:
"I think adrenaline kicked in. He grabbed it, but I wasn't going to let him have it, so I fought back, I grabbed it back from him. The handle broke, but at least I got it back.
"I just held on for grim death. I couldn't really give chase afterwards because I had my high heels on. Taking a woman's handbag, it is like you are violating her very body.
"From now if I walk in the East End the only handbag I will carry will be in the form of the arm of a really burly bloke."

Kathy had been on her way to a literary event when the mugger struck and attempted to bag the Moschino handbag. As the writer says :
"You don't come between an Australian woman and her handbag".
PS : Kathy's first husband was Kim Williams who has just become the overlord of News Corp in Australia.

Letteing The Side Down

The picture below of  Puberty Blues author Kathy Lette in her corgi dress giving HM The Queen a good laugh has now swept the world and cements Kathy's place as one of the best Antipodean self publicists in the UK.

Barry Humphries at Kathy's launch

Richard E.Grant

Lette was at Buckingham Palace for a reception hosted by Her Maj before her final trip Down Under. The Queen was heard to comment that she didn't realise there so many Australians in Britain which really shows she obviously doesn't get out much. Immigration records show there are close to 600,000 Aussies at present residing in the UK.

Kathy is quoted today telling a newspaper columnist about her trip to Buckingham palace : "As we’re all convict stock, I bet they spent all day hiding the silverware, don’t you? At least I made the Queen laugh. A first, I’m sure."
"The only funny thing was that the Palace had under-estimated the party potential of a bunch of wild colonials. We were practically swinging from the chandeliers. I gave the Queen a matching corgi scarf, so I do hope she’s going to wear it Down Under. I was very relieved that nothing mated with my leg, in that outfit."

The Shuttle has encountered Kathy and her husband barrister Geoffrey Robertson ( having shared a desk with Geoffrey in High School) many times on their visits to Sydney, the last being the launch of her book Mad Cow at the Boy Charlton Pool where actor Richard E.Grant did the honours.

Kathy's book launch in Sydney

Chatting to Robertson about Kathy's books he told us: "they don't sell that well in the UK  but she is a massive seller in Germany" . Asked to elaborate as to why this may be Geoffrey said "Kathy writes books that send up the British and the Germans lap them up. They have a more base sense of humour than the Brits as well so she seems in tune with them !".
The last time the Shuttle encountered the Queen in London at an official function was a reception at Australia House in the Strand many years ago. One aging journalist from Melbourne was there and was known to be not only a drunk but incontinent as well , sometimes forgetting to wear his protective pads. A group of us watched from the sidelines in horror as the man chatted to Prince Phillip, a puddle of piss gathering around their feet. When Phillip walked away we could hear his shoes squelching.

'Talk Isn't Cheap-It Can Move Mountains'

Should He Be Held to Account ?

It's one of the logo statements for this long weekend's Festival Of Dangerous Ideas at the Sydney Opera House from 2nd to 3rd October.

A range of fascinating speakers will be appearing.

Geoffrey Robertson QC will discuss ' Sins Of The Fathers-Should The Pope Be Held to Account ?" with high flying US Lawyer Alan Dershowitz (he's the one who defended accused murderer Claus Von Bulow).

The controversial philosopher P.W.Singer will tell us how we are 'Wired For War' and writer Tariq Ali will inform us of What We Learn From Terrorists.

There are heaps more talks with well known people and this is always a fascinating event.

Tickets are cheap-from $20.
Check out the official website for more information here.

Tariq Ali (above) and Alan Dershowitz (right)