End of an Era as Bill Bows Out

A chapter in Sydney's social history ends today as Man About Town and social snapper Bill Ranken hangs up his camera to retire to his country property. Home for Bill now is a magnificent sheep and cattle property about 3 hours from Sydney and just outside Goulbourn.
Lockesly has been in the family for several generations and is regarded as one of the finest properties in NSW with it's Georgian house, beautiful gardens and acres of rolling hills. Bill, at 86 years of age still takes an active hand on weekends, planting trees and sorting sheep. He will also pen his memoirs.
It's great loss for Whispers not only as a valuable source but someone who we spoke to almost every night to 'debrief' each other on the day's activities.
With Bill's keen sense of a humour and his ability not to take anything seriously- most especially himself, we could chat & laugh for an hour each night exchanging delicious titbit's which could not possibly be used in print.
Whispers first met Bill Ranken many moons ago at the Mayfair Gallery in London when he arrived
as the escort of the late HH Princess Margaret.
Peering at one of British painters Gilbert & George's giant canvases that detailed -well best to look up their history of painting- we overheard Bill saying to Margaret :"don't look too closely dear or it may put you off the canapes and champagne".
The Sydney & Southern Highland's newspapers LatteLife have penned a farewell piece to Bill which gives more insight into the life of this fascinating chap:

Shuttle Staffer Could Be Mr Bondi !

Mr Bondi ?

Proving age is no barrier to a beauty contest, Social Shuttle contributor Bill Ranken has made the finals of the Mr Bondi quest to be held next Saturday at the chic restaurant, Bondi Social overlooking Bondi Beach.

Having turned 80 last March, Ranken is disgustingly healthy and runs 4 miles every morning. Over the Christmas holiday period he was down on his Southern Highlands property helping build miles of fences before taking off on a dirt bike to round up sheep.

Ranken divides his time between two vast country properties. The largest one Lochersly is regarded as one of the state's most desirable estates with it's Georgian house, award winning grounds and gardens and sweeping acres of rolling green hills. It's been in the family for 4 generations of the hardy Scotsmen.

 During the week he steps out every night from a harbour side Elizabeth Bay pied-e-terre to attend parties. 

He's known as the Grey Gadabout. If something opens Ranken will be there with a camera , notebook and pen.  He moves seamlessly between all strata's of society equally at home lunching with Rupert Murdoch or at a wharf labourer's booze-up on the docks. The Shuttle first met him in London nearly 30 years ago. He arrived at a Gilbert & George  art exhibition with Princess Margaret on his arm.

"Apparently there are no qualifications to be in this quest" says Ranken, "apart from having a Bondi connection". Which he has every Friday on radio Bondi FM with his 'Peep Show' gossip segment.

"I think it would be rather nice to win something" he says. "before they put me in the ground". 

" But I still plan to be around for a lot longer" he said. " I'm having fun meeting the new generation of pretty young girls on the scene"

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" Mind you 20 years ago when I was introduced to them I was able to say I took their mother out once. Last week I ran into two 20 somethings at a party and realised I had dated their grandmothers !"

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Tania

Competing with Bill Ranken At next Saturday's Mr Bondi final will be Joker Poker TV host Mike Goldman .

Mike

Mike was ecstatic at getting through to the quest final and took a bunch of pals back to his pad to celebrate where he had a spectacular run-in with a bottle of champagne.

Goldman's pal, actress Tania Zaetta (who has become a huge star in Bollywood films) had put the bottle in Mike's freezer earlier in the evening and forgotten about it. The bottle exploded as Goldman reached into his freezer. He spent the night at Randwick hospital and says he hopes to pick up the sympathy vote on Saturday.

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Oh dear.

Just one day ago we brought readers the tale of how 2 psychics, Tom and Kevin  from The Yellow Cloud Circle of Eternal Illumination in Montcabirol, France are touting their materialisation demonstrations in Sydney next month. Their website has some glowing endorsements from past visitors to their sessions including one gentleman who was thrilled to glimpse a vision of Michael Jackson who sent the following message from the ether:

"there will be no recurrences with people who have been accused of my death. I did not commit suicide. Although I take full responsibility for my death. There should be no charges brought from anybody. I am totally responsible for my passing."

Today his medico Dr Conrad Murray was  told by an LA Superior Court judge that he must stand trial for Jackson's involuntary manslaughter.

forget gay Jesus-we uncover the greatest miracle of all !

Elton's Jesus ?

  The Daily Mail, Britain's most successful on-line newspaper and probably the best presented tabloid on the planet brings us startling news in a story about the canonization of Oz nun Mother Mary McKillop.

Writing about another saintly candidate, the Canadian priest Brother Andre, in it's report the Mail says:

"Brother Andre, who founded Saint Joseph Oratory in Canada. Born on August 9, 1945 under the name of Alfred Bessette, Bother Andre, died on January 6, 1937 in Montreal"

Surely a feat Elton John's rebel rabbi bender could only dream of-dying before one's birth !. It certainly saves time.

"Hope I die before I get old"-Brother Andre

As the Catholic Church,the countries dominant religion eyes it's parish in Australia- there are moves afoot with top Catholic, Cardinal George Pell who has just returned from an extended visit to the Vatican.

With McKillop's rise to sainthood the Catholic Church is shoring up it's constituency and filling a religious void. The power of the country having it's own saint St Mary, should not be underestimated. Lapsed Catholics have been returning to the church in droves since the Mary McKillop campaign started over 10 years ago.

Cardinal George Pell has returned just in time for the announcement after illness delayed him in Rome.

Cardinal George Pell with Pope Benedict XVI

But our Vatican spy-disguised as a handsome Swiss Guard who has wandered the corridors of power for clandestine meetings with elderly Vatican officials brings us news of a move within the Holy City.

Cardinal Pell may well become the next president of the Vatican City State, the highest position and just below that of the Pope. The current president, His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Cardinal Lajolo is rumored to be retiring and the church, with one of the best PR machines that has operated for centuries cannot have missed that all things Oz are currently in vogue. Next to the USA, the Catholic Church's property holdings in Australia are the richest outside the Vatican.

Pell is a great friend of the current Pope Benedict XVI and it's rumored to have stood aside in the final papal ballot to allow his great friend to take the helm. Is he now being rewarded ? It was certainly Pell's advocacy that brought about the hugely successful 2008 World Youth Day to Sydney with the Pope's visit and resulted in huge numbers flocking to the church. Pell has also resided over the healing of a long rift with the Anglican church that has been historically anti-Roman-Catholic since the convict days when Anglican masters ruled over the largely Catholic convict populace.

George Pell is an arch-conservative with a strict adherence to orthodoxy who rules the Catholic church in Australia with an iron fist. He brooks no opposition and has a coterie of young priests at his command, collectively known as Pell's Angels.

Those who believe Pell's move to the Vatican will bring some moderation in the local church's strict views on homosexuality, female priests and divorce will find no relief if Pell's anointed successor, the younger Rev Anthony Fisher takes over. Such is Fisher's adherence to all things Pell he is know locally as Boy George.

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the Odd Couple

  To the NSW Art Gallery to meet the Odd Couple of the British art world-Gilbert and George. Brought to Sydney by art patron and fabric importer John Kaldor , the artists revealed some of the fascinating facts of their life style. They have eaten at the same Turkish restaurant every night in the East End for over 30 years. Gilbert takes a 3 hour walk around the local streets every night before dinner and is joined on the last hour by George.

   

  In the afternoons they are joined by the same 2 local homeless men for afternoon tea and serve them instant coffee-the only beverage in their larder. And they give them each £2 when they leave. What fun !

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update #3... the number of members of Facebook's "Eddie Mcguire is ruining the 2010 Winter Olympics coverage" is now at 7301, a rise of over 5000 since the Social Shuttle brought it to world attention which co-incidently equals the number of readers of tSS over the past few days !
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Cardinal Pell update : Journalist Mike Carlton speculates that George Pell is in line for the position of prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. Carlton is a rare species amongst media reptiles-he does his research. tSS feels our Vatican source is however more accurate.
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update #4...membership of Eddie Mcguire's Facebook group now stands at 8050. The latest member one Geoff Wills writes  : "Management at that station must be nearly neanderthal in there views.The absolute worst Olympics telecast I have seen"