Vale Bob Hawke

When Whispers was traveling back and forth from the UK to Australia and pondering on whether we wanted to finally settle in this wide brown land, one person we met who was very instrumental in making our decision was the late Bob Hawke, then Prime Minister.
There are plenty of obituaries written about him today so we'll just point you in the direction of some of the best.

Bob was simply an extraordinary human being. A sharp intellect and intelligence was masked by Hawke's ability to appear as the average bloke in the pub. At the same time he would met with world leaders: Margaret Thatcher, Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev and China's Zhao Ziyang and   business leaders who saw a great advantage in dealing with a former powerful Union leader who understood that business could be conducted whilst respecting worker's right.
Hawke once told me he admired how Big Business in Germany co-operated with unions with an attitude of "everyone should win". During his tenure Bob Hawke's inclusive policies, and for long after, worked in Australia.
 Bob Hawke tributes flow as Bill Shorten and Scott Morrison make final federal election pitches
Some of our snaps over the years:

Bob's first wife Hazel succumbed to the terrible scourge of Dementia. She remained devoted to Hawke.

In 2010 Prime Minister Julia Gillard launched the biography penned by his wife Blanche d'Alpuget

 In 2012 in uber-smart Balmain Bob Hawke launched the Worker's Bar for advertising mogul and pub owner John Singleton pictured here with Bob. The pub was the location for a legendary meeting of unionists in 1891 that coincided with the famous Shearer's Strike in Queensland during which the Australian Labor Party was formed.

Sin City Sensation

 It's never dull in Sydney which in it's long and varied career has been called Sin City and once had a reputation as the "Chicago of The South Seas" due to it's fierce gang rivalries.

Where else could noted Captains Of Industry be found battling in smart Woolloomooloo restaurants or even a Bondi street when media moguls James Packer and David Gyngel engaged in clumsy fisticuffs (over a woman?) and now the latest bunfight that involved another media name John Singleton (worth a reputed $300M) and hamburger giant Jack Cowan (worth over $900M) who doubles up as a director of the huge Fairfax Media outlets.
There was even a claim the dust-up that had an excited Singleton, who from all accounts attacked Cowan over an alleged sleight to his drinking preference- rose wine instead of a butch beer - that it was the lack of female companions that caused the fisticuffs.
The last time Whispers encountered the amiable Singleton was at the launch of his new Balmain bar (pictured with pal, former PM Bob Hawke) and before that was when he hosted the launch, along with Paris Hilton of his Bondi Blonde Beer at the uber smart Icebergs Restaurant.

above : bringing urban sophistication to Sydney: Karim Gharbi and a bevy of beauties

How timely then that nightclub boss Karim Gharbi should be launching his new VIP venture tonight at an exclusive party at an inner city penthouse (we'll be there). His services surely will be in demand for visiting VIPs and even local ones who wish to avoid the pitfalls that see them on the front pages of the nation's tabloids.

Tom's Woes

At the Zegna party : Luke Ricketson,Kate Waterhosue, Hoda & Tom Waterhouse

Arriving at the gala Emermenigildo Zegna 50th year celebration fashion parade at the Royal Hall of Industries on Tuesday, top bookmaker Tom Waterhouse was his cheery smiling self, shaking hands and implacable as always, even as the Shuttle greeted him with "ahhh..the infamous Tom Waterhouse". It received a hearty laugh from his group that included lovely wife and new mother Hoda, sister  Kate Waterhouse and he husband footballer Luke Ricketson.

But if Tom didn't have enough troubles with all sorts of inaccurate claims flying about the airwaves about his on-screen appearances at racing meets, a new calamity has just hit the fan.

Tom's Instagram post.

Yesterday media mogul John Singleton had an on-air spat with Tom's mum, the successful racehorse trainer Gai Waterhouse and accused her of 'leaking' information about his horse More Joyous to son Tom.
"Not so" says Gai but Singleton stormed off announcing he would pull all his horses from Gai's stables. Such drama, especially as Gai has successfully trained numerous winners for Singleton over the years.

Gai Waterhouse, husband Robbie with  Hoda & Tom

Singleton (right) withBob Hawke

 Singleton says Gai leaked details that his top nag More Joyous wasn't in top form to Tom and mutual friends repeated the claim back to Singleton  who then refrained from placing $100,000 on his own horse to win. Tom says via Instagram, he was taking bets all day on More Joyous and it was business as usual and he lost around $300,000 on the race.
Instant update : The matter goes from bad to worse : Tom has called in the libel lawyers and racing officials are demanding an Independent Inquiry before a retired judge. Where is Sir Laurence Street when we need him?

Big Picture Fail

 The woes mount for pink haired self promoter Darryn Lyons, boss of  Big Pictures " the world's biggest and best celebrity picture agency", now residing in Australia (although it's probably safe for him to return to the UK now the Leveson Inquiry has concluded).

Questionable deals seem to have been arranged between Lyons and celebrities like Lara Bingle with reports of set-up "paparazzi" style photo shoots being offered to publications for big bucks.
The Australian media  have been strangely silent with the Shuttle  the only outlet reporting that Big Pictures has gone into administration. Surely it would have nothing to do with the fact they were eager buyers of celebrity snaps from the agency, some obtained by bribing Virgin Airline employees to reveal confidential travel arrangement of famous faces ?.
21 Big Picture staff have been made redundant without pay and freelance photographers are queuing up to demand monies owed. There are claims Lyons has re-located his office to a nearby building along with photographs and files and the snappers say they have asked the Old Bill to investigate.
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Peter Tory (Daily Express)

On the subject of 'high' society, the Shuttle is saddened to hear of the passing of a Fleet Street great that we once worked with.
 Peter Tory was a columnist and editor of the legendary William Hickey Column in the Daily Express and a regular figure on the London social circuit . Described as a 'debonair raconteur', renowned for his humour and quick wit and excellent manners plus an ability to produce a saucy tale for a newspaper devoid of nastiness.

Peter has passed away at the age of 74 after retiring before the 'new celebrity' that now features the likes of Essex girls made good, Jordon and Peter Andre's exploits and other such mind  numbing inanities.                                                
Sydneysiders would have seen him 3 weeks ago on SBS TV in the film Tabloid in which he played himself in the delicious true tale about Joyce McKinney. See it if you missed it.

Up The Workers!

Bob Hawke & John Singleton

To harbour side Balmain and the launch of The Workers Bar in Darling Street. The Workers is part owned by media mogul John Singleton who also hosted the launch party and it's part of Unity Hall, the pub Singleton owns and the location for a legendary meeting of unionists in 1891 that coincided with the famous Shearer's Strike in Queensland.

Out of that strike and the Balmain meeting came the formation of the Australian Labor Party, the first 'worker's party' in the world and now the longest surviving political party that is still in government under the  leadership of PM Julia Gillard.

Ned Kelly (?), Benny Elias & Sally Singleto

So who better to invite to launch the Worker's Bar than the great legend himself, former trade union boss and the 23rd prime Minister Bob Hawke.
 Bob is 83 and as sprightly as a 40 year old. He's also a great pal of Singleton's and told a fairly racy joke about his friend which we won't relate here. Suffice to say it's not hard to see that Hawkie is still one of Australia's most beloved political figures who during his tenure at the top received approval ratings of around 80%.

As for Balmain it's hardly a worker's paradise anymore and the fine convict built sandstone houses and terraces are more likely to be inhabited by bankers, stockbrokers and celebrity figures like playwright David Williamson and actors Judy Davis and Colin Freils who have a large waterside mansion. Still there are plenty of young professionals living locally and The Worker's bar is bound to become a favoured watering hole.

Plots & Fine Dining

 THE ANNOUNCEMENT today that Canadian born hamburger salesman Jack Cowin has been granted a seat on the board of Fairfax Media signals another shot across the bow of the recalcitrant Fairfax board from the World's Richest Woman ( and soon to be the world's richest person according to Chase Manhattan Bank) Gina Rinehart.

A relative pauper with just a $620M fortune compared to Gina's $29Billion, the former insurance salesman turned Burger King and Hungry Jacks entrepreneur is being described as an 'independent' board member and has agreed to maintain Fairfax's editorial independence. He also sits on the board of the Ten Network in which Rinehart holds a swag of shares along with Lachlan Murdoch.

Just last week Cowin celebrated his 69th birthday in the South of France on board his super yacht Slipstream (left). Fellow guests included Gina Rinehart and John Singleton. Whatever plans were hatched sailing the Med, they seem to have paid off. Gina had demanded 3 board seats after buying nearly 20% of Fairfax shares. She's scored one -for now.

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SADLY there is just two more days left before the pop-up restaurant Masterchef closes but the experiment has been such a huge success, another is on the way.

St Marys

Masterchef is a joint venture of the Ten Network which screens the popular Masterchef series, and the media production company Shine. Located on the forecourt and in the shadow of the elegant St Mary's Cathedral and opposite Hyde Park it's a million dollar location but it's the size of the restaurant that amazes. Housed in an enormous marquee, it's 2 floors of culinary delights with a large but comfortable bar upstairs for pre-dinner drinks.

Chefs include Masterchef stars Julie Goodwin and Marion Grasby with some of Sydney's most experienced food stars assisting, like Justin North and Kylie Kwong, who is rated in the top five Chinese chefs in the world.

The Shuttle dined there last Wednesday and the food - well sadly as this current venue will vanish on Sunday there isn't much point describing it - apart to say it was sensational. Never fear, we hear another pop-up is in the works for the coming Summer and in an equally fabulous Sydney location.
                                      

No Longer Keeping Up With The Kardashians

As Kim Kardahsian and sister Chloe Hardashian do their round of media appointments today, requesting that their...errr.. 'privacy'..be respected over Kim's marriage split up (Mum Kris Jenner is doing likewise in the USA and scoffing at rumours Kim's ring is worth $2M.."only half that") one must wonder who has organised this PR tour as the calamities keep piling up.

It's either a total stuff-up or Hollywood PR at it's best. As you can see by viewing footage here.

Last night the sisters went to the Icebergs restaurant at Bondi Beach, again a wonderful spot but not the best place to avoid the media as their minder's infer as they keep angrily hissing at the assembled paparazzi : one who actually said, clipboard in hand,"how did you find us here..leave us alone?"

Icebergs

This was the spot brilliant advertising guru John Singleton chose to launch his Bondi Blonde Beer in 2006 (like Australia really needs another beer!) with then 'it' girl Paris Hilton in tow. He later sold the beer brand for a huge profit 4 years later.

The Shuttle went to the party and made it through the mayhem on a Saturday afternoon. Unwisely we chose to leave just as Paris Hilton left and got caught up in complete chaos, being shoved against Hilton's waiting limousine that had all doors open waiting for Singleton and Paris to make a quick exit..

Hundreds of tourists had blocked the roadway and restaurant entrance and as 2 heavy minders gradually made their way to the limo with Hilton, they first had to remove an almost stereotype Japanese tourist, cameras strung around his neck who was now sitting in the back of the limousine, casually inspecting shopping bags from Paris's Paddington shopping spree that morning !

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Meanwhile John Singleton, whose exploits have built him a $100M fortune by correctly gauging the Australian psyche-if we didn't know Paul Hogan's larrikan personality was the real deal you could be forgiven for thinking he was a Singleton invention-has escaped censure by the local Woollahra council having re-painted his newly purchased Bellevue Hotel in Paddington without council permission.

Bellevue Hotel

Facing a $3000 fine the council have agreed to waive the fine if Singleton re-paints the pub in  'acceptable"colours within the month.
A similar event happened in London in 2005 when he arrrived at his daughter's Notting Hill house unannounced, and not finding her home, had her front door re-painted red as a surprise. The local council ordered the door be re-painted it's original colour.

The pub re-paint is part of Singleton's promotion of the Gut Foundation, just one charitable cause the generous Singleton donates to which are a diverse lot- from paying legal bills of incarcerated asylum seekers, Rev Bill Crews Exodus Foundation  and almost too many to name..
Sadly, John who has been married 5 times has just split from his girlfriend Yvette Hartmann.

Earth to the Channel Ten TV network....

     The Magic Millions -one of Queensland's Gold Coast social events on the racing calendar wasn't the 'brainchild' of advertising man John Singleton and billionaire Gerry Harvey.

 It was the brainchild of publicity guru Angela Belle McSweeney . Angela conceived of the idea-put it together and launched what is set to become a race with the biggest cash prize in the world. Angela also helped build the Dubai Cup into a world major racing event and is often a guest BBC reporter at the Ascot races.

  Do your research folks- Singleton and Harvey took over the enterprize only recently and Singleton's most 'brilliant' idea to date was to bring American Pie actress Tara Reid ( who she?) out as the 'celebrity' guest a year after he launched his Bondi Blonde Beer with the oh-so-yesterday Paris Hilton.

Gerry Harvey & John Singleton demonstrate that adopting the late Kerry Packer's motto "always play to the lowest common denominator" pays off !