Yachting News

According to the Sydney Morning Herald News Corp supremo Lachlan Murdoch has purchased a rather charming 1950s "superyacht" for $30M to possibly boat around Sydney Harbour,as one does. From photos in the prestige Yachting News online magazine the interiors seem a tad austere. No insult Lachlan- we mean that nicely (we know Lachlan puruses Whisper's pages occasionally). Certainly compared to the Superyachts of the world. There are a reputed just under 6000 yachts that fit the category. Perhaps this will just be his Sydney runabout as he has another larger yacht being built.

Whispers has had a short history with Superyatchs. In the early 80s we were a guest for 3 nights on Adnan Kashoggis Nabila when it was docked in Monte Carlo. Working on a European fashion magazine funded by Kashoggi, an extremely charming host, we were summonsed to cover a series of events and although we shared a "double cabin" the yacht was wonderfully luxurious and huge, a bit like a rather large country mansion in decor. Certainly not as glitzy as the Trump Princess which it became when Trump snapped up the ship for a knock down $30M.

There are several superyachts we actually missed out on visiting due to unforseen circumstances and prior committments. An invite to attend a party on the famed Aristotle Onansis yacht Christina O and Rupert Murdoch's NYC based Lady Ghislaine (as it was then called) when he was launching something or other (or was it his wedding to Wendi ?). Murdoch bought the yacht from the infamous Robert Maxwell.

These older yachts like Lachlan's and the Kashoggi yacht really look spectaular and in their day were considered huge. But they are dwarfed by monsters like Aussie billionaire James Packer's $200M IJE which, apparently after just one summer sailing the Medeterranean, is now for sale for $300M. No photos exist of the interior and apparently guests on that trip were forbidden to take any.

Still, it could be worse. Take the $700M Scheherazade said to be owned by Vlad Putin, invader of Ukraine. It's hard to see if it will ever set sail on the Med and may be doomed to cruise the Black Sea for eternity.

## You can charter the Onansis ship below with it's grand piano room and pool for aorund $1M a week for 20 guests!

The Great Fairy Bread Scandal

It's a delicacy that has delighted Aussie children for decades. No birthday party for any child under 10 is worth it's salt if the caterer doesn't supply copious quantities of the unique Ausse delicacy: Fairy Bread. A simple concoction: white bread and butter (nothing healthy like Rye)and covered with hundreds and thousands.

So it was understandable that the mighty Rupert Murdoch News Corp empire and it's dozens of newspaper outlets screeched shock, horror when it got wind that a sinister anonymous "woke" mob were demanding a change to the name. The moniker Fairy Bread was deemed an insult to , well we aren't quite sure what..fairies?. We'll never know as for some reason the tale which swept the tabloid pages of the Murdoch tabloids have inexplicably vanished

Possibly because the whole thing was a hoax but by whom? That's still a mystery. Radio annnouncer Ben Fordham had already declared the mini drama a scam during the week but News Corp scribes were not having it. Until Friday that is when the penny finally dropped. At least the mini scandal has delighted fierce Murdoch critic and ex-prime Minster Kevin Rudd who has gleefully tweeted news of the minor furor to his million plus Twitter followers.

. The only real mystery is why the wondrous Daily Mail /MailOnline didn't pick up and run with the hoax. Right up their alley.

exclusive: Bette Midler supports the fire relief

So many celebrities and 1000s of ordinary members of the public have contributed huge sums to aid the victims of the terrible fires. One donation however has gone unreported. While entertainers like Pink, Elton John who are regular visitors to Australia and homegrown actors like Nicole Kidman and  Chris Hemsworth have come up with the cash, singer Bette Midler who hasn't visited these shores for over 15 years has just donated $500,000. All Heil Bette !.
And she's had a go at Rupert Murdoch at the same time. The entire Murdoch family, worth mega-billions have remained oddly silent. Rupert however has been sunning himself in the Caribbean with with wife Jerry 'Murdoch' nee Hall.

Whispers first saw Bette Midler in a showcase in downtown New York in 1973. We've loved her every since. Such a voice. Here's an example:

News Corp Fail # 1

An occasional series:
Published yesterday in Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper, one of Rupert Murdoch's leading Aussie tabloids.

A story on the death of ACDC co-founder Malcolm Young who passed away sadly from dementia at the young age of 64.
Earth to editor : Malcolm was not a bass guitarist, he was a rhythm guitarist (big difference !) who many regarded as one of the greatest on the planet. Better luck next time. Vale Malcolm.

Love Birds spotted

 

Whisper's New York spy disguised as America's top social snapper Patrick McMullan has sent us some pics to share. Out on the tiles this week was the legendary Rupert Murdoch owner of the Fake News Fox News conglomerate with his glamorous wife Jerry Hall.
The shindig was the opening night of The Metropolitan Opera 2017-2018 season.

And look at some of the other celebrity guests who went on to the gala dinner afterwards: the amazing Patti Smith who can make a white t-shirt and long gray hair look so elegant, actors Josh Lucas and Paul Sorvino with his wife Dee Dee and F.Murray Abraham among so many others. What a difference it makes compared to your average Sydney party where the major guests are..newsreaders and male models! (we really do love them though).

Veronika Part looked the part & actor Paul Sorvino took his wife Dee Dee to the party

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Whisper's spy disguised as an aging Eastern Surburb's socialite informs us that society couple Anthony Bell and beautiful wife Kellie Landry are back living under the same roof. What joy- we can only approve. They make a fine couple.

Lady Mary bows out

She is probably the last of an era. Lady Mary Fairfax who died on Monday at age 95 was farewelled today at a service at the church of choice in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, St Marks in Darling Point. Lady Mary was the second wife of Sir Warwick Fairfax, the heir to the Fairfax publishing empire which at it's peak published the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in Melbourne regarded as two of the great broadsheets of the world.

Whispers attended numerous parties at Mary's Darling Point pile Fairwater. Fairwater has been left in trust to the National Trust with the stipulation her loyal staff live there until they too pass on. Indeed we also spent a week at Lady Mary's New York penthouse on top the Pierre Hotel which was once the most expensive apartment in the world and which had it's own full sized ballroom. Mary wasn't there at the time but she arranged for her loyal chauffeur and his wife to host us.

Lady Mary's charity parties were the stuff of legend with guests like Prince Edward and Albert, Prince of Monaco ( Lady Mary was the Honorary Consul for Monaco) hosted in a giant marquee in her garden that backed on to Sydney Harbour.
With great style, Mary would invite selected media (like Moi) and we would be treated as equal guests, usually joining a line-up with her staff to be introduced to the royal guest of the evening. In a way it summed up not just Lady Mary's exquisite manners but the way she treated all people of varying backgrounds equally. Having risen to such great heights and privilege, Lady Fairfax devoted her life to charitable causes for the disadvantaged.

At one of Mary's parties we attended spoon bender Uri Geller was the star guest, Mary sent her butler to retrieve some of her silver cutlery which Geller proceeded to bend while dozens of guests found keys in their pocket bent out of shape or watches stopped or started. One guest, the representative of a French champagne company spent the night sleeping in his car when he found his car & house keys twisted out of shape.

Party guests: Albert of Monaco* Prince Edward, Uri Geller * James Murdoch

Pals: Ron & Nancy Reagan, Pope John Paul

When Lady Mary arrived at her New York penthouse just as Whispers was departing, she engaged us in a detailed conversation as to whether she should purchase a new Rolls Royce or a simpler Cadillac in which she was to be driven to Los Angeles (inviting us to accompany her but we had to turn her down as we were traveling on to London). Mary eventually purchased a sparkling new Roller and was duly driven to LA and when she asked her chauffeur to arrange for it to be shipped to Sydney he pointed out it was a left-hand drive:" Perhaps Madam should sell it and buy another one in Sydney". Instead she donated it to a local California charity to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
While in the US Mary would always drop by the White House in Washington to dine with her pals Ronald & Nancy Reagan. As a Catholic convert, they say she had The Pope on speed dial.

At another party at Fairwater Whispers photographed a young lad who had lain down on a sofa and promptly fallen asleep. He turned out to be a 14 year old James Murdoch on work experience for his dad Rupert Murdoch's Daily Telegraph. Mary's family purchased a portrait painting of Lady Mary by Whispers and artist Skid Stuart in 1995. We like to think it may still hang in the drawing room along side her  Rodin statue.
Lady Mary Fairfax, born in Poland is survived by her sons Warwick Fairfax , Garth Symonds from an earlier marriage to businessman Cedric Symonds and children Anna Cleary, Charles Fairfax and 12 grandchildren

exclusive: A new competitor hits town

The invasion of foreign newspapers continues with one of the world's greatest broadsheets The New York Times opening a Sydney office and advertising for staff to produce local content.

They join The Guardian, Huffington Post and the Mail Online, all producing Australian content. Industry insiders say while both the Guardian and HuffPost are doing well, the most read newspaper on the planet, the Mail Online is costing more money than it makes from advertisers. How will the NYTimes fare?. After they were attacked by President Donald Trump subscribers to the NYTimes skyrocketed with over 250,000 new online subscribers alone in under three months. While the local Fairfax newspapers and Rupert Murdoch's News Corp tabloids are losing staff hand over fist along with fleeing advertisers, the arrival of the NYTimes adds another worrying dimension for the locals.
Prospective employees can go here to apply for a perch at the New York Times.

Fairfax Fail # 14

Don't get Whispers wrong, we really are fond of Fairfax Newspapers. Especially having worked for lengthy periods twice for them although the partnership didn't always end amicably. The real problem is despite Fairfax hosting some of the nation's best journalists, those in management are not newspaper people. They are businessmen looking at the bottom financial line and that isn't always a happy marriage.
Say what you will about the Dirty Digger ( Rupert Murdoch) he employs expert experienced newspaper men & women to run his worldwide operations and that's why they succeed (hey and they pay on time !).

So it's always sad when you see an obvious corker in one of Australia's venerable institutions and one we need so badly. As in this report by the local Southern Highlands' Fairfax newspaper where two budding journos got it so badly wrong.

Local newspaper baron Cristian King (pictured right with his Mum Jane)  Australia's youngest newspaper executive and an editor at King Media is involved in a dispute with some local Highland's colorful characters. He's been charged with an offense but most certainly not 'stalking' a fairly serious offense as the local Fairfax newspaper alleges. Cris is in good hands though His brief is from one of NSW's best law firms run by Christopher Murphy. We reckon King will prevail in court. We don't think M'lud will be happy with the Fairfax report.

Disclosure : Whispers has worked for Fairfax, Rupert Murdoch, King Media, Vanity Fair, the Wentworth Courier..oh hell, who haven't we worked for?

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And on the subject of King Media, Cristian and Jane King are about to launch their fourth local newspaper, The Independent Goulburn. This is the way of the future in print publishing - small independent newspapers will thrive. Take it as gospel from an old hack.

TOMORROW: THE TRUTH ABOUT MOVIE STAR MARILYN MONROE

Sightseeing News

And now some light news: Ivanka Trump has posted a snap on her Instagram page of her current holiday in Croatia with her traveling companion, Wendi Murdoch who we featured a few days ago partying in New York. Is Wendi the girlfriend of Russia's Vladimir Putin as claimed? .

Gerry & The Pacemaker Get Hitched !

         READ ALL ABOUT IT

Cleo Clanger

Feel for the staff of Cleo Magazine who probably read today via the Daily Telegraph that they would lose their jobs as the magazine closes. Cleo came as part of the package when the James Packer sold out his publishing interests to the giant German Bauer Media Group in 2012.

First published 44 years ago with the venerable Packer favorite Ita Buttrose as editor (a shout-out to Ita who Whispers found themselves with in a Surry Hills post office queue just a few days ago), Cleo was aimed at an older female audience. Recently their Bachelor Of The Year awards have received plenty of publicity (aided by some self-important publicists who seemed oblivious to the rapidly changing world of media). Circulation has hovered around 53000 a year with a claimed readership of 173000 and a claimed 300,000 online readers.
But just look at Whispers'(thesocialshuttle.com) online readership (left : Google's figures) . Daily views are around 2300 with monthly views around 72000 which is not dissimilar to a monthly magazine or a local newspaper (and a shout out to our daily 300 approx readers who are in Russia). Of course it's very hard to compare and many factors influence readership but compared to a blog run by 1.5 (part timer) and a dyslexic cat who claims to be the sub-editor, something must give in these print publications and the large staff needed to run them.

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Meanwhile as the Happy Couple, Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall announce their engagement, Don Rupioni's beloved Sun Newspaper is under investigation for claims it was also involved in phone hacking. We couldn't help but notice a recent cover. As one irreverent wag from that august publication put it : "how dare they, that's our job"

Love Match of The Century

Who doesn't love an engagement? Whispers reckons this is the best comment to date:

Gossip finally silenced

Much chatter around town as the Sunday Telegraph's legendary  Ros Reines is finally laid off after the News Corp axe falls on a number of  employees (it's always Danger Time when Rupert Murdoch hits town). One thing is for sure, you could not ignore Reines who became feared for her exposes and sharp words but loved by readers. Her byline "The Columnist They Can't Silence"was well deserved

Packer-just before he spotted Reines at his party

 It's odd but for a country that claims not to take society and their shenanigans seriously, it's also a country that seems particularly sensitive to even the slightest criticism

Timothy Swallow

Whispers having worked in both London and New York where the old adage- as long as they spell the name correctly- still holds sway has found Sydneysiders rather thin skinned. So of course, we are terribly nice to everyone.

Whispers first encountered Ros Reines many moons ago when she wrote for a magazine called London Index where a great friend, the late Timothy Swallow also worked. Swallow went on to work for the Daily Mail gossip king Nigel Demspter and then wrote the famous William Hickey column on the Daily Express. Sadly Timothy died during a trip to Australia but he always paid tribute to Reines superiority in being able to present a paragraph that was both amusing and wicked at the same time.

Kelly Cutrone in Sydney

# Timothy Swallow & Whispers put the then languishing film Mommie Dearest on the map during a trip to New York. A tale for another time. 

Ros appeared in these pages when we reported on her tussle with New York PR Kelly Cutrone. At the time a well known New York columnist lamented that in another era Reines & Cutrone would have got on a like a house on fire, so similar were their temperaments. 
Whispers was also with Reines at the famous Nine Network TV season launch on Garden Island when media king James Packer took her aside and tore strips off her over some alleged sleight. It became the only news that weekend as new TV offerings were forgotten. In fact, we also appeared in the same Australian Story about gossip writers along with writer Simon Kent (now on the Toronto Sun in Canada). No doubt Ros Reines with a wealth of local social knowledge will surface in a new capacity and publication but it's an indication of the rapidly changing world of media.

Reporting the Love Match of the Decade

 
The British media were out in force at the now famous Rugby match at Twickenham between New Zealand and Australia. One lucky snapper secured the first pictures of the love-birds Jerry Hall & Rupert Murdoch as they arrived at the grounds. Whispers is a cynical old thing and finds this most odd. The photo is clearly taken as the loving couple are arriving - not via the VIP entrance as other celebrities did, but along with the general public. The photographer appears to have been the only one to get the shot almost as though he/she had prior knowledge of this. And then likewise the photo of Uncle Rupes planting a kiss on a coy Jerry's cheek. Again just one snapper got the pics. And the source of the coupling :"a family friend". Such friends revealing info like this are usually banished to the outer realms, Not that Whispers is complaining as every time Rupert Murdoch's private life is reported our now famous snap of he and former wife Wendi Deng features throughout China's media (Chinese Hello! seems to love it)
Even odder is the fact not one News Corp outlet (proprietor Rupert Murdoch) has mentioned the tryst or published photos. Yet the pair seem happy to pose and appear in public ! Amongst the dozens of News Corp titles across the world that passed on the mention of the Love Match of The Decade:

And so it came to pass

Princes Harry & William were there as was our own princess Kylie Minogue. And this couple finally fronted the cameras : Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall.  Read all about it in the MailOnline.

A rainy day in Melbourne

The Melbourne Cup season is upon us again. A long planned trip South had to be cancelled at the last minute although by the looks of that unpredictable Melbourne weather perhaps Whispers is fortunate. Our Victorian racing spy disguised as a $2 poncho raincoat promises to keep his/her eyes open for fascinating snippets which usually means people you saw last week at a party in Sydney doing something else in Melbourne but probably dressed up to the nines.

As always Swisse trotted out a major celeb- Hilary Swank this year, to pose in front of the dreaded "wall". It's a long way to come to stand in front of a wall but I suppose they are suitably rewarded (financially). As for Swisse, there must be big bikkies in vitamins as their rival Blackmores just demonstrated with a share price having risen from $31 to over $200  in a year and that's without a Hilary Swank standing in front of a wall.
And here some of our favourite Sydney people who we did see last week (walking their dogs in Redfern) David Novakpiper and The Block judge Neale Whitaker with a lady pal lunching in The Birdcage 
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The entire world is awaiting (well the paparazzi are!) Will they or won't they? As a "close family friend of the Murdochs" promised : said: "It's all very new.  They are really enjoying each other's company very much. "He is very fond of her. There is no question that they are a couple." 
Tonight is the final in the Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham and as the "close family friend" promised the star crossed lovers Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall are to appear in public for the first time together at the match as Australia plays New Zealand. We wait with baited breath.
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And the wondrous MailOnline does not fail to once again impress with this caption :
" Racegoers line-up at a Melbourne station as they head to Randwick in a bid to beat the early-rush ". Melbourne to Randwick by train? About 900 kms and 12-14 hours.

The Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall rumours

Fleet Street in the UK is having one of it's meltdown moments as the claim that Jerry Hall is now dating Rupert Murdoch run riot. Oddly they all echo the same source who is said to be a 'family friend' - the usual way of describing an unknown source - and all quote the same thing :
" they are set to go public by attending next Saturday’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham. Billionaire Murdoch was introduced to Texan Jerry by one of his sisters and a niece while in his native Australia." 
 Time will tell. As Whispers reported on the September 20th Murdoch's defunct News of The World  bugged the phone of Mick Jagger's publicist when Jagger was married to Hall and they were having marital problems. The bugging provided many stories that were published. So is all forgiven?