Pull the udder one

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I may not know about art but I know what I like. Artist Andrew Barnes popped down to the tiny Double Bay beach in Sydney's ritzy Eastern Suburbs this week to give his cows some rest and relaxation and a change from their daily milking regime. He calls it an art installation. Who are we to disagree?.

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Meanwhile in nearby Kings Cross, once the heart of Sydney's nightlife and sex trade, a "Celebrity" boot sale was held on the weekend where most of the items on sale were once owned by the rich and mildly famous. 

Pictured are two local slebs who gave up their goods and time for the event. On the left is the delightful Cindy Pastel, one of the town's most famous drag acts. The award winning film Priscilla Queen of the Desert was based on his life. 

With him is one of our favourite eccentric characters around town Christa Billich who stars in the cable TV show "Housewives of Sydney". What fun.

Dramas in Casablanca

 One of the stars of the unexpected hit TV series Gogglebox Angie Kent (right) has lashed out at Double Bay's uber nightclub Casablanca after her brother who suffers from Aspergers was refused entry. According to Angie security guards questioned whether the chap was drunk or drugged. The party lot then moved on to The Sheaf pub where they had more success with security who whilst initially questioning the man, allowed the group entry.
 Angie really should have made contact with Casablanca's amiable manager Karim Gharbi (pictured above) who features regularly in these pages. We feel Karim would have only been to happy to put the names of her group at the door as VIP guests given his penchant for publicity.

As the success of the show keeps resonating Whispers hears that at least 2 stars of the show are now being courted by advertising agencies to promote products. Indeed Whisper encountered one of Googlebox's stars in a shopping centre a few days ago and asked if the rumour was true (we've known this person for many years). She just laughed off the suggestion but didn't actually say "no". So that's a yes then.

Enter Lady Georgia Campbell

What a treat is in store for northern New South Wales as one of England's Grande Dames Lady Georgia Campbell is to grace our shores as a contestant in the British reality program I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
Whispers knows Georgia fairly well and have been to many parties with the aristocrat. Indeed we once shared adjoining seats on a Lear jet owned by Saudi mega billionaire Adnan Khashoggi, on a flight to Monaco to attend a gala party on his sumptuous yacht The Nambila (Whispers was writing a social column at the time for a European magazine owned by Khashoggi.)

Campbell's history has been well covered in the past in articles like this. Born in Jamaica she married Lord Colin Campbell the son of the Duke of Argyle but the marriage only lasted 14 months. Since then she has written hugely successful books about the British Royals. Georgia now lives in a petite townhouse in London's Kennington with the 2 young Russian boys she adopted - Mischa and Dima who were whisked away from Moscow poverty to be brought up amongst minor British aristocracy



More recently Georgia featured on the Aussie TV show Ladette to Lady where her good friend publicist Liz Brewer -left, (Liz was married to Australian John Rendall of Christian the Lion fame) brought in Lady Campbell to introduce the ladettes to the British upper classes that included a successful used car dealer, an aging Count and a handful of golly gosh Hooray Henry's. What fun.
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 And the excitement just keeps coming. Manager of Double Bay's Casablanca nightclub Karim Gharbi, above- a regular fixture on these pages, has been snapped up to write a monthly lifestyle column in Maxim Australia called OZ HOT SPOTS. It pays to have several irons in the fire these days especially as the owners of the building where Casablanca is located have a proposal with Woollahra Council to turn the building into private apartments

Young professionals love the Black & White Ball

 They were there in force. Young professional thirty somethings who have discovered the famous Black & White Charity Ball which was held this year in the Intercontinental Double Bay's ballroom. Amongst a smattering of familiar social faces including a couple of High Court judges, social mavens and self made business folk were celebrity dentist David Carr (he does the gnashers of Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig) hairdressing boss Marylin Koch and arriving by humble taxi, the former Speaker of The House Bronwyn Bishop ( a waiter had whipped away the toy helicopter one wag had placed at her table setting). Now in it's 79th year the ball raised a tidy fortune which goes to aid Vision Australia.
 left : B&W president Susan Diver and Bronwyn Bishop MP

David Carr - always accompanied by a leggy blonde takes to the dance floor

The traditional Derby was run : young ladies compete by winding in a  wooden horse to win a prize and entertainment was from a Rat Pack  tribute act who while not looking like the originals, sang up a storm

The Voice..

We know you have been wondering what Double Bay's new Intercontinental Hotel looked like. The Voice filmed their new advert for the 2015 season there a month ago and here is our sneak preview with the Madden Bros, Ricky Martin, Delta Goodren and Jessie J. Coming soon- an exclusive tour of Ricky's Sydney base.

Kings Cross loss = Double Bay's gain

 Kings Cross' controversial 'lock-out laws' are crucifying nightlife in the famous Sydney night spot suburb (although strip clubs are still thriving) but aiding nearby suburbs not covered by the laws. The gay 'golden mile' of Oxford Street is also finding the going difficult with empty premises popping up overnight. The once vibrant street that contained more gay and lesbian nightclubs during the 80s & 90s per square mile that any other city on the planet is slowly dying. Meanwhile the Cross had, as of yesterday, 45 empty premises available for rent.Benefiting is the harbour side suburb of Double Bay just 2 miles from the Cross which is now booming with packed pubs on the weekend and 2 notable nightclubs that are filled to the rafters from Thursday to Sunday. Local restaurants are often booked out and coffee shops-there are nearly 100 in the Bay alone- are well patronised. Pictured above :  Karim Gharbi & Michael Clarke

Casablanca

The Pelicano restaurant and bar is the venue of choice for the so-called smart set but Casablanca run by Karim Gharbi is giving it a run for it's money. As our exclusive pic shows, recently retired Aussie cricket captain Michael Clarke celebrated his 34th birthday at the venue on Thursday evening.

Pelicano Restaurant & Bar

Oxford Street (left) full of empty shops while Kings Cross' strip joints are surviving

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:

Masked Man

When Whispers first encountered the amiable make-up supremo Napoleon Perdis many moons ago it was at the opening of his Parramatta salon on a Thursday afternoon. A small coterie of locals had gathered by the red carpet to watch the celebrations including 2 senior citizens who politely inquired of us whether the 2 tall elegant ladies ascending the salon stairs were "soapie stars". Alas we didn't have the heart to inform them that were actually drag queens, albeit fairly glamorous ones.

Napoleon has risen to giddy heights of stardom with salons all over the world including Beverley Hills (California!) where he is in huge demand especially by movie stars on the night of the Academy Awards but now he has turned his back on "high maintenance celebrities " according to this article.
Fortunately our home grown celebrities are still in favour as evidenced by society favourite, hair dresser Joh Bailey who wore what was acclaimed as the most superb mask of the evening created by Napoleon for the Silver Ball last week at John Symonds' Point Piper house.

A Tale of Two Cities:

Our favourite, sometimes loathed (it's really the very best & worst of the tabloids in the world) the UK Daily Mail and Mail Online has differing thoughts for each country where it appears. Thus the terrible aeroplane accident involving superstar Harrison Ford was reported somewhat differently in the UK and Australia. Perhaps they perceive us colonials are made of sterner stuff  when they described Ford's injuries as "moderate" in the UK but "serious" in Oz!

Exotic Fiji

Is this ship headed to Fiji ? who knows but it's the sort of thing you see from the Intercontinental rooftop pool

Tom Williams tries Kava. Inset- Kris Smith

An invite arrives to attend the exclusive swimming pool at the beautifully re-furbished Double Bay Intercontinental Hotel. It's a small party to introduce the new celebrity ambassador for Tourism Fiji. If you have never been to Fiji you just aren't trying hard enough. It's a tropical paradise with wonderfully friendly people, beautiful scenery and the most romantic exotic islands. Best of all, it's not that expensive. And our new ambassador...the male model and TV presenter handsome Kris Smith. Apparently Kris won the hearts of the locals when he visited Fiji to work on a Myer promotion. Naturally Kava was served..now that is a drink!

they effects of Kava...Monique Wright,Tom Williams, Kris Smith,Prue McSween, Kylie Gillies, a chap from Fiji and Peter Everett

When Newsreaders Attack!

This snap below landed in our inbox with no explanation. It appears SBS news reader Le Lin Chin has been floored by Network Ten newsreader Sandra Sully who is brandishing an axe. Chin must have put up a fight as a baseball bat lies nearby. There was a one-line caption with the pic "I finally have Le Lin Chin where I want her". The Shuttle has encountered both ladies around town. We thought they were such nice girls. Left is a snap of Sandra at jeweler Jan Logan's birthday celebration at the Double Bay Intercontinental Hotel a fortnight ago and one of Le who is noted for the fashionable outfits she wears when reading the news.

Intercontinental bash

It was the first of what is expected to be many parties and promotions at the new Double Bay Intercontinental.
Local jeweler Jan Logan one of Australia's top purveyors of fine pearls and other gems celebrated 25 years of being in the Bay with the first official party at the Intercon. Jan also introduced the new 'face' of her range beautiful Perth born actress Courtney Eaton and premiered a film produced, directed by and starring the actress Rachael Taylor, a tribute to Logan.

Among the guests, Marie Sutton, Carla Zampati,Marta Dusseldorp and Georgie Gardner.


above : Marie Sutton
Right : Jan Logan and Courtney Eaton.

Double Bay Revival

It should be the shot in the arm the village of Double Bay needs. In November the new Intercontinental Hotel will open in the old premises of the Ritz Carlton Hotel. In it's brief history from the 1980s to the late 1990s , the Ritz was a terrific boost to the fortunes of Double Bay and became the hotel of choice for visiting celebrities like Madonna, presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush Snr, Princess Diana and Bob Dylan.The new Intercontinental promises to be a 5 start venue with a ballroom, top restaurants and a new nightclub which along with the thriving Casablanca just across the road will revive the Bay's nightlife.

Royal Ascot, Royal Secrets

Please watch the video first as an introduction : that's a command from Her Maj, Queen of Australia (UK, Canada etc etc and so on) who is seen in our exclusive snap arriving at the pollies' Mid-Winter Ball in Canberra last week.

           It's very chilly in Sydney with a wind howling down from the snowfields but in London it's bright and sunny and that time of the year for Wimbledon, Windsor Polo and the races at Royal Ascot. Plenty of pics have been published of famous Aussies in the VIP Box at the tennis but here are our exclusive snaps of ritzy Double Bay hairdresser Joh Bailey who has taken Ascot by storm. And doesn't he look elegant? (no idea who the lady in top hat is but she looks great)
 Joh is a fine horseman himself so he has a great interest in the beasts and when he isn't tending to the locks of Sydney society matrons or visiting celebs like the Duchess of York or movie legend Jane Fonda- seen with Joh in our snap - he's appearing at gymkhanas and horse trials. At present he's moved on from the grand Belgravia mansion he was staying in and is now in Paris. Ain't life grand for some !

## The Shuttle has attended Ascot twice. Many moons ago we traveled in style in a Range Rover with a good friend Stephen Barry who worked at Buck Palace.  Amazingly, Barry's car was waved through at blocked intersections by police as they spotted him bearing down on them. They held up traffic as we sailed past. It's then we learned the car was owned by Barry's employer Prince Charles and he had borrowed it for the day. Being painted a special blue supplied by British Paints, a colour reserved for the Royals (right), it's how we discovered that all British police are trained in spotting the special coloured cars to ensure smooth passage of VIPs. Like us.
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          Below is a pic of the Windsor Polo and the Cartier Cup. It's a splendid snap and we love the lady in front. Apparently in one of our snaps is a royal impersonator and in our other snap it's a genuine Royal. We can't tell which is which, perhaps you can!

Bali Hai

Maurice Terzini

While the reality TV program What Really Happens In Bali may be horrifying the viewing public as the place appears swamped by yahoos from this fair isle, it hasn't deterred successful restaurateur Maurice Terzini who is planning to launch the Icebergs Beach Club at the ritzy Sea Sentoza Resort at Echo Beach,

Terzeni's Bondi Icebergs nestled above the local swimming pool and with a world beating view of the beach is a roaring success with locals and visiting celebrities flocking to the bar and restaurant. Terzini says he is drawing design inspiration from the iconic photography of Slim Aarrons (right)  from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s; glamour and "enjoyment in an idyllic setting with an experience that is both accessible as well as inspirational". And the architects Claudio Lazzarini and Carl Pickering from Rome's Lazzarini Pickering Architetti who designed the Icebergs will produce the Beach Club. Sounds like a winner !
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There is of course a ritzy side to Bali with numerous ex-pats who have built luxury villas and who avoid the nightmares of Kuta.
Many years ago Sydney boutique Vodka purveyor Vitek Czernuszyn lived in Bali and published a local society rag before heading to Australia.
Czernuszyn is married to Woman's Weekly Editor in Chief Deborah Thomas (left) who also doubles as a councilor on the Double Bay Council. The Shuttle's spy disguised as an aspidistra in the council chambers hears that Thomas is a shoe-in to become Mayor Of Woolahra next year .  Vitek should make an excellent First Lady.

Rooster One Day, feather duster etc.

He cut a rather forlorn figure on Wednesday morning standing quietly in a corner. Former premier Barry O'Farrel attended the gala opening of the spanking brand new Woolworths store in snooty Double Bay. And what a store it is, totally unrecognisable from the ghastly and gloomy tin shed style premises that were once there.
 It's bound to become a social meeting spot with an amazing selection of stores and delicacies.
 The vintner Dan Murphys, part of the complex was also celebrating and the Shuttle dropped in for a morning Bollinger, as one does.                            
Murphy's was also serving 2003 Grange Hermitage which retails for a $1000 a bottle. Sadly Barry had nary a nip of this fine offering. Perhaps not to his taste. After all it was less than 2 months ago O'Farrell resigned after telling the ICAC he had never received a '59 bottle of Grange valued at $3000. Such is life.

Play It Sam

The Shuttle's spy disguised as a multi-coloured cocktail umbrella at the glitzy new Double Bay nightclub Casablanca tells us there were a few ruffled feathers over the latest LattéLife Newspaper edition which pictured the club's manager Karim Gharbi surrounded by a bevy of beauties in it's What's Hot & What's Not page labeling the snap as "cringeworthy".
 Having worked in New York and London as a publicist for some pretty big names, the Shuttle was taught at early age : all publicity is good as long as the name is spelt correctly.
Apparently Karim has now seen the light and the value of such excellent publicity. Indeed it's a pretty handsome snap and Karim looks his always elegant self and if they are the staff members a customer would find in Casablanca- success is assured.


 However we haven't heard yet what the reaction has been from the delectable Laura Csorton who appears in the same newspaper with an opinion writer questioning Laura's decision to sponsor Harpic which is - a toilet cleaner.
Let's face it, if you look like Laura you can sell anything !

# The quote "Play it again Sam" is a common mistake made about the classic film Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart never actually said the words but Ingrid Bergman did say "play it Sam".

Croatian Get-Together

 

Many of the retailers in Sydney's historic Rocks area may be complaining about rising rents and plunging tourists numbers but Charles Billich's art gallery in the old Sailor's Home is thriving. Billich played host this week to Croatia's Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and Croatia's first lady Sanja. Billich was born in Lovran, Italy which is now part of Croatia and emigrated to Australia in the 1960s. No word yet on whether Croatia's PM realised that many of Charles's more erotic works are based on wife Krista Billich who was there to meet the couple. Several years ago the Shuttle came across a glittering ballroom event at the old Sheraton Mirage on the Gold Coast where hundreds of art lovers had queued to purchase Billich prints. Lying on a chaise lounge on the stage was Krista, totally nude with legs akimbo as Charles sketched her whilst guests sipped champagne and looked on in awe. Talk about great marketing !

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Excitement is brimming over the soon to open new nightclub in Double Bay located in the old

Hungarian Restaurant in Bellevue Road under the auspices of restaraunter Karim  Gharbi (left-he calls his promotions company KGB). By co-incidence Karim is a great pal of the Billichs with Gharbi recently nursing Charles through a bout of ill-health. No expense is to be spared and one of Australia's top designers and man-about-town Alex Zabotto-Bentley right has been called in to work on the interiors and the theme- Casablanca !. Maybe they can pick up a few tips from this vid...