Lost in Paradise

 Whispers has been invited several times to check out the Lost Paradise Festival in NSW's Glenworth Valley but we haven't quite made it yet. Still our spies are omnipresent and sent some snaps from the idyllic valley where the festival is fast becoming one of the main music attractions of the New Year celebrations.

The valley itself is lush as our snaps show and despite it being the middle of summer cool breezes are constant making the weather ideal.

Long gone are the days of camping in an uncomfortable tiny tent. Luxury marquees with comfortable beds and living areas make perfect accommodation.

And below: the people- they dress up, they behave, the dance and sing and make merry.

TheTruth about George Michael

On September 11th legendary British music entrepreneur Simon Napier-Bell will appear at Leadbelly in Newtown to give an after dinner talk.
Among Napier-Bell's many music discoveries are Dusty Springfield, The Yardbyrds, Marc Bolan & T-Rex and of course, George Michael and Wham who he turned into world superstars.
Simon remained a close friend of George Michael's and is threatening to tell the real story of Michael's life. Once when visiting Napier-Bell at his Thai villa where he now lives, Whispers found George Michael hiding from the world's media after yet another druggy car accident in the UK.
                                                            

Simon will have plenty to say about the Same Sex marriage issue having recently married his male partner in the UK and having recently directed a fascinating documentary "50 Years Legal" which is currently being screened in UK cinemas. In the film he interviews a host of famous British gays including Elton John, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Ian McKellan , David Hockney and many more.
He has now written 5 best-selling books about music which have received rave reviews. One "Black Vinyl White Powder" was included in the UK school curriculum. His current book Ta-Ra-Ra-BOOM De-Ay tells the history of commercial music from the 1700s onwards. Napier-Bell's last visit to Sydney was in 2016 when he accompanied Sinead O'Connor who he was then managing.

AN EVENING WITH SIMON NAPIER - BELL Monday 11th Sept Leadbelly 6-12pm

Below is the famous song Napier-Bell wrote for Dusty Springfield which was also a mega hit for Elvis Presley

Woollahra Village Weekend

The inaugural Woollahra Village Weekend- or WVW13  as it's billed, opens today with all manner of village type events or "3 days of Fashion, Food, Art, Literature, Music and Community Fun" as the official blurb says.

Go to the website to see a list and times of events.