Camp Moment #1

Tom Daley is the British diver who at 15 years old was the youngest ever participant at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He'll compete again in London later this year.

In the meantime he is training in Australia and filming videos for his Tom Daley TV internet website. He managed to find the only two sunny days this summer at Bondi and in Melbourne and made the most of them in this video:

Shane, Elizabeth, Cate and Sarah-Jessica

Cate in 2010

It's no secret about the vast a screen goddess like Cate Blanchett can command for appearing at a cocktail party-namely up to $250,000.

The Shuttle has been to at least three events in the past year where Ms Blanchett has appeared and one just a month ago attended by hubby Andrew Upton-the Sydney Theatre Awards although it's believed Upton will turn up sans fee to support anything that promotes live theatre.

With the missus pulling in three quarters of a million dollars for just three parties no wonder he is so generous with his time.

 But it's the 'conditions' attached to Cate's appearance that brings a wry smile, namely that speaking to the media is verboten. And who can blame the woman?

At the 2010 Sydney Theatre Awards Cate was far more relaxed, dropping any perceived attitude and chatted to lowly hacks ( like the Shuttle) in the bar after the awards and even summonsed a $20 note from no-where to purchase a round of drinks

 Blanchett has grown more imperial as her status as one the world's greatest actress’s proceeds unhindered and if the scene we witnessed at the 'Australian Oscars' two weeks ago-the ACCTAS is anything to go by, no-one could blame her for snubbing what passes for some in the meejah these days.

Only slightly penned in as the assembled hacks were that evening, the AACTA publicist had helpfully provided a print-out of every star attending and the name of the designer of that person's gown including Blanchett’s thrilling gold Alexander McQueen creation (pictured).

 That wasn't going to prevent an over-excited tee vee presenter from her moment of glory as she rushed forward, thrust a microphone in front of Cate's perfect face and asked "what are you wearing?

 A momentary and frosty silence followed and then the retort- "clothes!" emanated from Ms Blanchet as she left the crestfallen hackette trembling in her wake

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Our spy disguised as a weary fashion victim attended the first major party to kick off New York Fashion Week,  the amfAR To Kick Off Fashion Week gala hosted by Sarah Jessica Parker and reports word was buzzing amongst the assembled media as to who was the new bloke on the arm of actress Elizabeth Hurley, as our picture shows.

They were of course referring to Aussie cricket legend and hair replacement proponent Shane Warne who has proposed to la Hurley and who apparently, is not known in the USA.



All that has now changed of course although our informant says many of the photographers were still mystified upon being informed of the legendary status of the greatest spin bowler in history, as to why anyone would show interest in the 'game' of cricket.
Such sacrilege !.

Dark Side of The Beauty Business

Grant Dwyer with Jennifer Hawkins (centre)

GRANT DWYER is well spoken young entrepreneur who often does business the old gentlemanly way-on a handshake.

Running a medium sized model and promotional agency from chic premises in Double Bay, he has had countless successes. Dwyer has a unique eye for spotting talent amongst the dozens of young aspiring models who walk through his door.

Jamie Foxx

In just the past few years, many of the careers launched by Dwyer have become household  names.

Model Ashlea Talbot,  teenage water skiing champion Lauryn Eagle, Celebrity Apprentice winner Jesinta Campbell, TV presenter Rachael Finch and the most successful Miss Universe ever Jennifer Hawkins.

Donald Trump's Miss Universe contest was languishing in the doldrums until Dwyer spotted the young Newcastle demonstration model Hawkins and persuaded her to enter the quest. A panel of judges that included fashion photographers, journalists and the Oscar winning actor Jamie Foxx all concurred with Dwyer's choice and sent Hawkins off to the 2004 quest in Ecuador.    

Lauryn Eagle

When Hawkins took the Miss Universe crown the contest became a major media event that astonished even the jaded Trump who couldn't believe his luck. Dwyer organised a home coming tour that would have been the envy of any chart topping pop group. Hundreds of fans rushed Hawkins. TV and newspaper cameras followed her every move over a two week tour of Australia culminating in the famous fashion slip in Sydney that catapulted Hawkins back onto front pages and TV screens around the world .

Rachael Finch

Now a legal stoush has broken out over one of Dwyer's top discoveries Rachael Finch

On Wednesday in the Downing Street Local Court Finch's current manager Deborah Miller was ordered to pay Dwyer $9406 after  Dwyer said he brokered a deal for Finch to appear as a celebrity ambassador for the McHappy Day fundraiser, which raises money for Ronald McDonald House Charities, after learning the beauty once worked for the fast food chain.

The rewards enjoyed by Dwyer's discoveries can be considerable. Even though Finch only came fourth in the 2009 Miss Universe contest in the Bahamas, Dwyer was already negotiating deals before she had returned to Sydney including a $45,000 make-up deal and a Disney promotion for $36,000.

As for Jennifer Hawkins, as the face of Myer department stores and with her own range of swimwear, Hawkins is estimated to earn up to $5M a year.

"Ridiculous" Parties!

 

 Five days after the Shuttle wrote of the continuing dramas over one of Sydney's premier properties, Swifts in Darling Point, the local newspaper The Wentworth Courier  adds to the tale with the following story :

 

"Saga over parties at Swifts branded 'ridiculous'

SWIFTS owner Kerry Jones has hit back at residents in the dispute over events at the historic Darling Point mansion, labelling their concerns “ridiculous”.

The newly-formed Darling Point Residents Action Group alleges that a string of events at Swifts since the property was restored by the Moran family a year ago have clogged the streets and disrupted the neighbourhood."

Kerry Jones (ABC TV)

 The local resident's spokesperson is quoted saying : “We fear that Swifts may become a commercial events centre and impact severely on the community,” 

Mrs Jones has responded :".... the two recent weddings held at the property were private events for friends...There are a few mischievous residents deliberately trying to confuse myself and the council about the difference between commercial and private use,” .

Two weddings in as many weeks. Charity fundraisers, an antiques fair, a publisher's Christmas party and a Melbourne Cup Day party are just a few of the events in the past year.
 One should be so lucky to have that many friends but with a mansion of 57 rooms, a ballroom and nearly two hectares of manicured lawns, friends are bound to be thick on the ground. Residents are concerned that the Gothic style house is being operated as a de-facto reception centre and say traffic on days when parties occur make parking a nightmare in the snooty harbour side suburb.

Kerry Jones is the former head of Australians For Constitutional Monarchy and successfully helped scupper the 1999 Republican referendum when colonials voted in the affirmative to keep the British monarchy as head of state.

Swifts was built in the 1880s by John Tooth, a beer brewing millionaire who wanted a bigger ballroom than the nearby Woolahra mansion Rosemount, home of the department store Jones family (no relation to Kerry Jones) and Government House. The Austrian brewing Reschs family bought the house and bequeathed it to the Catholic Church where it became home to the Cardinal for a few decades. Two Popes have stayed there.

In 1997 the nursing home tsar Doug Moran (Kerry Jones' father) paid $12M for the crumbling mansion and spent an estimated $12M restoring the sandstone edifice. Today the property is valued at over $60M in a suburb where just a pied-de-terre can command $1M. The Moran family themselves have had some bitter feuds but are now united and all living at the home.

Another typical Sydney saga that should run and run with all the right elements : money, property, family fights, champagne parties and a good dose of NIMBYism. 

Photo Fail #2

A reader points to two photographs the Shuttle recently ran of the supermodel who married a Hobbit-Miranda Kerr.

They claim something strange is happening to Ms Kerr's anatomy in the photograph (left) that was published for Australia Day on the front cover of Grazzia magazine .
We produce both snaps here.

The second (right) in which the pose is almost identical is untouched, We know because the Shuttle took it at the last David Jones fashion parades.

Decide for yourself.

Is Miranda's back double-jointed such that she can shove her chest so far forward and still keep her hips in line with her shoulders- a neat feat if she can.
Or is it just another photoshop disaster.?
Or just an excuse to run another pic of Miranda?

A Dickens Of a Time

TODAY MARKS THE 200TH year since writer Charles Dickens was born and celebrations are being held around the world including in Sydney.

The Centenniel Park Dickens statue

The NSW Dickens Society will be gathering at the base of the recently restored statue of Charles on the corner of Dickens Drive and Loch Avenue South, Centennial Park.

According to the society there will be speeches, readings from Dicken's books and 'entertainment pieces'.

Charles Dickens, born in Portsea in 1812 became a popular writer during his lifetime and sold many of his stories via instalments and serials, a sales method that he was basically the first to develop successfully.

Dickens early life was relatively peaceful in the country but when his family moved to Camden Town in 1822 his father's finances dramatically changerd their lives.  John Dickens lived beyond his means and was eventually imprisoned in the Marshalea Debtor's Prison in Southwick. Soon his entire family joined him there except for Charles who was sent to stay with a family friend. A series of strenuous jobs with long hours to pay for board gave Dickens plenty of inspiration for his books, most of which are a commentary on the harshness of British life at the time, but with kind hearted heroines and heroes to save the day. Dickens' books are a far more accurate account of life in England during the 19th century than many history book

Miriam Margoyles

At the Glen Street Theatre in Belrose Harry Potter star Miriam Margoyles is presenting  Dickens Women until Feb 13th.

Jeremy Hunt

Dickens two sons Alfred and Edward were encouraged by their father to emigrate to Austraia at the advent of free settlers and both prospered.

Edward married the daugher of a stock and station agent and managed the business and was elected to a seat in the State Legislative Council for 5 years. Alfred, successful businessman died during a trip to the USA.

When Dickens wrote his books they were so popular he was responibe for bringing to the notice of the great public some of the more shocking conditions others lived in and thus was the inspiration for change,

British Parliamentarian Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is planning to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dickens by giving every one of his Cabinet colleagues a copy of one of the great author's works. Each book - carefully chosen to encapsulate something about the recipient - will be presented at Cabinet today.

Let's hope they don't mistake them for government  policy discussion papers. Plenty of  Hunt's Tory partners on the right would gladly return to Dickensian times,
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  Australia's X-Factor winner 18 year old Reece Mastin has been touring non-stop since his win and has released a best selling album and a top i-tunes seller.


 Now he has become a gay pin-up after this picture of a topless Reece appeared on a gay music website.
It's spread all over the net.

James Cameron's Pal Killed in 'Copter Crash

Andrew Wright & James Cameron

The writer and producer of the Australian film Sanctum, Andrew Wright has been killed after a helicopter he was piloting crashed just outside Nowra on the NSW south coast yesterday.

The 3D movie was a huge world-wide box office success in 2011 and sealed a partnership between Wright and Avatar director James Cameron who announced two days ago that he was moving to New Zealand.
Sanctum starred Richard Roxburgh, Ioan Gruffud, Rhys Wakefield and Alison Cratchley. 

Filmed on the Gold Coast it followed the adventures of a group of  divers exploring underground mines and was to be the beginning of a long term partnership between Cameron and Wright.
Andrew Wright was filming scenes for a documentary when he and associate Mike DeGruy's chopper suddenly dived and crashed , killing the pair outright.

It's Raining Men!

The social bible of Sydney's swish Eastern Suburbs, Latte Life has launched a very special contest-they're giving away free men. Not to keep permanently mind you (although anything is possible) but as a date for Valentine's Day.  There is someone for everyone in this quest and every age group is catered for.

For the older sophisticated lady we have Latte Life's society spy (and sometime Shuttle contributor)  bachelor Bill Ranken  ( below ) who gives his age as 'vintage'!.

A few tips here girls : do not be fooled-Bill may drive a small battered car he calls 'Snoopy' and live in a fairly small pad in Elizabeth Bay weekdays,  but he does own two of NSW's most desirable grazing properties in the Southern Highlands, Nerida and Lockesly,both with very grand houses on them and some friendly neighbours like Miriam Margoyles, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

And his contacts are impeccable. Bill is on a first name basis with the Packers, Murdochs, Fairfax's, Waltons, Hordens , Graces..just about every family that comes with a brand name, a media empire or a few department stores. He lunches with Frank Lowy who owns the worldwide Westfield Shopping Malls chain, and he often escorted the late Princess Margaret to society events in London. Bored, is one thing you will never be with Bill

For the sporty girl Porsche Racing Car Driver/Entrepreneur, Aaron Zeferos, 28 is up for grabs and the girls may have a bit of a fight on their hands for male model, Mark Whittington,  who is just 22 and has that all important six pack and a top sponsor  The Star Casino in Pyrmont

Mark Whittington

Maurie Brancato

Another athlete is available, David Bell 43 who is Business Owner of OZUP Paddleboards .

 Next up is one for ladies who lunch and have their hair done  ( a Bay daily ritual) /  Celebrity Hair Stylist, Maurie Brancato, 23 of La Boutique. 

 Win him and you could become the fodder for gossip under the dryers for weeks to come. It could do wonders for the image.

And here is a real bloke for you gels with healthy bodies (or a healthy appetite) from Premium Fitness Studio in Double Bay- Michael James. 

As Latte Life's editor Jane King explains :                                                                                            

‘I was tired of all the desperate man shortage reports about the Eastern Suburbs so decided to find 6 of the best to run as dates in a Valentines Date competition ,pretty much as soon as we put the word out we were on the prowl for some dishy dates we had a  long list of applicants to chose from, we decided on the following for Ladies of the East to enter to win a Valentine date with; There is no shortage of available men in Double Bay..

To read the rules on how to win your male for a day you will need to pick up the latest copy of Latte Life now on the streets. Do hurry as although over 37000 are distributed they are snapped up fast. Or go to their website : www.lattelife.com.au

Wedding Blues

First we had the 'wedding of the year' (Sunday Telegraph) -well it was the first wedding of 2012- when top shoe designer Terry Biviano married footie star Anthony Minichiello at the very grand St Mary's Cathedral in what was described as Sydney's Big Fat WAG Wedding.

The bridal party and guests then de-camped to Swifts, the magnificent 57 room Georgian Castle in Darling Point, home of the extended Moran clan. With it's magnificent ballroom and acres of sweeping lawns, Swifts is becoming the venue of choice. 

Guillaume & Terry

Minichiellio & Biviano

A week ago the beautiful former model and boutique hotel owner Terry Kajos got hitched to her handsome French beau Guillaume Sadourny at Swifts watched on by a host of pals like Stedman's catering boss Mandy Quinn and fashion commentator Melissa Hoyer who twittered updates throughout the day and as the night wore on.

Who doesn't like a beautiful wedding with their gorgeous bridesmaids and happy couple, the partying on the rolling lawns and so on.?
But it appears Swift's neighbours are not sending their best regards and they are asking questions. Is Swifts now operating as a defacto reception centre for commercial events?.


Swifts rolling lawns are surrounded by tall apartment blocks and many residents are complaining that with several recent public events the noise has been extreme and parking in the streets filled to capacity.They say Swift's unique layout forms a 'bowl' that amplifies noise to the tops of buildings in which there are many well heeled and mainly older residents like the department store heiress Lady Walton.

One resident who wished to remain anonymous said yesterday "we were told by Swifts that they were organising a few charity events so that didn't seem too bad but recently they have had what seems to be commercial events and the word is that there are several more booked. We all became quite alarmed when we saw what looked like a commercial style kitchen being installed. Most of us are worried that Darling Point's peaceful atmosphere will be destroyed"

The Shuttle left a message for Woollahra Council to contact us with the current status of Swifts but they hadn't returned our call by Friday's end of business.

Fashion World Sees Sense

He has often been named as one of the world's best dressed men-HRH Prince Charles and the Shuttle fully agrees.

Having encountered Charles twice in an official capacity and accompanied him though two exhibitions, we always noted that Charles dress sense is impeccable.

Not a thing out of place, no shirt sleeve hem too long or too short, trousers cuffs (nicely  pressed) just resting at the top of a pair of spit polished British handmade brogues.
 Always a beautifully hand tailored Jermain Street shirt of a pleasing hue and a tie that doesn't match but complements.  Plus a jaunty pocket silk square shoved in that superb off hand way . probably by a valet whose sole job is to achieve that look.

And certainly no shiny ROLEX glittering with diamonds. Just the humblest Cartier Tank watch, gold case and black strap.
 And a simply gold engraved signet pinkie ring, which probably says 'all this is mine'.and perhaps a small lapel medal significant for the event, His jackets are handcrafted to follow the line of his body and they fit like a glove.

Now nobility from the fashion world has weighed into the debate on Charles's dress sense which many say is old fashioned or a royal embarrassment. Britain's Grand Dame of Fashion Dame Vivienne Westwood has announced that Charles is not only her hero, he is Britain's all time most elegant gentleman. You can read all this in the NEW STATESMEN out today.

Life Changing Moments On The Bridge

Just the other day we had David Hasslehoff proposing to his Welsh girlfriend Hayley Roberts at the summit of Sydney's famous Harbour Bridge.

James Cameron & wife Suzi last month on the Sydney Harbour Bridge

It's one of the all time great tourism successes-shackling together groups of eager climbers and leading them to the top to take in the awe inspiring sight over Sydney's magnificent harbour. The Shuttle did it once. By the time you get to the peak the oxygen levels kick in. It's an instant high and you feel like taking on the world. Hence The Hoff and his fiancee following in a long line of those making life changing decisions (one reader unkindly suggests it was a publcicit stunt..surely not ?). Marriage proposals are the norm for couples chained together in their bridge issue overalls.

Oprah Winfrey and gal pal Gail did it as our picture shows. Michael Caine and his gorgeous wife Shakira climbed as did Richard Branson and even the Vienna Boys Choir have all made been to the top.

Now a Christmas visitor who was spotted on the bridge, movie director James Cameron has announced that he will be leaving America and moving South of the Equator. The director who spent December and January in Sydney with his family checking out facilities at Fox Studios has bought a 1067 hectares farm in New Zealand and will be moving there to live.

Oprah

In April this year Cameron, who directed two of the all time most successful films, Titanic and Avatar will move to the property which is about 90 minutes from Wellington and the Weta Digital studios that won an Oscar for it's work on Avatar. He will spend the next twelve months working on the sequel to Avatar.

Queen Losing Her Hair

Connolly

Charles

The UK has not only the genuine article but a clever look-a-like who has made a lifetime career out of impersonating her.

We refer to HM The Queen and her impersonator Jeanette Charles who has featured in endless TV commercials playing Her Maj and even been hired by social climbing European businessmen to accompany them to social events.

Australia has it's very own impersonator- comedian Gerry Connolly who appears to have lost his precious royal wig after leaving it in the foyer of the Regents Court Hotel in Kings Cross according to this report in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Connolly has been scouring the Cross and believes the hairpiece has been snatched by a drag queen. He found the other articles that were in the bag along with the wig before it's disappearing act, abandoned in a nearby rubbish bin.

We've uncovered a recent video of Connolly ala The Queen from when he appeared on a tribute show for TV host Bert Newton celebrating his 70th birthday. If you spot a shifty looking drag queen wearing what looks like the hair adornment in this video, contact Gerry at Celebrity Speakers. There may be a reward in the form of a title, medal or invitation to a Royal Garden Party :