Celebrating Martin

 

 They came from all walks of life to celebrate artist Martin Sharp's life. NSW Governor Marie Bashir, rocker Jimmy Barnes, old pals Jenny Kee, Jim Anderson and Richard Nevile, Jill Wran, filmakers, artists, singers amongst the dozens of people who Martin called friends. Later a wake was held in the National Art School at the Roundhouse. Here a few snaps from there. And below, a tribute from Martin's great pal, the late Tiny Tim.

Distant Love

Gorgeous Miranda Kerr was out and about this week in New York where she lives. You can see her in this lovely picture spread in the UK Daily Mail.
But alas, no James Packer by her side. Packer is in China and Sri Lanka for a week but will be back in Sydney in the next few days to oversee the continuing construction on his mega new home in Vaucluse and for business meetings about the proposed Barangaroo casino.
What an odd affair they seem to be having -so many thousands of miles separating this love-struck pair and Miranda still seeing her ex Orlando Bloom on a daily basis. Meanwhile James is confiding in his new (well relatively- 10 months) 'personal assistant' who hails from the land of Wendi Deng.
Perhaps James & Miranda are having a modern style of affair- one of the mind. Sounds just like a dream.

It's In The Stars

It's a little known fact but one of Australia's most successful businessmen never did a deal with anyone until he had his own Phrenologist check them out. If your  bumps passed muster, you were in. That included the bank manager, prospective partners or a receptionist. When he died around 14 years ago he left a $500M estate.

Astrology believer George Soros

 Since then his family have at least doubled that fortune. Sadly the phrenologist passed away . They now use handwriting experts.

One of America's richest men, George Soros has his own personal full time Astrologer. Soros inherited a superstitious nature from his Hungarian mother. His natural ability to 'crunch' figures , choose stocks and parlay them into a fabulous profit within a few weeks is enhanced by the stars. Before he does any deal he consults his starry adviser for the final seal of approval.

Enter Britain's rising star of Astrology, Victor Olliver who is building a clientele around the world who are commissioning Olliver to work out the most propitious dates to launch new enterprises. Olliver also does the stars for the Britain's oldest published magazine, The Lady as well as appearing on international radio.
Victor has a new star book out : Lifesurfing: Your Horoscope Forecast Guide 2014 and it's a best seller on Amazon. You can either buy the print version for under $10 or get the Kindle version ( as we did) for under $4. Sometimes there is even a free download so grab a copy now and get another as a gift for a friend. Everyone loves reading their astrological forecast. How can you go wrong ?
Visit Olliver's personal website here.
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Pictured right : Sydney society figure Glen Marie Frost, the world renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo and cricketing great Alan Border at the launch of the new Thomas Kelly Foundation named in honour of 18 year old Thomas who was fatally felled by a single punch on a Saturday night, 18 months ago in Kings Cross.
Find out how you can help at the foundation's website.

GaGa Christmas

Marriage Mystery

While gay and lesbian couples celebrate in Canberra today, mystery surrounds the second marriage of the French charmer Alexandre Despallieres, announced via his Twitter feed as our picture shows.

French police are still investigating circumstances surrounding the death of Despallieres' first husband , the popular Australian music identity Peter Ikin who plunged down a staircase in a French hotel. Despallieres successfully gained probate over Ikin's $20M will and promptly moved into his London house in Chelsea, purchasing 2 Porsche cars for two male friends. Ikin's only relative, a Melbourne based Catholic priest got the will overturned although Despallieres received what is rumoured to be a $200,000 settlement.

Enter rock managers and Ikin pals John Reid, Elton John's former manager and Rod Stewart manager Billy Gaff who pressured French police to investigate the circumstances of Ikin's death. That investigation is ongoing while Despallieres remains on bail in France.
In March this year Despallieres' high profile lawyer Oliver Metzner was found dead from an apparent suicide.
No news yet on who his new husband is but he looks older than the ageless Depallieres, as was Ikin.
 To be continued .... 
left : in happier days : John Reid, Despallieres &Peter Ikin 

Softly Softly..

A new photographic exhibition has opened at the Dickerson Gallery in ritzy Queen Street , Woollahra. It's a potted history of 2 of the countries finest suppliers of beautiful gowns and jewelry : Anne Schofield and Robert Burton, pictured left. Both have shops in Queen Street.

Robert Burton is one of those quiet achievers who has been running up frocks now for over 30 years for some of Australia's best known social names and a few Hollywood types who pop into town.
 On show at the Gallery is a magnificent black gown he created for a customer who had the honour of Dancing With The Prince of Wales ( Charles) in the 80s. His outfits are sold in prestige outlets like Browns in London and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Anne Schofield has been collecting antique and Art Deco jewellery since the year dot (we know- the Shuttle was one of her suppliers in another lifetime). Her magnificent store is world famed and customers like Barbara Streisand and Cher have spent money there. The famed London store Butler & Wilson regularly raid Anne's collections for their Chelsea and Rodeo Drive boutiques.
Burton's boutique is directly opposite the gallery and worth popping into as he also sells a range of household decorating goods. And maybe to cop a look at one of Sydney's most magnificent manes of grey hair.

The exhibition is part of the Woollahra Village Weekend.

Dickerson Gallery, 34 Queen Street, Woollahra. Hours:Tue-Sat 11am-5pm Sun 1-5pm

Vale Martin Sharp

Martin Sharp's funeral will be held next Tuesday the 10th December at Christ Church St Laurence at 10.30am followed by a private cremation.



 Christ Church St Laurence
 812B George St, Haymarket NSW 2000  (02) 9211 0560

Cartier Style

Patricia D'Arenberg and Baroness Jean de Gunsburg                 

They do things a little differently in Paris. 

 

 

To start with publicists can distinguish between the dreaded paparazzi and social snappers. The former go into a lather over the Lara Bingles of the world, whilst the latter tend to actually know who is who, dress accordingly for the event and believe good manners are appropriate. 

Lately Sydney's publicists seem to be employing just one well known snapper to cover events. This is no different to perhaps just one journalist writing for every publication or one public relations officer handling every single account, one restaurant being the only event location and so on.

 Why is that Melbourne , New York, Paris and London can get it right while Sydney still revels in the dark ages, sometimes trying to live up to it's reputation as the ' Chicago of the Southern hemisphere' and all that it implies ?

                    Archduchess Eleonore Von Habsburg, Princess Francesca Von Habsburg & Prince Albert de Monaco * Nefer Suvio & Nick Rhodes * VV Brown* Kristin Scott Thomas & Joely Richardson

Here are a few snaps from the Shuttle's Parisian operative Rindoff Petrov of the fabulous Cartier

retrospective organised by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux-Grand Palais, the Cartier. Le style et l’histoire , a celebration of Cartier style and an expression of cultural recognition that affirms Cartier’s place in the world of decorative arts. From 4 December to 16 February 2014, this creative heritage will be on display at the Grand Palais in Paris, offering a testament to the Maison’s style and craftsmanship. More than 600 creations have been selected: high jewellery pieces, mystery clocks, watches and precious objects will be exhibited alongside private loans on show for the very first time.

 Spot the difference if you can ! 

                  Archduchess Eleonore Von Habsburg and Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al Than , Emmanuel & Pia de Brantes, Baron Guy Ullens de Schooten, Baroness Helene Ludinghausen and Philippe Venet

Those Aria Awards in Full

Another week, another set of awards. This time the Australian music industry gongs.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Lonerism, Tame Impala
BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST RELEASE
Flume
BEST MALE ARTIST
Flume, Flume
BEST FEMALE ARTIST
To the End of the Earth, Jessica Mauboy
More winners when you keep reading.
BEST GROUP
Lonerism, Tame Impala
BEST INDEPENDENT RELEASE
Push the Sky Away, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
BEST ADULT CONTEMPORARY ALBUM
Push the Sky Away, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
BEST BLUES AND ROOTS ALBUM
Sharkmouth, Russell Morris
BEST CHILDREN'S ALBUM
A Little Day Out with Justine Clarke, Justine Clarke
BEST COMEDY RELEASE
The Bits We're Least Ashamed Of, Tom & Alex
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Wreck and Ruin, Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
BEST DANCE RELEASE
Flume, Flume
BEST POP RELEASE
Armageddon, Guy Sebastian
BEST ROCK ALBUM
Lonerism, Tame Impala
BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL ALBUM
Asymmetry, Karnivool
BEST URBAN ALBUM
Bring It Back, Illy
SONG OF THE YEAR
"Resolution," Matt Corby
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
One Direction
BEST AUSTRALIAN LIVE ACT
Guy Sebastian — Get Along Tour: Mar - Jun 2013
BEST VIDEO
Christopher Frey for "Firestarter" by Samantha Jade

Smoke & Mirrors

Social media is rampant with the (alleged) news that billionaire James Packer is dating Victoria's Secret star model Miranda Kerr.
And that's all it is folks- a rumour. A carefully placed one? Who knows- but James has a girlfriend alright and it ain't Miranda.

Watch this space.......

Baz News

Our favourite Great Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann was out and about last week in New York where he is currently living and working on a secret film project, despite recently claiming he may give up movies. Baz, who has almost perfected the Burt Reynolds look attended the ritzy Museum Gala at the American Museum of Natural History. Dignitaries joined the 800 guests at the charity bash hosted by actress Tina Fey. They don't do things by half measures in the Big Apple and a whopping $3.3m was raised.


HAIRSTYLE OF THE MONTH : this months prize goes to 70's icon Debbie Harry pictured here at the Museum party with splendid blonde spikes.

Pics by Patrick McMullan

     John Waters                              Martha Stewart                                   actor Ed Norton with Shauna Robertson

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.

Bieber Vs Jedward

It's teenybopper heaven : not only is Justin Bieber in Sydney but the wacky Irish twin duo Jedward are here for a concert on Sunday at the Enmore Theatre. Justin spent last night visiting the raunchy Kings Cross strip joint Bada Bing. No such shenanigans from the clean living John and Edward who haven't even been romantically linked with a girl yet. Here are some snaps of Justin from his visit to Byron Bay on Wednesday. Tickets are still available for Jedward at $80 here.

Pic of The Week

Our exclusive photograph : Dame Edna Everage shares a box at this week's Royal Command Performance with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Hollywood Hits Town

Anchorman 2 premiered last night at Fox Studios with the film's stars attending including Will Ferrell, Kirsten Dunst and Steve Carrell (his 3rd visit this year). Producers have conducted one of the best PR campaigns imagined : with Ferrell in character as Ron Burgundy reading news reports with local news from countries around the world. The Youtube videos have been picked up by localTV stations and re-played dozens of times. Hollywood publicity at it's best !

Timomatic & date                                         Demi Harman                             Hamish Blake & Zoe Foster

Alyssa McClelland                                                     Ray Martin                           Layla Subritzky                                     

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Meanwhile two leading ladies have taken up temporary residence in Sydney.
Charlize Theron has taken two suites at the ritzy Park Hyatt Hotel while she films Mad Max: Fury Road and Angelina Jolie and brood have rented a Rose Bay mansion for three months while she directs the war film Unbroken.

Joe Spills The Beans

Joe with Blocker Roach             Alan Jones & Max Markson

Boxer Big Joe Bugner (he's 6'4" but seems taller) has finally written the story of his life.
Joe became the heavyweight champion in 1998 at the age of 45. And along the way he fought the world's greats including Frank Bruno, Henry Cooper and Joe Frazier. He's probably best remembered for being one who went 30 rounds with the greatest of them all, Muhammad Ali who predicted after that fight that Joe would be world champion one day.
Born in Hungary, Bugner and his family fled when Joe was aged 6 by walking to then Yugoslavia and eventually settled in the UK. At school he was bullied before he learned to fight back.

Broadcaster Alan Jones launched Bugner's book -Joe Bugner, My Story- at the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel (which found fame as the pub where Prince Frederick of Denmark met his future bride Mary). Jones gave us a potted history of Bugner's life which has been really quite adventurous. Joe also became a movie star appearing opposite Jean Claude Van Damme in the action flick Street Fighter. These days he lives on Queensland's Gold Coast with beloved wife Marlene Bugner, a former News Ltd journalist,  making personal appearances at Jupiter's Casino.
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One guest at Joe Bugner's book launch was the Porsche racing driver and boss of Fiji Water, Aaron Zerefos. Zerefos bid farewell to other guests at the bash and said he was popping over to the Finger Wharf for a bite to eat.


Taking in the evening air the Shuttle spotted him at Otto's deep in conversation with Khloe Kardashian.

left : a Kardashian heads to Otto's for a meeting with Aaron Zerefos (right)

Dame Edna takes the West End

It's the final leg of her world-wide farewell tour. Dame Edna Everage opened last night at the Palladium in London's West End and was as always, a huge hit with her grateful audience. Here are a few snaps from the night and the after party. pics :© DavidJensen 2013

Photo Update

Sydney socialite and sometime Liberal Party fixer Glen Marie Frost is recovering in hospital after a - rat bite !

Meanwhile one of her charges, PM Tony Abbott has been hobnobbing with Prince Charles at the CHOGM conference in Sri Lanka.

An Evening with Hoges

Our favourite Aussie icon, and first chairman of Variety - the Children's Charity Australia, Paul Hogan, is back in Australia to do what he does best- entertain. Come and join Hoges as he hits the stage with 'AN EVENING WITH HOGES' hilariously reminiscing through a most extraordinary life. Dean Murphy, Producer says "It's going to be an hilarious night of entertainment! "This December, Hoges will return to his roots and take to the stage on a nationwide comedy tour, highlighting key moments over his impressive career and share some of his much loved, unfiltered observations on life. In true Hoges style, it will be a night of fun and light-hearted jokes, in his classic matter of fact, tell-it-like-it-is style.

With Variety still close to his heart, $14 for every A Reserve tickets sold using the code HOGES will be donated to Variety. So grab your mate's to be a part of the night of laughter, and support a great cause.                                       GET DETAILS and TICKETS HERE

Gina's Pals in Canberra

Gina Rinehart was in Canberra yesterday to cheer on her pal Barnaby Joyce MP as reported in the Sydney Morning Herald and via their photograph on the left.
But who accompanied Gina to Parliament House?.

Imelda & Bill Roche

On the left is her daughter Ginia and on the right is Imelda Roche.
Imelda and her husband Bill bought a franchise for the struggling US  Nutrimetics company in 1968 and in 1992, they bought the company lock stock and barrel and then re-sold it for a fortune in 1997 having built up revenue to over $250M a year. Imelda's wealth is estimated to be almost $1B so she's a relative pauper compared to Gina with $22B but she and hubby Bill still live in style in a magnificent harbour side penthouse in Woolloomooloo opposite the Finger Wharf and on a huge estate- regarded as about the finest there, in the Hunter Valley.

exclusive : The Francis Bacon Mystery

As Francis Bacon's 1969 triptych of Lucien Freud sells for $142.4m (£89.6m) in New York- the greatest price ever received for a work of art- the mystery still remains of the missing Bacon paintings in Thailand.
The Shuttle revealed the tale in 2010 and it can be read here.

When Francis Bacon died in 1992 he left his estate valued at around £11m to his lover John Edwards whom Bacon met when he discovered Edwards burgling his London mews house. His paintings were bequeathed to the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin.

Bacon with John Edwards

Edwards moved to the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya where he purchased a house and a lavish penthouse. Both were decorated with Bacon paintings that Edwards had held back from Bacon's estate and despite Edwards telling friends they were 'copies' ( and the Shuttle viewed 2 at Edwards' penthouse at a dinner party one night) an expert flown in by a local French decorator and Bacon enthusiast who wished to purchase one, concluded they were genuine.                
The French decorator however got cold feet and didn't purchase the painting.

As rumours of the fortune on Edward's walls spread throughout Thailand and local Pattaya- a town with it's fair share of dodgy characters, Edwards became nervous and instructed his then Thai lover to transport the 6 paintings to the Thai lover's family house in Northern Thailand.

Edwards died from cancer in 2006 and the trail ended there. The Thai lover was never located and the paintings had vanished into the ether.
Now the Shuttle hears though the Pattaya ex-pat grapevine that a US art collector and billionaire has financed another expedition to attempt to find the missing Bacons.
Somewhere in the Chaing Mai area, a simple Thai house exists and on the walls could be, at today's values, possibly one billion dollars of Francis Bacon masterpieces !.

The Colony Room, Bacon & Kit Lambert

By co-incidence, the Shuttle was a sometime drinking pal with Francis Bacon at the afternoon Soho drinking club The Colony. Once Bacon and the late rock manager Kit Lambert offered to assist the Shuttle in finding a cab after we became a bit the worse for wear. They made a valiant effort assisting us down the stairs but unable to find a taxi deposited the Shuttle in a nearby doorway, collecting our still prone body several hours later after repairing back to the club for a further drinking session.

Sacha Baron Cohen at the Britannia Awards