Bolly Dinner Date

Sunday in Melbourne is not to be missed. One of France's best exports the ever so elegant Guy de Rivoire (left) is hosting a bash for another famous French export- Bollinger champagne. It's the 50th anniversary of the Ultimate Cuvee Bollinger R.D launch.
Guests at the black tie bash will join a special tasting through the exquisite Bollinger champagnes expertly matched with cuisine in a special champagne salon at the event. But where we hear you ask ?. Well the location is a secret but it will be held in a palatial penthouse just of Collins Street in Melbourne with limos busing the guests to the bash. We can't wait.

Full Steam Ahead for Noah

 It's defied the critics and is a box office blockbuster. Noah starring Russell Crowe and Jennifer Connelly is sweeping around the world with premiers and taking the world by storm with $44M taken at the weekend in the USA.
Last night the cast were in Paris to attend a premier screening at Cinema Gaumont Marignan.
( we hope it was them-it was April 1st !)

Photos by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

                                                                   

Why are people so unkind...

We like to think we are a cynical bunch at the Shuttle, not easily fooled and on the ball.  But even the new office cat Eva was taken in the by the possibility of a scoop- the tale that casino baron James Packer was spotted with supermodel Miranda Kerr in New York last week.

Alas it was an April Fool's Joke but one played on the Shuttle by a long time New York pal, one of the USA's top photographers who had vowed revenge after we stung him similarly 5 years ago.
How were we taken in ?. By expert timing.  Sending us the story and snaps (old ones nicked from the web) with knowledge of our publishing timetable - that we wouldn't twig to the fact by receiving the tale on the 30th of March and being told we must wait 40 hours to coincide with another publication.

Exclusive : James Packer & Miranda Kerr Together in New York

The Shuttle has scoffed in the past at tales of the supposed love affair between billionaire James Packer and supermodel Miranda Kerr but the exclusive amateur photographs we have obtained means we may have to eat humble pie.
Our source, an ardent fan of Kerr followed her from the ritzy Pierre Hotel in New York at 2pm one afternoon last week to a luxury apartment block on 56th Street. She disappeared inside and emerged around 6pm as the sun was setting and he snapped Miranda on his IPhone looking very discreet as she headed for a waiting car.
 But it was half an hour later that our fan got just a little curious as the same limo returned to the building. He took a snap of the extremely tall and casually dressed gentleman who emerged from the same apartment
block and slipped into the same car. A further source has confirmed that the apartment block contains a Packer company owned flat that is used for business.
So there we are- the very first photographs, grainy as they are of what may have been a liaison between Australia's richest man and undoubtedly Australia's richest model.

Chiswick Turns Two

It's without a doubt one of Sydney's dining successes. Top chef Matt Moran's Chiswick in Woollahra turned 2 years old and they threw a small bash to celebrate.
Guests supped on apple and red basil martinis with fried zucchini flowers and mint- all picked from Chiswick's own garden that can be viewed from the restaurant. Now that is fresh and for a Tuesday night, the restaurant itself was packed.
And a scrumptious Bombe Alaska was dished up with guests helping blow out the candles.

Party host & Chiswick co-owner Peter Sullivan        Warren Fahey & Victoria Morish             Kerri-Anne Kennerley

Our Damehood Awaits

With the exciting news that Knighthoods and Damehoods are on the offering again we present former prime minister Paul Keating's views on the subject with his legendary Cultural Cringe speech in Parliament.
# The new Speaker (Dame) Bronwyn Bishop MP turfed out an hysterically laughing Labor MP from the House yesterday. What was her offense?. During a heated discussion on the new Imperial Honors a fellow MP was heard to quip 'unleash the hounds' as an LNP MP fumed at Labor's chortles. The poor woman collapsed in tearful laughter and was ejected.

Misogyny in Modern Australia

You have to love YouTube and the way it has become an outlet for creativity from the much maligned Justin Bieber (must say that-my niece adores him) to our Hill Billy dance vid below. Here is the latest operatic offering from Brisbane based composer Rob Davidson and choir Australian Voices with Julia Gillard's famous misogyny speech put to music : Not Now, Not Ever .

Noah's Ark Steams Ahead

Noah premieres are popping up around the world. Moscow hosted a gala premiere with our Russ in attendance accompanied by our favourite Russian born Australian boxing champ Kostya Tszyu as the Shuttle's exclusive pic shows.

Noah Selfies

  above : Noah's Logan Lerman and Jennifer Connelly pose with fans

They're all the rage..the celebrity selfie. Here are two from the Noah premiere in Berlin.
Sadly the great man himself didn't attend so here is our exclusive selfie sent to us last week from Russell's rural retreat at Coffs Harbour where he was tending to some of those animals he saved all those aeons ago. Doesn't he look healthy and trim ?



## the Shuttle has just been in Los Angeles for 5 days and we managed to snap our very own selfie with a World Famous Comedian and Hollywood Royalty in a  restaurant car park. We'd just lunched together with mutual pals. Later that day his agent tracked us down to our hotel and said we couldn't publish it as it may "breach several agreements". We were impressed. And intimidated.

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...

Photos Of The Week

Our exclusive snaps : our favourite wacky Afghan descendant politician Bob Katter MP is pictured with Pharrell Williams and the 2Today FM breakfast announcers Jools, Merrick and Sophie.

 

 Pictured backstage last night in Sydney at the sell-out Mrs Brown's Boys tour, cast members with Aagnes Brown herself (AKA Brendan O'Carroll) second left.

Final Last Word on the Oscars

How could we not mention our favourite media mogul Rupert Murdoch who tweeted just yesterday his distress that New Yorkers had the temerity to elect a Democrat mayor and that the city was now being run by "leftie incompetents" !.
Fortunately Rupert still made it to the Oscars with a new flame on his arm- Juliet de Baubigny who was named by Vanity Fair as 2013's as 'Silicon Valley's Most Stylish Person'!. One Big Question : Murdoch's News Ltd newspapers ripped into Cate Blanchett when she made some global warming comments last year. Will they still interview her now she has picked up the movie world's top gong ?

Last Word on The Oscars

And the Academy Award for the Biggest Faux Pas of the evening goes to Rupert Murdoch's beloved The Australian newspaper for the following :

Ultimate Oscar's Selfie

and the full version

Winners..

So far..Cate Blanchett looking sensational on the 2014 Academy Award's red carpet in Giorgio Armani and Catherine Martin who has picked up the gong for Best Costumes for hubby Baz Luhrman's The Great Gatsby (pictured holding the brolly at the Sydney premiere)

Benny Hill Moment

Dreamtime

Melbourne has  Geoffrey Edeslten and Geelong has it's new clown town mayor 

Darryn ("Yes, I knew the Princess of Wales very well") Lyons (who gives jumping onto a trend ten years after it fizzled out new meaning). He's been featured in a Sydney Morning Herald piece titled The Emperor Of Geelong.
 My sources say the piece was heavily legalled and it would seem so as the article by Susan Chenery has less of the usual bite we can expert from the experience interviewer.
Still it gives us some insight into the label dropping (they should sue) , name dropping fantasy that now governs the lives of Victoria's second largest city. Probably the most pertinent sentence comes from Lyon's own lips in respect of Geelong's current troubles with collapsing businesses : "I am certainly not the saviour and I haven't got the magic wand".
# Is that a tasteful Charles Billich work of art on his wall ? I think we should be told.
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Kylie Minogue did a surprise concert last night at the Beresford Hotel in Surry Hills after she spent all day tweeting that should be there.

'Charlotte's Law'

• Petitioning The Australian Government

Charlotte's Law - Tougher Cyber Bullying Legislation

http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/the-australian-government-charlotte-s-law-tougher-cyber-bullying-legislation

A Modern Family Get-together

You don't have to go to Darling Harbour to see the stars of the US hit show Modern Family (they're filming there) . The cast and producers are taking advantage of Sydney's fabulous array of restaurants.


Our Modern Family spy popped into exclusive Icebergs at Bondi Beach and spotted Sofia Vergera and her boyfriend Nick Loeb chowing down with Sydney based Porsche racing driver Aaron Zerefos. 
Zerefos who has been flitting between LA and Sydney had a busy start to the year with success at Mount Panorama and has now become a fixture on the Los Angeles social circle
 Last seen- Zerefos and pals speeding off in a  white Range Rover and according to the Shuttle's spy disguised as an Aspidistra : the trio dined the following night at trendy Mr Wong in the city. 
How the other 'arf live !

Split !

 Newcastle born '24' star Sarah Wynter has split with her husband of 8 years Dan Peres.
Peres, the editor of Details Magazine and Wynter were married in 2005 in a civil ceremony at Strickland House in Rose Bay overlooking Sydney Harbour.
The pair live in New York and have three sons,.

Hizzoner The Mayor

And now a word from the Honorable Darryn Lyons, Mayor of Geelong :

Creditors of the defunct Big Pictures photo agency in the UK are advised to form an orderly queue...

Society falls apart..

Following the jailing of Andrew 'Baci' Whitlam, for supplying drugs-a close friend and the 'godson' of former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam  - now  the Eastern Suburb's local magazine Latte Life has a story on the arrest of the owner of the on-line social website Urban Life Lisa Stockbridge for allegedly dealing in cocaine.

read it here.





## Sydney's most expensive harbour side mansion Elaine is on the market for around $100M . The original property on which Elaine stands comprises of 8 separate titles but the building itself is not  National Trust listed so there is every chance the property will end up being divided up into smaller lots

Sweet Charity ; the new Hayes Theatre

Morning TV host and singer David Campbell has opened a new cabaret theatre in Kings Cross : the Hayes Theatre named after Aussie stage legend Nancye Hayes.

David with wife Lisa and dad Jimmy Barnes and Jane Barnes

On Tuesday Campbell hosted an intimate soiree for around 30 including the Lord Mayor Clover Moore and we were treated to a number from the opening presentation, Sweet Charity. And it was superb. With just a little over 100 seats not only do the audience have a superb view of the stage but this was a full blown number that is usually viewed by a few thousand . In such an intimate setting, it's no wonder nearly every performance is sold out. coming up in late February, Last Of the Red Hot Mamas.
David's dad, rocker Jimmy Barnes was also there and how wonderful to see Piper Heidsieck Champagne come on board as a sponsor for this new and badly needed theatre venture. Go to their website for more info.

  right : Nancye Hayes with Lord Mayor Clover Moore

Distant Cousins # 5

Shia LaBeoff                                                Schapelle Corby                             Joseph Merrick

Sharp eyed readers ask if the following persons are perchance related : Schapelle Corby left a Bali jail today wearing a fashionable (fake) Burberry fedora and has jolted our reader's memory of a similar outfit worn by a Mr Joseph Merrick, known as The Elephant Man who took London society by storm in the ate 1800s, much as Ms Corby has fixated Australian society.

Another reader points out that film actor and star Shia LaBeoff chose a similar ensemble to appear on the red carpet last night at the gala premier of his latest motion picture at the Berlin Film Festival.
Are all three possibly related ?. I think we should be told.

TV Tonight

All eyes will be glued to the box tonight for 2 locally made tele-movies. On the 7 Network the INXS Never Tear Us Apart premieres while on the 9 Network the film about Shappelle Corby screens.

Pictured here is our exclusive photo of Michale Hutchence and girlfriend Paula Yates with a baby Tiger Lilly, at the first public appearance. Our other exclusive pic was taken at INXS's Tim Farris' 40th birthday party at a Kings Cross nightclub. A surprise guest and avid INXS fan popped in- Mike Myers of Austin Powers' fame.

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We must congratulate the MailOnline for finally catching up to thesocialshuttle and publishing our snaps of a 15 year old Tiger Lilly. It's only taken 2 years !

A Spare $100M ?

$100 million- that's the going price for a house regarded as one of Sydney's finest, certainly the most expensive.
Elaine in Double Bay  has been in the Fairfax publishing family since 1891 and is next door to Fairwater still home to Lady Mary Fairfax and which also doubles up as the Monaco Consulate (Lady Mary is Honorary Consul).

The Shuttle has partied at Elaine many times- it was rented for many years by society figure Elizabeth Fox (pictured on the right). One of it's best features is a full sized ball room that opens out onto expansive lawns that lead to a private beach with views across the harbour to the Sydney Opera House.
 Elaine's current owner John B.Fairfax is selling his home unlike sister-in-law Lady Mary, she has willed Fairwater to the National Trust with the stipulation that her staff live there rent-free for the rest of their lives..

Downfall of a Society Figure

Andrew Baci Romero-Whitlam & Gough Whitlam in happier times

Born in Argentina, 58 year old Andrew Esteban Romero-Whitlam was regularly seen around Sydney at society shindigs. When 'Baci', as he is called by friends, and his family emigrated to Australia they had a powerful figure in their corner as a sponsor- former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.

So close was Baci to Gough that he often attended official functions with the ex-PM. He even changed his name in honour of the Whitlam family and was often referred to as Whitlam's 'adopted son' or godson. Now Baci has been jailed for a minimum of 15 months after pleading guilty in a drug supply charge.

Whitlam was busted at his tapas restaurant in Rushcutters Bay, Resto Bar last year in an undercover  police sting. In his heyday Baci owned an upmarket fashion boutique in Double Bay and dressed many of Sydney's society matrons.

In the past few years he has regularly visited Gough Whitlam for lunch at his home in Lulworth House, a luxury nursing home in Rushcutter's Bay. Romero-Whitlam's barrister Phillip Boulten SC told the court on Friday that his client " was depressed  and a chronic user of cocaine and had been for some time".

The Look at the ACCTAs

Jackie Weaver                               Delta Goodrem                            Cate Blanchet                    Lara Bingle