Messages

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Forum Announcements / Re: +Robert (Bobby) Hall

« on: December 12, 2012, 02:25:19 PM »

Such sad news.Only knew Robert through the forum but we used to chat a little on line.The strength of his personality and intelligence and humour shone through.When I mentioned I get a kick out of receiving postcards from peoples travels{seems old fashioned but there you are} he sent me a few from his next few trips.Glad I kept them.From various places in Europe and the States.R.I.P. Robert Hall.

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The Windsors / Re: Wedding of HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton april 29th

« on: April 28, 2011, 02:52:59 PM »

Don't see that Catherine is beginning to overshadow the Prince at all.He's the royal soldier/fighter pilot/prince,etc. who's making it all happen.

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The Windsors / Re: Wedding of HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton april 29th

« on: April 28, 2011, 06:04:47 AM »

Kalafrana-thanks for the clarification.Actually Avondale and Albany are suburbs of the city I live in and two dear gay friends of mine used to live in Clarence st. Ponsonby.We used to call it the house of old Queens.I have an accountant cousin who lives in Cambridge.I expect most Commonwealth cities have similar.

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The Windsors / Re: Wedding of HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton april 29th

« on: April 28, 2011, 05:08:47 AM »

I rather fancy Duke of Clarence and Albany as Williams titles,like Prince Albert Victor in the 1890s'.Watching the ceremony with friends at the Mercure Hotel in the city{Auckland}.The hotel is hosting an evening with cocktails and big screens.Coverage starts at 7.30 in the evening{friday} and the wedding is about 10 o'clock.Suits for the men and ladies in long dresses.

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The Windsors / Re: Zara & Peter Phillips

« on: March 29, 2011, 04:34:57 AM »

I've always seen a slight likeness between Tallulah Bankhead and Princess Margaret,just to tie this into the royal family.Not physical but in their personalities.Slightly typsy and flirty and the heavy smoking.Miss Bankheads' last acting role was in the 1960s' Batman tv show.Dressed in black Balenciaga she addressed the main characters as Bat darl and Robin-the little boy wonder.Her second to last film Die!Die!My Darlng is currently the topic of a Broadway play in New York.Looped.On her deathbed her last words were 'Codeine,bourbon'

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News Links / Re: Earthquake hits New Zealand,over 65 casualties

« on: February 23, 2011, 01:47:42 AM »

Robert- a number of the old public buildings in ChCh have been earthquake stregthened-so stood up quite well in the quake 6 months ago,but have now crumbled.The  Gothic Anglican Cathedral lost it's tower and the more classical Catholic Cathedral,where we had my lovely old Aunts funeral two years ago,has lost part of it's facade.

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The Windsors / Re: Andrew, Duke of York

« on: December 14, 2010, 03:02:17 PM »

Chris-I don't know anything about Ambassador Gfoeller really but I suppose I have to agree with your comments-on the Prince too.The Wikileaks situation continues to unfold.Can't see where it will end.Prince Andrew should have known his comments would be reported.

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The Windsors / Re: Andrew, Duke of York

« on: December 14, 2010, 01:35:06 PM »

How indiscrete of Ambassador Gfoeller to report such a discussion.I rather question her credentials.

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The Windsors / Re: Prince William and Kate Middleton

« on: December 04, 2010, 12:55:34 PM »

I think it is fortunate that Prince Andrew was not appointed Governor of Australia, can you think of Fergie as first lady ? I shudder at that thought. 

There is no First Lady of Australia as there is in the US,if there was it would be the Queen.Each State of Australia has a Govenor.There is a Govenor General based in Canberra.The wives of these gentlemen generally do not have a promenant role.Of course Govenors and Govenors General may be women.

Also-for many years it has been concidered inappropriate for Govenors to be anything other than Australian born.

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The Windsors / Re: Prince William and Kate Middleton

« on: December 04, 2010, 01:51:12 AM »

I think it is fortunate that Prince Andrew was not appointed Governor of Australia, can you think of Fergie as first lady ? I shudder at that thought. 

There is no First Lady of Australia as there is in the US,if there was it would be the Queen.Each State of Australia has a Govenor.There is a Govenor General based in Canberra.The wives of these gentlemen generally do not have a promenant role.Of course Govenors and Govenors General may be women.

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The Hohenzollern / Re: 'Prince' Frederick of Anhalt & 'Princess' Zsa Zsa Gabor

« on: August 18, 2010, 05:04:50 AM »

Hi Tampa Bay,

I saw the Gabor sisters in cabaret at the Riviera Hotel in Vegas in 1954.  They came out one by one and were singing & dancing and joking and showing off their jewelry and generally having a good old time.  It was light and frivolous and all-in-all stupid, really.
In the next banquet to us was their mother, Jolie, who kept talking through their act and calling out to them in Hungarian.  It was very rude but quite funny......
Suddenly, Zsa Zsa screamed at her mother in Hungarian and Mama screamed right back!  I looked over at her and laughed & winked and she said, "Deh don't vant me to come to see da show;  no respect for da Mama!!".....  I said, "I think you're fabulous!"  She looked good and was ablaze in jewels......  When everything was over, she kissed me on the cheek goodbye.....

Several years later, when I was returning from university in Germany, I stopped off in New York City and was walking down Madison Avenue when I passed by Jolie's jewelry store.  I went in to look around.
As I was viewing the counters, I heard a loud, "Ahhh, darling! You've come to see Mama at last!"  And, there she was - Jolie Gabor, looking great and coming toward me with her arms outstretched and hugging me and a big slobby kiss on the mouth.  I was like a lost relative.
Tea at the back of the shop and we brought each other up-to-date and we practiced a little German (hers was rusty).
I left and never saw her again....

When I heard that she'd died, I was very sad.  She was a bejeweled character and quite flamboyant!!!

Larry

Vecchiolarry-that's the loveliest story I've heard about Jolie.She was a character all right!Zsa Zsa must miss her terribly-especially in her last days.I've read a number of books by and about the Gabors.I can see that,like another great character-Prince Felix Yusupov,there is an element of truth in most of their stories.

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The Hohenzollern / Re: 'Prince' Frederick of Anhalt & 'Princess' Zsa Zsa Gabor

« on: August 18, 2010, 03:28:18 AM »

Zsa Zsa was also campaigning for a role in All About Eve when she was married to George Sanders.   She caused quite a stir on the set in San Francisco when they were filming parts of it at a theatre here.. Obviously, she never got that part either. I think she was finally banned from the set, sent shopping with a minder of some sort.  That was long ago and WAY before my time, but her stories are still legend. Can't blame her for trying, though...

The part Zsa Zsa wanted in All about Eve-Miss Caswell-went to Marilyn Monroe.Each was asked during the filming of the production what they thought of the other.Zsa Zsa said"Miss Monroe is the sort of blonde that loses its appeal as it gets nearer".Marilyn said"Oh I think Miss Gabor looks ever so good for her age"

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The Windsors / Re: Queen Elizabeth II Part 3

« on: July 08, 2010, 04:42:13 AM »

Couldn't agree more Robert.Gorgeous old thing.

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The Windsors / Re: Windsor Jewels Pt 7

« on: May 10, 2010, 01:41:07 AM »

grandduchessella-thanks for the link to Crawfords collection.How elegant.The other pictures were interesting collectors items-Joans cheque book!Vecchiolarry-Merle Oberon indeed prefered emeralds and had a wonderful parure of Turquoise too.

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The Windsors / Re: Windsor Jewels Pt 7

« on: May 07, 2010, 06:29:22 AM »

ashdean you are quite right about Ava Gardners' taste in jewelery.Her first husband Mickey Rooney gave her a 6.35ct diamond ring-actually they weren't married yet-it was her engaement ring.Quoting "Despite her exotic beauty,her jewels were always highly discreet in style.The finest piece inn the whole collection was the emerald and diamond by Van Cleef and Arpels.The almost flawless step-cut emerald of 7.46cts,with its fantastic saturated vibrantgreen colour,so typical of 'old mine' Columbian emerads,was mounted as a ring in New York in 1961."Merle Oberon,Paulette Goddard and Joan Crawford had notable jewel collections too.