THE INSIDE WORD
VODKA YOU THINKING?
‘TWAS the week before lockdown and this social dame, let’s call her Hyacinth, decided to hold a candlelight supper in her unit.
The guests arrived and were ushered in to enjoy drinks and canapes. The hostess was in full flight, laughing and joking with everyone, occasionally disappearing into the kitchen where they presumed she was putting the final touches to the dinner.
Time ticked away, she kept heading to the kitchen while the ravenous guests cleaned up all the hors d’oeuvre.
After she had been away for about 20 minutes one of the guests decided to check on how things were going.
There she was, on the floor asleep, with an open bottle of vodka and the uncooked food on the benches.
The guests decided to go home and order pizza.
Don’t cook and drink, kiddies.
SIR ALEC GUINNESS, PAVAROTTI, DAME JOAN SUTHERLAND ...
WE are in the presence of showbiz royalty. In some respects local Nick McCallum was born to spend his working life on a film or television set.
He is the son of John McCallum and Googie Withers – the Brangelina of their generation – and is a renowned production designer in his own right who has worked around the world with directors such as James Cameron and movie stars Glenn Close, Billy Zane, Keith Carradine and David Wenham.
It is the continuation of a family tradition – his grandfather John Sr built and ran the 2000-seat Cremorne Theatre in Brisbane.
“Through my parents I got to meet the likes of Sir John Mills, Lord Olivier, Rex Harrison and Sir Alec Guinness
and other greats of British acting and they were all grounded, really nice people,” says Nick, pictured here with Lynda Woods. “I remember we had a barbecue at home once and Luciana Pavarotti and Dame Joan Sutherland came as guests and ended up singing, which was something very special.”
Having studied acting and worked in England Nick chose a life behind the camera and couldn’t be happier. “There are so many projects being done or
in the pipeline on the Gold Coast. I’m so fortunate to be involved and working on the TV series Troppo being shot in my home city.”
YOUNG, FREER AND TOTALLY HIP
LIFE certainly hasn’t been quiet for Warren Young since he retired as chief lifeguard in February after 48 years patrolling the beaches. “The big thing since then was having a hip replacement, but it is working beautifully now so I can go swimming and surfing every
day,” he says. “I’ve been assured that my new hip won’t rust either.
“I was so lucky to do what I did for so long. The people I worked with were exceptional but it was time for me to let the younger ones come through and run the show.”
Warren has also morphed into a cover boy, posing for an active lifestyle magazine with his grandchild Koa Weatherall promoting our beautiful outdoors.
“That was a bit of fun and great to be able to share the memory with Koa.”
He also has advice for anyone retiring: “I try to keep my mind and body occupied. I read a lot, write poetry and
catch up with friends as often as I can for a laugh.”
He left us with another joke. “When I had my hip done I told the doctor that if the pain got too bad I was going to see a hip-notist.”
Boom! Tish!
GIDDY UP TIPPED TO RACE UP CHARTS
YESTERDAY was a big day for local band Hinterland (pictured below) because their new single Giddy Up was released to the world.
Their debut EP from 2020 claimed No.1 on the iTunes All Genres Chart, knocking off the likes of Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and Billie Eilish for the coveted top spot, so they have a lot to live up to.
The trio of siblings Robbie and Rachel Bostock and Jesse Emmanuel have a unique sound – parts country, rock, and pop with a dash of Celtic flair.
Jesse, the daughter of legendary guitarist Phil, explained how the group came to be. “We have been friends since we were teenagers, finally forming Hinterland in 2019.
“The single Loud got picked up by Triple M and played across the country. From there it took off which led to our EP doing so well.
“Our writing is a collaborative process where we all bring ideas to the table and then work together to bring a song to life. There are so many influences in our music from Reba McEntire to AC/DC so it is pretty broad.
“We have a show at Burleigh Bazaar on the 11th of September, our first in a long time which we are so excited about.”
Tickets for the show are now on sale via oztix.com.au and Giddy Up is available on all streaming services.