Latest news with #TheGrandHotel
Perth Now
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
How WA skimpy's wild experiences have changed her life
Wild stories collected from her time as a skimpy in Kalgoorlie-Boulder has helped propel Tiffy Texas' comedy career to Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The former stripper and slowly retiring skimpy has found herself quickly picking up extra comedy gigs since taking off at Perth and Adelaide Fringe. With the majority of her content stemming from her work in the region, Tiffy is planning a special comedy show in Kalgoorlie-Boulder in July ahead of her London and Edinburgh trip in August. 'Most of my material is all the stories from on the job, just the craziest things I've been tipped for or made money doing,' she said. 'The thing about this job is that things can come across farfetched, but it's actually 100 per cent accurate — especially out here in Kalgoorlie. Tiffy Texas pictured at The Grand Hotel, Boulder. Credit: Carwyn Monck/Kalgoorlie Miner / Kalgoorlie Miner 'That's why I haven't completely given it up yet, I'm still stretching out the retirement that little bit only because the material is just too golden.' Tiffy started out as a stripper in Perth before becoming a manager and house mum at a strip club, which eventually led her to skimpy work with Gold Class Girls. Kalgoorlie-Boulder quickly became one of her favourite places not only to work, but also to live. And while she technically still lives in Adelaide, she spends more of her time here than anywhere else. Pushing 40, Tiffy decided to slowly start stepping away from skimpying, and instead focused on skimpy DJ-ing — working once a month at the Exchange Hotel — event emceeing, and now comedy. 'I'm having such a great time just doing all different kinds of things,' she said. 'Sometimes I'll get booked for all of it, I'll emcee and do comedy and then skimpy DJ at the end. 'This is what I love about skimpying, it can open so many doors for you. 'A lot of people see it as a means to an end, but it can give you so many opportunities and for me it really pushed me into new areas which I really love.' Tiffy's comedy show will take place at the Grand Hotel on July 5 with Perth comedians Bruno Oliveira and Ian Burke.
Sydney Morning Herald
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
A century on, this Great American Novel still captivates readers
In 1923, when Scott Fitzgerald was 27, he wrote to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, about his ambitions for his third novel. 'I want to write something new – something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned,' he wrote. Two years later, that third novel was published, to mostly positive reviews. One-hundred years later, The Great Gatsby is still inspiring, delighting, obsessing and occasionally infuriating its readers. It's a small book, but nonetheless a leading contender for the role of Great American Novel. It's said to contain some of the most perfect sentences ever written about America. And perhaps the most astonishing thing is that it's still extraordinary, beautiful, simple, intricately patterned – and feels new. We nearly missed it. After those initial reviews, the novel failed to sell and drifted into obscurity, dismissed as a minor nostalgic tale about rich people living it up in the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald died in poverty in 1940, convinced his work was forgotten. Two things saved Gatsby after the author's death. The novel was championed by two influential critics, Edmund Wilson and Malcolm Cowley. And during World War II, 155,000 paperback copies of The Great Gatsby were distributed to combat troops, who liked what they read. Tragic as the story is, it must still have been a grand antidote to the grim reality of war. Today, it's difficult to think of any other novel with the same impact on both literature and the popular imagination. At the last count, it had sold about 30 million copies worldwide, has been translated into 42 languages, and continues to sell about half-a-million copies a year. It's been adapted into at least four films (notably Baz Luhrmann's 2013 version with Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby), as well as plays, television shows, musicals and video games, and it's a perennial on high-school book lists. Since the book came out of copyright, it has inspired a bevy of novels extending the story into the past and the future, focusing on various characters. Camille Aubrey, author of The Grand Hotel (which features Fitzgerald as a character), lists 10 of them, including a spy novel and a tale of vampires.
The Age
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
A century on, this Great American Novel still captivates readers
In 1923, when Scott Fitzgerald was 27, he wrote to his editor, Maxwell Perkins, about his ambitions for his third novel. 'I want to write something new – something extraordinary and beautiful and simple and intricately patterned,' he wrote. Two years later, that third novel was published, to mostly positive reviews. One-hundred years later, The Great Gatsby is still inspiring, delighting, obsessing and occasionally infuriating its readers. It's a small book, but nonetheless a leading contender for the role of Great American Novel. It's said to contain some of the most perfect sentences ever written about America. And perhaps the most astonishing thing is that it's still extraordinary, beautiful, simple, intricately patterned – and feels new. We nearly missed it. After those initial reviews, the novel failed to sell and drifted into obscurity, dismissed as a minor nostalgic tale about rich people living it up in the Jazz Age. Fitzgerald died in poverty in 1940, convinced his work was forgotten. Two things saved Gatsby after the author's death. The novel was championed by two influential critics, Edmund Wilson and Malcolm Cowley. And during World War II, 155,000 paperback copies of The Great Gatsby were distributed to combat troops, who liked what they read. Tragic as the story is, it must still have been a grand antidote to the grim reality of war. Today, it's difficult to think of any other novel with the same impact on both literature and the popular imagination. At the last count, it had sold about 30 million copies worldwide, has been translated into 42 languages, and continues to sell about half-a-million copies a year. It's been adapted into at least four films (notably Baz Luhrmann's 2013 version with Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby), as well as plays, television shows, musicals and video games, and it's a perennial on high-school book lists. Since the book came out of copyright, it has inspired a bevy of novels extending the story into the past and the future, focusing on various characters. Camille Aubrey, author of The Grand Hotel (which features Fitzgerald as a character), lists 10 of them, including a spy novel and a tale of vampires.
Scottish Sun
21-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
House prices boom into the millions next to iconic Scottish golf course – and could soar with ‘Rory McIlroy effect'
Locals claim prices could be pushed up even further following Rory McIlroy's Master's victory CLUB HOUSES House prices boom into the millions next to iconic Scottish golf course – and could soar with 'Rory McIlroy effect' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOUSE prices have boomed into the millions next to the world's oldest golf course - and could rise further with the 'Rory McIlroy effect'. Figures show homes near the The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland regularly fetch seven figures - with flats selling for up to £7million each. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 House prices have boomed into the millions next to the world's oldest golf course Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 Figures show homes near the The Old Course at St Andrews in Scotland regularly fetch seven figures Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 On The Scores there have been 15 properties that have sold for seven-figure sums in recent years Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith Known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady it is considered the oldest golf course in the world - regularly hosting The Open. The cluster of streets surrounding the famous links course offers a chance to be part of a history that stretches back more than six centuries. On The Scores, a famous street that runs from the edge of the Old Course up to the ruins of St Andrews Castle, there have been 15 properties that have changed hands for seven-figure sums in recent years. Six further seven-figure house sales have gone through at the nearby Gibson Place and The Links, with £5 million-plus deals also recorded in other desirable streets such as Pilmour Links, Golf Place and Gillespie Terrace. On Golf Place, one two-bedroom apartment even sold in June of 2023 for a whopping £2,010,000. But the epicentre of the property boom is Hamilton Hall, an imposing 19th-century building with panoramic views over the Old Course's 18th green. Designed by the Glasgow architect, James Milne Monro, it once served as The Grand Hotel, welcoming guests such as Edward VIII, Rudyard Kipling and Bing Crosby. US property developers, bought it and looked to breathe new life into the structure by turning it into luxury apartments. At one point the Wassermans signed a letter of intent proposing a confidential venture agreement with Donald Trump, who later tried to buy Hamilton Hall outright, envisioning it as the ideal location for the Trump Organisation's first international hotel venture. The Bank of Scotland put paid to those plans, having turned down Mr Trump's request for a mortgage and loan totalling £38m, a deal they deemed "too risky". Footage of emotional Rory McIlroy become's internet's biggest meme Instead, the property was acquired in 2009 by Herb Kohler for the sum of £11m, nearly half the price paid by the Wassermans three years earlier. Under Mr Kohler's watch, the careworn red sandstone structure was fastidiously restored to its former glory, with rooms once used by undergraduates transformed into dozens of luxury apartments. Over the course of the past 15 years, the Kohlers have quietly gone about their business, selling a series of residences at the site to super wealthy golf enthusiasts and investors, helping to turn Hamilton Grand, as it is now known, into one of the most exclusive property hot-spots in all of Scotland. An analysis by The Scotsman of the Kohler family firm's publicly available financial filings shows that between 2018 and 2022, it generated more than £34m in property sales. In 2021 alone, a year in which the property market experienced widespread uncertainty as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, sales amounted to £17.7m. Even by the lofty standards of the average house price in St Andrews - a figure just north of £528,000, according to Rightmove - the accommodation at Hamilton Grand has blown the rest of the market out of the water. 6 Six further seven-figure house sales have gone through at the nearby Gibson Place Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 Locals claim prices could be pushed up even further following Rory McIlroy's Master's victory Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith 6 The cluster of streets surrounding the famous links course offers a chance to be part of a history Credit: Katielee Arrowsmith Property transactions maintained by Registers of Scotland and solicitors' filings show that since December 2014, there have been at least 15 sales of apartments at the development worth £1.3m or more. Some of the best positioned residences on the upper floors of Hamilton Grand have gone for considerably more. Indeed, it was previously thought the sale of an apartment at Hamilton Grand for £4m in 2022 had set a new Scottish property record for a flatted dwelling. But records maintained by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland as part of a separate valuation dispute show that one penthouse property at the site sold for about £7m. Another sought after two-bedroom residence sold for £3.6m three years ago, a sum that remains remarkable considering the average price of a flat in Scotland stands at around £135,000. According to one property owner at Hamilton Grand, the appeal lies not just in its location - residents have access to a roof terrace offering unparalleled views over the Old Course - but the exclusive services afforded by Kohler Co. The vast majority of the buyers from overseas make use of a butler service, housekeepers and even private chefs and a golf concierge. "We are talking about the kind of luxury service you would expect in a top-end US or Caribbean resort," explained the owner, who did not wish to be identified. "Scotland didn't offer that kind of elite proposition until the Kohlers came, and it's obvious that there's a demand." At least one other property at Hamilton Grand has sold for more than £3m, with a further five fetching prices in the £2m to £3m price range. Verzun, a niche private brokerage firm that works exclusively with homes worth £4m and above, was marketing a four-bedroom penthouse residence at Hamilton Grand for more than £7.5m. Kohler Co also maintains a variety of two-bedroomed, self-catering ensuite luxury apartments. A one-night stay at a two-bedroom residence in Hamilton Grand next week costs £1,070. Locals claim prices could be pushed up even further following Rory McIlroy's Master's victory. One said: ''Golf gets bigger and bigger and the money in the game and some of its fans now is huge. ''People pay silly money to live near here and the game has been given an even bigger boost with Rory's win. ''It's going to create even more interest in playing and wanting to live somewhere like this.''
