Wine, women and song though not necessarily in that order

When Strait Street was at its zenith there were few if any places of entertainment on the island. The street was riding the wave of a reputation of wine, women and song though not necessarily in that order.

It goes without saying that a good percentage of those earning a living down the Gut were women. There were barmaids who made a living cashing tokens, or laned as they were known. The barmaids earned a landa for each drink they managed to make men buy them while other barmaids supplemented their income by entertaining men after hours.

Although fights were a common occurrence nobody was ever killed in Strait Street.

In the second of a three-part series George Cini talks to Nina, one of the girls who practically spent her adult life in The Gut, and to police and crime historian Eddie Attard to find out more about those days. Tomorrow's piece will deal with the punters and the musicians.