The ladies of the night

he Kingston below Manchester Square we now so glibly embrace in the description of "inner city" was, up to 60 years ago, an area of great social, cultural, economic and political significance.

In this area lived the grandfather/founders of many of the companies which have dominated economic activity over the years.

Remnants of their lives can be seen in the facade of buildings, now crumbling, on North, Hanover, Harbour and other streets in downtown Kingston.

The balconies of some stores on King Street are the leftovers of a time when commercial activity took place on the ground floors of these buildings and the owners and their families lived upstairs. The balconies were their verandahs.

The Ward Theatre was the centrepiece of upper crust theatrical activity while Coke Memorial Hall was "the theatre of the people" where mock trials, elocution contests, debates and Christmas morning concerts with the great names of entertainment as the headliners, were presented.

The area also boasted a number of restaurants such as Cathay, Wing Shimm and other great Chinese eateries, and the more sophisticated Esquire.

And do not forget, too, the magnificent Government buildings standing squat on either side of King Street, full of the majesty of judicial and financial power.

There were also a number of great hotels, such as the Myrtle Bank, Melrose and Queen's in the area.

There were many famous taverns, too, as bars were then politely called - places with names such as Dirty Dick, Moby Dick, and, in later years, The Jamaica Arms and the Press Club from which men stumbled and staggered at the closing hour of 11 p.m. to catch the last bus or tram car to their homes.

Easy virtue

Within this area, said to be one square mile in size, were the places of easy virtue. At the foot of West Street where it tickled its toes in the then clean Kingston harbour there were The Oasis, The Lantern and The Hole with its live-in ladies who catered exclusively to the sailors of the merchant and naval ships which anchored regularly at the piers.

Poor sailors! They were kept as sexual prisoners until their ships blew their horns to signal their departure, when they were thrown into taxis, sans shoes, sans pants and sans funds.

In other areas of Kingston there were the Primrose, a rent-a-room-by-the-hour upstairs hovel in Manchester Square, Baby Doll and China Doll on East Queen Street, Bamboo Club on Duke Street where a key was placed on your table along with drinks if you were sitting with a lady, Auntie, Ki Ki on Gold Street, Paradise Club and Hi Hat east of Hanover Street, and Joyce Dear's in Rae Town where the Madam greeted her patrons wearing white gloves.

Oh dear. Such class!

As Kingston spread into St. Andrew, so too did these brothels. Councillors representing divisions in St. Andrew of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation like Keble Munn, Hugh Shearer and Balfour Barnswell protested, in vain, against the invasion of Mountain View Avenue, Retirement Crescent and Waltham Park Road.

House of Strolley

The most famous of all was the House of Strolley on Hanover Street. This was a residential establishment for ladies who were recruited from Cuba, Venezuela, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

Strolley's was a place of elegance. According to its habitues it was equal to any European establishment providing similar services.

There was an entrance hall where your umbrella and hat was taken before you were ushered into the "public room".

Large mirrors on the walls gave depth to this room. The lighting was soft. There were large and comfortably stuffed settees for gentlemen who were regular patrons who came there for leisurely pleasure.

Men visiting for the first time, and who seemed to be there for a quick delight were seated on stools at the bar. They were regarded as "hurry-come-downs" and "ins-and-outs-the window".

The late Morris Cargill inherited the legal work of this establishment from his father. In later years, he would regale members of the Press Club on Water Lane with an account of his visit to Strolley, at the owner's invitation, to see the nature of the business.

According to Mr. Cargill, the ladies who walked through the room for his inspection and assessment were "absolutely delectable."

He spent about one hour in the establishment as Mr. Strolley's guest and only left when his client insisted on trying to persuade him to stay and enjoy its more intimate pleasures.

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