What does it take to make a street a landscape of desire?

This is the question George Cini will attempt to answer during a talk in Maltese about Strait Street at ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone in Mosta on 26 February at 7pm. Mr Cini has just published his second book on that street in Valletta called Strada Stretta Aktar dawl fuq it-triq li darba xegħlet il-Belt.

What was so desirable about a street that many upright citizens shunned and admonished their children to avoid it like the plague?

In its heyday, the street offered live music, foreign cabaret artistes, local and foreign women and men - mostly drag queens -who sang and danced, apart from other distractions.

The big question is how come so many servicemen, particularly members of the British forces went down the Gut - as the strait mile was labelled - repeatedly, even though they knew they were getting their pockets picked clean, night after night.

Life along the famous alley was quite outlandish and suspect for most of the rest of the population. And yet today, those who worked there speak of the 'good old days' and wish for a return to the lane to El Dorado. The author may be contacted on 9943 0578 or through [email protected]. Strada Stretta is on Facebook.