Madame Sin

The nearest thing Amsterdam had to a near-real-time crime map was in its Love For Sale exhibition a few years ago at the Historical Museum. This was a great show on the history of prostitution in the city, complete with recreations of the infamous windows and maps. These large-scale plans of the canal ring and city centre had marked on them the sites of the vast numbers of street walkers, brothels and windows in this trade-based, sailor-rich town -- ranging from the 17th century through to relatively modern times. It was fascinating trying to work out which numbers on our canal had been houses of ill-repute (or still were). Not ours, unfortunately; that was a warehouse from 1621 through to the 1980s, but there were others along the canal that traded in flesh, rather than goods. In fact, most days I cycle home past a house that offers personal services. Not on the canal ring, but a rather quaint-looking house called The Golden Key on the Overtoom. I had always been intrigued about it, then did the obligatory Google search. The other evening, for the first time in the five years I've been past it, the door was open. As one might expect, the walls were a deep red with gold accents, and there was a large, menacing man in a long, black coat and shades standing about. Looking menancing. How very bordello!

I still have my doubts about prostitution in the Netherlands -- whether it's as clean and wholesome as its advocates make out, particularly given the number of junkies who tout themselves at the back of Centraal Station and the fact that very few of the women in the windows appear to be Dutch or even Western European. However, the Dutch do demonstrate that it's possible to run brothels relatively discreetly in residential areas, causing a minimum of fuss to the neighbours. Something those of us from more prudish/hypocritical nations should learn from, perhaps?

Speaking of which, I read a comment on another blog -- the excellent Johnny B's Private Secret Diary -- which said that:

Basically, if you come to England and go into a small deli, etc. then if there are pork pies stacked up on or behind the counter it means that the shop is actually a brothel.

It's a bit long to go into now, but the way the pies are stacked/arranged etc is traditionally a 'code' for the services that you can expect...NOTE - this does not apply to supermarkets or butchers!!! If you see pork pies in supermarkets or butchers they are just pork pies for sale - - - do not ask for sex as you will end up highly embarrassed...

Is this true? I've never heard of this before and am wondering whether it's a wind-up of foreign readers or something that I should have been aware of when a meat-eater!