An A - Z of Victorian Crime and Culture - O is for...


O is for - 'Out of print' - a slang term for someone who had died - therefore, no longer in circulation - how quaint!

 O is for - Opera House - two come to mind in Victorian Leicester, and neither was actually a legitimate Opera House. 12 Town Hall Lane, (now Guild Hall Lane) and recently re-assigned as 'The Opera House', and a similarly named enterprise on Wharf Street, on the edge of the new slums circa 1850. Both were renowned brothels or bawdy houses / abbeys / cabs - and served the sexual needs of Leicester's discerning Victorian gent.  12 Town Hall Lane features in The Borough Boys series, overlooking the Police Station.

 O is for - 'Outsider' - a pair of very slim long nosed pliers, used by burglars for turning keys in locks from the outside, thus gaining access.

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