“Topless” Will Close

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31809, 14 October 1968, Page 1

“Topless” Will Close

The first restaurant In Christchurch to introduce topless waitresses, La Rue, at 225 High Street, will close down. The proprietor (Mr L. Aldridge) said last evening that he had been evicted because other tenants In the building had brought pressure on the landlord because of newspaper publicity. ) Mr Aldridge said he had been given seven days to get . out and the restaurant would be closed after next

Saturday night. Notice had been served on him by * solicitor on behalf of the landlord, Mr D. Ogilvie. He had been paying $5O a week rent for the La Rue and $5O a week rent for the Top of the Town in the same building, said Mr Aldridge. “I’ve got $5OOO worth of equipment and they’re not buying any of it,” he said. “It will all have to go under the hammer. The newspaper reports were shocking. “I’ve had a terrific re-

sponse from the public and the bookings have been fantastic. On Monday night I had all the top brass there—solicitors, councillors, representatives of the Health Department, Labour Department, the C. 1.8. and the vice squad. On Wednesday I had a complete clearance from everybody. “I put on a really good show to sell food and the food sales have gone up a lot since Monday night. The publie want it. I put it on for the promotion of food,” said Mr Aldridge.