The much beloved Cynthia Payne known by all simply as ‘Madame Cyn’ when she gained notoriety as Britain’s most famous Brothel Madam and who singly-handed exposed the hypocrisy of the country’s prudish and ridiculous morality laws back in the 1970s, has now died aged 82.
When the Police raided her very ordinary looking home in the London suburbs they found a sex party in full swing with naked middle-aged and elderly men waiting in line to exchange “luncheon vouchers” for food, drink, conversation, striptease shows, and a trip upstairs with the girl of their choice. As no money was changing hands for sexual services, she was technically working within the law. Her “clients'” who she insisted must be older than 40, included businessmen, priests, MPs, lawyers, judges and even a Lord of the Realm who all considered Cynthia as the best hostess in town.
The nation was outraged when after a Trial the Judge jailed her ‘for 18 months for ‘running the biggest disorderly house in the UK’ and the matter was even raised in The Houses of Parliament where they passed a Motion deploring her imprisonment.
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| Cynthia Payne as she was released from Prison When she appealed the sentence she was totally unrepentant and used the opportunity to lecture the Judge on the shortcomings on the laws on Prostitution. At the same time Cynthia really endeared herself to the nation with her hilarious outspoken views on men and sex which filled the tabloid press every day. The case made her a Media Madam too and she was soon back in business throwing Sex Parties . It was at one such party that she was hosting to celebrate the end of the filming of her hilarious biopic Personal Services (directed by Monty Python’s Terry Jones and starring Julie Walters) that the Police raided her home for a second time. The ensuing Court Case had the entire nation once again in stitches as Cynthia kept everyone amused with her lurid tales of sex slaves, transvestites and undercover policeman in very obvious disguises involving all these harmless ordinary old men. She was cleared on all accounts of controlling prostitutes and Nicholas Fairbairn MP announced that Mrs Payne should have been mentioned in the Queens Honor List for keeping us all so throughly amused. In fact a couple of years later in 1988 she actually stood as a Candidate for Parliament herself so that she could change Britain’s archaic sex laws. She formed her own Payne and Pleasure Party for the occasion. She lived in the same house for the rest of her life and although always known as Mrs Cynthia Payne, she never married. Cynthia Payne : a national treasure, the likes of which we will never see again : December 24 1932 – November 15 2015 |
