Farewell to yesterday’s Valletta

Alexander Vella Gregory penned an excellent contribution recently in MaltaToday titled Souvenirs Of God: Broken Pieces Of A Collective Memory. Reading through this contribution I could not help but recall how much Valletta has changed through the years.

I have lived in Valletta for most of my life. For better or for worse, Valletta has changed radically from what it was when I was a child going back to the 1960s. I vaguely remember the street fights in Strait Street between drunken American sailors and the military police, or the British Navy Officers in their prim white uniforms going down the steps of Castille. Countless commercial outlets, some of them landmark establishments in Valletta, have inevitably through the passage of time closed shop, replaced by other outlets not necessarily in the same line of business. I distinctly remember Blackley’s English style creamy teacakes—there is still a carving in stone recalling Blackley’s at the corner of Melita Street with Republic Street. In the part of the street where I used to live as a child, I recall two bookshops, a tourist agency, a shop selling shoes and another, men’s clothes. Most have closed down.

Very much the same has occurred in other parts of central Valletta. Commercial outlets which are the mainstay of a local community such as grocers and general service utility shops are closing down, which is of concern when one considers that Valletta in certain areas has an ageing resident population very much dependant on such outlets.

The names of many streets recalling Malta’s transition from a British Colony to an independent republic have changed, even though some of the older Beltin, me included, still persist in using some of the former street names such as Strada Irjali, now Republic Street. In some ways I am definitively nostalgic for yesterday’s Valletta. Certainly there have been considerable improvements. The restoration of many historic buildings is laudable, apart from other positive changes. However, the flooding of central Valletta with outlets almost exclusively catering for tourists raises some concern when such outlets impact negatively the quality of life of residents.

Tourism is a mainstay of the Maltese economy. There’s no doubt about that. But in catering for tourism there are key norms that must be adhered to. One such norm is finding the correct balance between the rights of residents and those of the commercial community. Two issues that constantly feature amongst the complaints of people still living in Valletta that impact needlessly on their quality of life are excessive blaring music late at night and the placing of tables and chairs at times literally blocking public passageways and access to private residences. Live and let live by all means. But do so respecting the rights of residents. Regrettably the sense of community in Valletta seems to be gradually receding. Many Beltin are leaving Valletta to live elsewhere in Malta and I don’t blame them.

A few pockets that hark back to Valletta’s past such as Triq tad-Deheb, remain, but for how long?  Much of central Valletta has been taken over for tourism purposes. Try walking through the upper part of Merchants Street in what is or rather was a fairly wide street. Not that many years ago there was virtually no outdoor street furniture cluttering Merchants Street. Now navigating through the restaurant tables coupled with the crowds can at times be quite challenging especially for the elderly. Possibly even worse is the situation doing down the steps in Sta Lucia Street or Saint John’s Street. Few seem to realise that if such a situation persists, we will all end up losing.

Finally, a word about dress code. Beach wear in Valletta seems to be catching on this summer. A not uncommon sight during these hot summer days is to see some pretty girl walking through Valletta’s streets in her bikini. Whilst some may take me to task for pointing this out, I do believe that a minimum of decorum is called for.

Unless tangible measures are taken in short order then we seriously risk turning Valletta into a baroque Paceville; a skeleton of a once thriving city.

The views expressed are the author's own