''Twixt Love and Duty'', Leo Dryden〔Leo Dryden was best known for patriotic songs.〕 has his hands full, to say nothing of his voice, which is equally full . . . Charles Ross, of Gaiety fame, so well known as the ''Dainty Champion'',〔Charles Ross had recently performed this role, in burlesque, at the Gaiety〕 secures rounds of applause by the rendering of his new characteristic song entitled ''She’s a real good mother'' . . . James Fawn〔James Fawn (1850-1923) was the originator of the well known music hall song, ''(If you want to know the time) Ask a Policeman''〕 wants to know who cuts the policemen out? Why the soldier whom Fawn impersonated to the very life. He does like to be in the know, you know, equally so with his hearers, who would willingly sit out a whole night with him if he’d keep them ''in the know'' all the time, but James must draw the line somewhere, so he draws it at Gatti’s.〔(Kipling's ''My Great and Only'' (notes by David Page) ) accessed 17 Oct 2007〕

The only hall which appealed to we two inveterate Bohemians was a funny little one under the arches of Charing Cross Bridge where aspirants to fame were given a trial with a view to a possible engagement in one or the other of the important halls. Thus they were 'tried on the dog', as the ordeal was called, and many a famous artiste started his or her career under the 'old arches'.
I remember seeing there the début of the Levy sisters, who became such favourites and made such fortunes afterwards. There was no stage at the 'Old Arches', only a platform in the centre of the hall, where sat enthroned the manager at a rostrum when he announced each item of the programme together with the name of the artiste about to perform and tapped the desk before him with a wooden hammer. The audience sat on seats and benches all round the central platform, very much as they do round a prize-ring. A few privileged members in the audience were permitted to sit on the platform with the manager, but this privilege entailed the obligation to pay for that gentleman's drinks.〔(''Links in the Chain of Life'' Baroness Orczy ) accessed 16 Oct 2007〕