Hurst Street (West Side)

If we had gone back to when Hurst Street was built at the turn of the 18th century we’d have found that this stretch between Sherlock Street and Kent Street was lined with no fewer than ten courts of back to back houses. There were another three on the other side of the street. Close your eyes and you can almost picture the folk living in these courts staggering out of the Roebuck and crossing the road to try and find the entry that led to their home!

As with many of the houses in the area that faced the street, they had become shops, or other businesses. Between Sherlock Street and Kent Street the following businesses were listed in 1921: a plumber, a woodturner, a baker, a furniture dealer and another baker. Then there was: a coal dealer, a cycle tyre repairer, a grocer and a “beer retailer” (that could be an outdoor). They were followed by a draper, a newsagent, a greengrocer and a hairdresser. Finally, up to the corner were a “shopkeeper” (could be a general store), a stationer and a confectioner – the last two were were run by Harry & Marion Smallwood, presumably husband and wife. It seems that the residents of Hurst Street and the neighbouring streets didn’t have to travel very far to get the majority of life’s essentials, especially bread!

By 1939 all these had been demolished apart from the confectionery shop on the corner of Kent Street which was by now run by William Jones. They were replaced by a garage for Fisher & Ludlow (who, of course, has a factory over the road!). By the 1950s this had been taken over by the Post Office who used it to maintain their vans and lorries.

Since the Post Office left the building it has been used as a pay & display car park, with a section near to Sherlock Street used as “Terror Park” called “Panic” operated by “Twisted Attractions” which opened in 2015. The Birmingham Mail reported that: “Blood-soaked nurses and twisted test patients are waiting to greet you inside Birmingham’s newest horror maze Panic! Billed as a cross between the Crystal Maze and horror movie, Panic! sees teams of six to eight sent in to the darkened warehouse to investigate a series of murders. But not all will be as it seems as they meet bandaged and bleeding test patients waiting to sever you with a spade along the way. This time, it’s not just a race to escape the sinister surroundings”.

If sounds as if it’s up your (Hurst) street then sadly it’s too late. By mid-2020 the site had been cleared, including properties on the adjacent Lower Essex Street. At the moment (2021) there is an open-air car park on the site – handy now the Skinner Lane one has gone.

So, it’s onward and upward. We’ll go now up to the corner of Kent Street to see what delights we have for you there!!

The building that stands on the corner of Hurst Street and Kent Street here is an “adult entertainment club” called Medusa Lodge. It is described in the “Design My Night” website as follows: “Medusa Lodge, is a burlesque and gentlemen’s club in the city’s gay village. Medusa follows a 1920s feel, with a black and purple color palette to build its burlesque vibe alongside VIP booths and a menu of deluxe drinks. The venue aims to shift its appeal from lap-dancing alone, to burlesque and unique events to appeal to a more female clientele. Head on down for a dazzling and titillating night.”

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Medusa replaced another club called “Route” that closed around 2012. The building had a makeover after this losing its understated art-deco exterior. The building has has housed these clubs probably replaced the small court of back to back houses and the confectionery shop on the corner that had been run by William Jones.

We are ready to turn into Kent Street, but before we do, let’s hear the tale about the trees that we can see in the above photograph.