Tour of the Gay Village in Southside
It's Pride Month 2020, the annual Pride Parade can't take place in Birmingham for obvious reasons. Here we will look at the buildings / pubs of the Gay Village in Southside, taken over the years. Plus some of the sculptures and public art on display. Down the bottom of Hurst Street and some of the side streets. Welcome to the Chinese Gay Quarter Village! (overlap)
Hurst Street
The Village Inn seen on Hurst Street in Southside during March 2011.
dndimg alt="The Village Inn" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
It dates to the early 19th century and the ground floor was rebuilt in 1887 by C.J. Hodson. The pub has been altered again in recent years.
dndimg alt="The Village Inn" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The pub was proudly flying the rainbow gay flag on it's flagpoles.
dndimg alt="The Village Inn" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The Village Inn was also on the corner of Hurst Street with Skinner Lane.
dndimg alt="The Village Inn" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Next up was The Angel on the corner of Kent Street and Hurst Street. It was formerly a car showroom built in 1931 by Alfred J. Dunn. It's at 125 Hurst Street.
dndimg alt="The Angel" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (5).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The Angel was a Cafe Bar at Wynner House.
dndimg alt="The Angel" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (6).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
In the same building was Amsterdam XXX. An Adult Shop and Cinema. Was also formerly part of the car showroom of the past.
dndimg alt="Amsterdam XXX" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (March 2011) (7).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Now onto January 2015. The Devils Kitchen was on Kent Street, not far from Hurst Street. It was next to a venue called Sidewalk. Which was a Coffee House. They also serve Cocktails, Ciders and Beers. As well as being a Music Bar. It replaced The Angel by 2012.
dndimg alt="The Devils Kitchen" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Jan 2015) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
When open, you could have a take away Cheese Burger for £2.50. Cold drinks was £1.00.
dndimg alt="The Devils Kitchen" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Jan 2015) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
In April 2018 a look at Sidewalk from Kent Street. The Devils Kitchen was to the left.
dndimg alt="Sidewalk" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Apr 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
In July 2018 a first look at the Rhinestone Rhino sculpture. It was seen above The Urban Kitchen at the corner of Hurst Street and Bromsgrove Street. There was a red baseball cap on it's front horn. Was on the top of Wynner House.
dndimg alt="Rhinestone Rhino" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (July 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Took it again in October 2018. As well as the red cap there was a multicoloured scarf around it's neck. Made in 2012 by the artists Emma Butler, Vikki Litton and Robbie Coleman. It was unveiled in time for Birmingham Pride 2012. It was made of a polystyrene mould, carved into a rhino shape and then coated in fibreglass.
dndimg alt="Rhinestone Rhino" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst Street (Oct 2018) (4).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Also seen on Hurst Street at Wynner House during October 2018 was Equator Bar. Decorated for Halloween. I called it Halloween Horrors at the time. It is to the right of Sidewalk and was formerly part of a car showroom.
dndimg alt="Equator Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Oct 2018) (2).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
A skeleton hanging from the Equator Bar sign.
dndimg alt="Equator Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Oct 2018) (1).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Inside was a ghostly skeleton in red, white and black. They serve coffees and teas here.
dndimg alt="Equator Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Oct 2018) (3).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Next up Hurst Street views from August 2015. On the side of Missing Bar. There is a statue of Marilyn Monroe on the top, and street art at the bottom.
dndimg alt="Missing Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Aug 2015) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
I would assume that Marilyn Monroe was a gay icon. Sadly she died young in 1962 at the age of 36 (of an overdose).
dndimg alt="Missing Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Aug 2015) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The street at at the bottom looks like a pair of eagles firing lasers at a cube. With a dancing lady in the middle. The art was painted over in 2017.
dndimg alt="Missing Bar" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Aug 2015) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
To the left of that is a shop called CZ Birmingham. With clothes that LGBT people would like. It's at The Arcadian.
dndimg alt="CZ Birmingham" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Hurst St (Aug 2015) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Essex Street and Lower Essex Street
In December 2017 a look at the street art at Nightingale. On the corner of Kent Street and Lower Essex Street. The artwork was by Inke, and says Love is Love.
dndimg alt="Nightingale" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Kent St (Dec 2017) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
This side of Nightingale on Kent Street. Clearly painted for Birmingham Pride.
dndimg alt="Nightingale" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Gay Village Kent St (Dec 2017) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
On Essex Street in March 2011. A look at 23 Essex Street. Known at the time as the Queens Tavern.
dndimg alt="Queens Tavern" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Queens Tavern Essex St (March 2011) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
It was built in 1894-95 by James & Lister Lea. They were famed all over Birmingham for designing and buildings pubs in the City.
dndimg alt="Queens Tavern" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Queens Tavern Essex St (March 2011) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
At the time there was a pink pub sign for Queens Tavern.
dndimg alt="Queens Tavern" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Queens Tavern Essex St (March 2011) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
An update in January 2013, as the pub had a make over with a new pub sign, andwas now called the Queen Elizabeth. The building is at the corner of Inge Street, so it was quite close to the Birmingham Hippodrome and the Back to Backs.
dndimg alt="Queens Tavern" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Queens Tavern Essex St (Jan 2013) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The new pub sign (at the time) resembled a postage stamp of Queen Elizabeth II.
dndimg alt="Queens Tavern" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Queens Tavern Essex St (Jan 2013) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Another rebrand by May 2014. The pub was now calling itself Priva. Probably a nightclube or strip club? It is still called Priva to this day, but they repainted the outside in red (but is still black at the top).
dndimg alt="Queens Tavern" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Queens Tavern Essex St (May 2014).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Sherlock Street
Eden seen on Sherlock Street during March 2011. It was formerly calledThe White Swan and located at 116 Sherlock Street, near Hurst Street.
dndimg alt="Eden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Eden Sherlock St (March 2011) (1).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
The White Swan was built in the early 19th century, but was completely recast in 1937 by J.B. Surman.
dndimg alt="Eden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Eden Sherlock St (March 2011) (2).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
At the time Eden had all of these Eden banners on the Sherlock Street facade.
dndimg alt="Eden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Eden Sherlock St (March 2011) (3).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
On the side was painted a Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey advert. Old No 7 Brand.
dndimg alt="Eden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Eden Sherlock St (March 2011) (4).JPG" style="width: 100%;" />
Eden was lit up after dark in December 2018. Seen from the no 45 bus on Sherlock Street. by this point there was a Smirnoff advert painted onto the side of the gay pub. They also painted the bottom half of the pub green.
dndimg alt="Eden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Eden Sherlock St (Dec 2018).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Another after dark shot of Eden from October 2019. This time seen from a no 35 bus. Both times lit up in rainbow colours. Was a bit too many reflections from the bus window on the top deck. Could see the Hurst Street side from here.
dndimg alt="Eden" dndsrc="../uploadedfiles/Eden Sherlock St (Oct 2019).jpg" style="width: 100%;" />
Sherlock Street gave it's name to Sherlock Holmes as author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was at one point based in Birmingham. He also got the Hound of the Baskervilles from the Baskerville typeface. But that's all for a different post.
Photos taken by Elliott Brown.
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