I discover the real point of Needless Alley in Birmingham city centre

Walking through New Street on a wet and slightly windy Monday afternoon, I decided to have a hot chocolate at one of the German Market's stalls to warm myself up.

After grabbing the drink with both hands to get some heat to my fingers, I noticed the eye-catching street sign - Needless Alley - to my left-hand-side. I've walked past the alleyway a number of times, but for whatever reason it peaked my interest.

The name Needless Alley made me chuckle. Why would anyone name a side-street needless? the fact it was empty made me think that the name does actually suit it today, but I wondered what the real reason was behind its name.

Was someone in a slightly bad mood when they came up with the name? were on of the businesses that used to trade on the alley having some sort of existential crisis? I decided to have a little stroll up the alley that connects New Street with Temple Row to see if I could gain some insight.

Apart from a few broken bottles, a deserted jacket and rubbish bins that were waiting to be collected, there's obviously not much to admire today about the side street, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll find out it's actually steeped in history and its unusual name has even inspired a new novel.

Today, the alley separates some of New Street's biggest stores including Tesco as well as the likes of the Ecco boutique, but there are no shops directly open on the street itself. I asked a couple of passersby why they think it might be called Needless Alley.

One resident - appropriately called Ally - said he wasn't sure, but thinks it could have something to do with needles being left down the street. A couple of other people I asked looked slightly bewildered by my question with one man replying: Yeah, I'm not sure mate."

Nevertheless, I soldiered on. I then came across a couple of lads who had just finished their shift at work. One of them, called Alan, then told me he thinks he knows the reason behind its name as he's heard about it before.

He said: "I think it's name is because of something to do with gun making and something to do with ladies of the night once upon a time during Victorian times." Do they think the name suits the alleyway? His friend then interjected: "It's empty, and homeless people sleep down here, I think that's why it's needless?" he said.

Alan then said: "It's not somewhere I'd want to walk down at 2am in the morning."

So, a few different theories there, but what's the real reason behind the name? well, it turns out Alan wasn't too far off. Dr Ian Cawood told BBC News back in 2017 that it's likely the alleyway's name was actually originally called 'Needlers' Alley' as there were a lot of Needle makers on the alley back in the 1970s.

In fact, there were a few businesses open on the alley in years gone by. Mr Bills music venue was also a very popular nightclub on the alley back in the 1980s.

Dr Cawood said the ladies of the night prostitution story could also have played a part in the alleyway's name today and that both theories are a possibility, but there's no way to know for certain.

Get a bespoke headline round-up, as well as breaking updates, when you sign up to BirminghamWorld’s free emails The alley has even inspired a debut novel. Local writer Natalie Barlow, from Nuneaton, released her critically acclaimed Needless Alley earlier this year. The book follows private detective William Garret in 1930s Birmingham, and his office is located on the alley. The PI makes a living catching out the unfaithful wives of wealthy men. He's then hired by a fascist politician to investigate his wife's alleged affair which leads him down a murky path.

The novel earned rave reviews upon its release. The Financial Times said: "Marlow's very engaging protagonist may herald the birth of a new genre: Midlands Noir." The Daily Mail review, read: "Transplanting the hardboiled Hollywood noir of the 1940s to the backstreets of 1933 Birmingham, Needless Alley has all the seamy glitter and cynical grime of the genre."

Walking up and down Needless Alley today, you certainly won't think much of it and it's hard to image it was once home to a number of businesses. But, as Natalie's novel shows, it's another little piece of Birmingham city centre's history that still provides inspiration.