Squats, Street Theatre, Skateboarding and More: a walking tour of Selly Oak’s radical spaces
Time and Date: 14:00 – 16:00, Sunday 23rd August 2026
Location: meet at the Bournbrook Pavillion, Aston Webb Boulevard finishes at Touchbase Pears on Bristol Road
Overview
Viewed while crawling along the Bristol Road from the top deck of the 61 or 63, Selly Oak seems the archetypical Birmingham suburb. Ranks of Victorian terraces, inter-war semis, and newish flats slope up hillsides. Major roads are peppered with cookie cutter retail parks and shopping parades of takeaways. An early 21st Century mise en scene given a dash of local flavour by the all seeing eye of the Birmingham Uni’s “Old Joe” signifying how the university’s tripling in size over the last 30 years has shaped the area’s character.
This walking tour looks to the past and present to tell another story of Selly Oak, where tenants blockaded roads to get council houses; libertarian communist groups squatted derelict buildings creating social centres, print workshops and advice clinics; A Maoist bookshop stood opposite what’s now Aldi and precarious migrant metalworkers launched weeks long strikes. Bringing things up to the present we’ll be visiting a DIY skatepark built guerrilla style on land long neglected by the council and now a thriving community asset.
Could these radical currents have something to do with Selly Oak’s historic position at the crux between three counties? Come along and decide what you think.
PAY WHAT YOU FEEL. Walkspace doesn’t receive any regular funding but it costs money and a great deal of time and effort to keep this show on the road. If you are in a position to please donate what you can, however no one will be denied a place due to lack of funds. Walkspace members may determine their own discount.
Additional Info
Meet Josh Allen at the public square outside Bournbrook Pavilion, Aston Webb Boulevard at 2pm on Saturday 23rd August. The route is just under 2 miles and finishes outside Touch Base Pears on the Bristol Road. We’ll be walking at a gentle pace with regular stops along the way. We aim to be finished by 4pm.
Surfaces will all be hard tarmac, bricks or slabs. There are no steps involved, but several inclines, some of which are pretty steep. Bring drinking water.