I went to the old Marks and Spencer in Birmingham and it scared me to death

Even since the new Marks and Spencer store opened in the choir arena in November, the question has arisen; what will happen to the old high street store now that the brand has moved in? It was a difficult answer.

M&S was unable to share any information about it when we asked, nor was the company that owns so much of the city centre. Yesterday, I thought I’d take a walk down to the old store, see if I could spot any signs of movement in the grand old location.

There are no ‘for rent’ or ‘for sale’ signs anywhere, just a banner saying where the new M&S store is, plus some fliers stuck up in support of Palestine. Other than that, everything is closed and unremarkable.

Read more: I walked along the amazing street in Birmingham that has the worst vibes in the city

Sign up to Brum Food Club’s free weekly newsletter for updates on what’s happening in the town’s food and drink scene.

I found a gap in the window stickers and looked inside to see nothing but a dark and empty space. With so much potential and so much space to occupy, I wonder what such a gigantic unit could take up – I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below if you’d be happy to share them.

This end of town really needs something good because it’s all looking pretty bleak. Downstairs, Beauty Central, a bright and lively destination for hair care, wigs and more, felt like the only good reasons to bother heading down towards Dale End. Sure, there’s a Boots, but there’s one in New Street and a big one up in the choir arena.

I went into the Card Factory to see how things were going there, just in time to see an angry man shouting at a member of staff, calling her all sorts of disgusting names and pointing at her face. She radioed for support, saying she had been asked by “two thieves” to go and they were unwilling to comply. A man lost his cool at the accusation.

It was all pretty scary and I was scared to death for the woman, so without really thinking I walked over and strategically positioned myself right between them, pretending to be looking at the cards so I wouldn’t could get closer to her than he already did. it was if he decided to go after her. It was a gut decision that could have gone horribly wrong in hindsight. I didn’t want to interfere, but I didn’t want to leave her to fend for herself.

I only got to the nose and now I was freaking out – you kept reading horror stories from the town and I was worried for her as she was just trying to do her job. How often does this happen?

The member of staff was taking it all in stride but she really shouldn’t have – retail staff aren’t paid anywhere near enough to have to put up with such terrible treatment when they’re just trying to get by. I wondered if there were more people around, more shops open to visit, and a more steady flow of foot traffic, would it have been so easy for the antagonist to treat her like this?

Once the situation had aired, I bypassed Union Street and headed straight for one of my favorite places in Brum, the Great Western Arcade, where everything feels a little livelier. Safer.

It’s just alarming now that things can change so quickly when you’re just one road away. It reminds me of that time I was in Los Angeles and a wrong turn took me from bright lights, a big city to Skid Row, where the mansions are on a hill, looking down on square miles of slums. Is that where we’re headed?!

Whenever a stranger tells me they hear Birmingham is “tough”, I usually shrug. But down the old M&S this week? I feel like I understand what they mean when they say something like that. Which is the solution?

If you have any insight into the plans for the old M&S, get in touch and let me know (I’m on [email protected]). What’s the answer to making this corner of town feel safer? Tell us in the comments below.