New book uncovers the hidden charms of Sharrow Vale community

“You won't get to the root of what makes Sheffield special by spending a day here,” he adds.

“I think perhaps it isn’t all as accessible as it should be, but there’s such a lot going on under the surface, in all of its many communities, it's a city that deserves to be explored.”

It's clear, after chatting with Darren for just a few minutes, that the Heeley-based photographer, who moved to Sheffield just five years ago, still considers himself something of a newcomer to the steel city.

“I think with Sheffield there's this theme that we see time and time again, of people arriving in the city – whether it's for work or as student at the university - and staying here for years, maybe even for a lifetime.

“It really does have a special charm that draws people in and that cannot be denied.”

And it's this charm that Darren has chosen to explore in his brand new book, ‘Sharrow Vale and the Antiques Quarter.’

The book, which was commissioned by The History Press, seeks to celebrate two of Sheffield’s most diverse and developing communities, unfolding the artistic and the vibrant things on offer, whilst also delving deeper into the core values that hold the community together.

The History Press is the UK's largest dedicated history publisher, covering a range of topics and bringing exceptional people, places and events to life. It publishes around 300 books per year, and features a backlist of over 12,000 titles.

“The History Press wanted me to produce a collection of street photography focusing on a certain area, or areas, of the city," explains Darren, aged 36.

“They wanted to focus on an area of Sheffield that is undergoing change in its community, where there is a general feeling of regeneration.

“I briefly considered looking at somewhere like Kelham Island, then I began to think closer to home, right on my own doorstep, and that’s when I thought of Sharrow Vale.

“It was really nice to have a good reason to photograph my own neighbourhood.”

Darren, who considers himself a documentary street photographer and photo journalist, moved to Sheffield with his partner from the South coast back in 2015.The book he’s created features around 120 images of Sharrow Vale, which Darren said he took over the course of nearly two years.

“I usually get just a few months, or less, so it was a treat to be able to spend that kind of time,” he added.

“I love to explore heritage and history in photos.

“The street photography element of what I do comes in because I love to document day-to-day life, and that’s the same whether you’re in Morocco, or South Africa, or in a city like Sheffield.

“My main aim is to give anybody looking at the images an idea of the home life of the place I’m showing them.

“When I started on this particular project, I had this fascinating starting point of Abbeydale Road and the Picture House in my head.

“Abbeydale Road has such an interesting mix of traditional shops and businesses and communities, alongside new bars and restaurants.

“With Sharrow Vale, it’s almost a natural extension, as you move onto the Antiques Quarter, Queens Road, and Ecclesall Road.

“You have quite a nice middle-class leafy area, and then Sharrow Vale running almost through the middle of it, with that continuation of nice and interesting independent businesses.

“It’s a community that feels like it's been there for a while.

"I also like that Sharrow Vale has that wonderful community identity with the market – which is the mainstay of the community – and the way the whole area seems to have embraced social media. It’s an area of the city that really holds your interest, and works to make its presence known.

“It also has this wonderful diary of events, with markets and festivals happening around all year long, which make it a wonderful place to go exploring with a camera.”

And when it comes to exploring, Darren is the first to admit he made the most of his assignment, exploring everything Sharrow Vale has to offer.

“I probably took 3,000 photographs over the course of 18 months to two years – it's a good thing I know how to edit,” he laughed.

“I like to shoot a lot when I’m working, especially if I'm intent on getting a feel for a community.

“I found that I was looking at this place I had lived for a number of years through different eyes, with a different access, and it was a fascinating process which uncovered and revealed so much.

“The main things I found were the differences in the make-up of each community; photographing out on the streets of Abbeydale Road and London Road there’s such a strong mix of ethnicities and different people going about their business, then you head over to Ecclesall Road where there’s plenty of student life.

“It was the stark differences that surprised me, these pockets of communities, where there were such differences.”

And despite the fact the book forms part of a new photography series from The History Press, Darren is keen to emphasise that the book is very much about capturing the present.

“I focused on representing the now,” he said.

“This is a community that’s changing, of course, and I feel like the purpose of the book is to capture it right at that moment of change.

“I didn’t really go out with an agenda, and I certainly wasn't thinking I was trying to capture something that was disappearing, but I can't deny it's changed a lot in the five years I've been there, and I’m sure it will continue to change, so that in another ten years it will be completely different again.

“In recent years I’ve noticed many more new young independent businesses popping up; it’s definitely what I’d call a ‘hip’ area.”

The book, Sharrow Vale and the Antiques Quarter, will be officially released next week, on December 6, just in time for Christmas.

In addition to his many images, it features an 800 word introduction by Darren on the Sheffield neighbourhood that he is proud to call home.

A book launch event will be held at Abbeydale Picture House, on Abbeydale Road, on December 14, from 1pm to 4pm.

Darren said: “There’s going to be an exhibition of images from the book on display at the Picture House that Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 4pm.

“The exhibition will be sponsored by Harrison cameras, and then the launch will be held Saturday afternoon.

“The book launch and signing is being sponsored by Rhyme and Reason on Ecclesall Road, who will also be handling all the book sales on the day.

“I'm going to be doing a very short talk, on my experience of compiling the book and the communities themselves.

“This will be followed by a talk from Mike Higginbottom, a fantastic local historian who is going to talk those attending the event through a brief history of the Picture House, followed by drinks.

“Everyone is welcome to attend, and I’m really looking forward to chatting with people about this fantastic community – a place that I’m proud to call home.”

Visit thehistorypress.co.uk for more details on the book and to pre-order your copy. Visit Eventbrite for tickets to the book launch.