Launch night of ‘Iconic Images’ Pop Up Exhibition by Chard Remains Photographical

Ian Tilton’s 20 Iconic Images, including that of The Stone Roses, The Cure and Nirvana, is being exhibited in the old Sly building at 36 Division Street with the empty retail space being offered by Henry Boot PLC.

Ian Tilton and Sheffield Illustrator George Law at the launch night of ‘Iconic Images’ Pop Up Exhibition by Chard Remains Photographical

The exhibition, which runs from 6-19 May, is a collaboration between Common People CIC, the International Digital Media Academy and Ian Tilton, who have come together to support local artists and photographers by displaying and selling their work alongside Ian’s own. They also hope to demonstrate what can be achieved by creative and commercially viable tenants from Sheffield’s independent retailers.

Here is a video made by SevenHillsFilms about the ‘Iconic Images’ exhibition and Common People:

Too many empty spaces

Common People aims to use pop up exhibitions such as Iconic Images to highlight the advantages of occupying empty spaces within the city centre. The company has been set up to work towards the regeneration of empty retail space within the city centre by developing opportunities for creative and commercially viable tenants from within Sheffield’s independent community.

The old Sly building on Division Street by Chard Remains Photographical

Felicity Hoy, director of Common People CIC, said:

“With high rent prices independents are losing faith in high street retail. We aim to experiment with empty shops and rethink what the high street is and open these shops up to an independent market to inspire people to get back in to city centre retail.”

Flick, who is 27 and grew up in Sheffield, highlighted the current situation of the Sevenstone development project, Hammerson’s ‘retail regeneration scheme’ in the centre of Sheffield. The scheme was put on hold in 2008 due to the economic slump and has not been revived since, despite attempts by the council and Hammersons to do so. Flick believes that large sections of empty shops in the city centre deter ‘decent’ retailers from wanting to trade in the city and that independents can fill these gaps.

There are already many independent shops, cafes and artists in Sheffield, however Flick, who also owns The Sheffield Girl Times, said that Common People has set out to help bring some of these independents into the city centre, where there is a larger footfall and to create a more dynamic city centre for Sheffield.

Launch night of ‘Iconic Images’ Pop Up Exhibition by Chard Remains Photographical

Meanwhile Use

Common People proposes to bring landlords and independents in Sheffield together through the concept of ‘Meanwhile Use’. According to the Meanwhile Space project, this is the temporary use of empty buildings for a socially beneficial purpose until the property can be brought back into commercial use. Flick said their aim is to provide an opportunity for local independent retailers to grow and develop unused spaces in the city centre, by creating a process whereby the landlords of these unused spaces can offer formal leases to these independent retailers.

Common People, who is working with the Sheffield City Council in this process, will ask landlords and independents to agree to an eight month Meanwhile Use Lease, which they hope will evolve into formal leases at the end of a trial period. The agreement will allow landlords to break the lease at any time and to give the tenant a grace period to end a trial period if they wish to do so.

The old Sly building on Division Street by Chard Remains Photographical

Flick said that this process will save landlords money whilst they wait for a commercial option and hopefully lead to independents becoming viable commercial choices. Landlords save money on maintenance, insurance and utility bills as the occupier covers these.  The awareness of the potential of an empty space can also be increased through attractive, eye-catching projects happening within these spaces. Flick said:

“This is quite a big thing in other big cities and I think it is the only way things can be done right now. The Sheffield City Council also wants to bring small businesses into the city centre, which is why they have brought in the 100% rates relief for small businesses until 2014 and hopefully that will continue after next year.”

Campaigning to stop betting shops taking over empty spaces

The Iconic Images Pop Up exhibition is the beginning of a process whereby Common People hopes to encourage landlords such as Henry Boot PLC to choose socially beneficial as well as commercially viable tenants for their empty buildings.

Ian Tilton at the launch night of ‘Iconic Images’ Pop Up Exhibition by Chard Remains Photographical

Flick is currently drawing up a report and proposal for the landlord of Henry Boot PLC, arguing against the offer of a tenancy to the large betting company William Hill. Flick said that this is important because, whilst William Hills seems like a commercially viable option, she believes they will have a negative social impact on Division Street in Sheffield due to the type of customers they will attract to the area.

Community Hubs for independents

Common People also aims to create a community café in the city centre which will be a viable community alternative to chains like Costa Coffee and Starbucks as well as a hub where members of Common People can come together and share their expertise and worries.

Flick said they are hoping to get funding to be able to put on good quality talks and events which will reach out to the independent organisations and social community groups in Sheffield, offering them useful advice and enterprise support, as well as a place where they can hold their own events. Flick hopes the café will be a space where the public can access the art, music and creative skills independents have to offer as well as to promote independent caterers within Sheffield.

Launch night of ‘Iconic Images’ Pop Up Exhibition by Chard Remains Photographical

Common People is currently designing their website on which they will sign up their current 300 members and offer the chance for more members to join. Their aim is that the website will provide a hub on the web where everyone will be able to share common campaigns and interests. There will be a newsletter and a forum and Common People will act as a liaison between their members and landlords within the city centre who have empty spaces that could be leased.

Flick believes that big chains are not good for Sheffield’s city centre as she says they have no connection to the people of Sheffield and do not bring people into the city centre. She believes that chains create a manufactured culture and do not allow space for the culture of the city to grow. Listen to Flick’s comments here:

To find out more about the Iconic Images Pop Up Exhibition or Common People go to: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Common-People/466765956723122

Sheffield Unchained popped into the Spring Market to round off a great week visiting the independents in the Quarter and finding out the stories behind their businesses.

Here is a slideshow of some photographs we took as we browsed around the market:

Sheffield Unchained also had a chat with the Antiques Quarter chair Hendrika Stephens about the week’s events:

“It has been fabulous for the Sheffield Antiques Quarter to take part in National Antiques Week. The quarter came together a year ago and this is the first time we have taken part in this national focus and it has helped to place Sheffield on the antiquing map.

“The market was a great success and a perfect end to our celebration of National Antiques Week. We estimate about 3000 people came and there was a good flow of people all day at the market and throughout the quarter. Traders had good sales all round including the local arts, retro clothes, fresh bread, antiques and vintage wares.

“The mix of businesses represented was good and many of the 40 involved came from within the Antiques Centres but there were also a number from outside of the quarter. This would be good to build on for future events, involving related businesses in Shalesmore and Sharrowvale and in other parts of the city.”

Sheffield needs to value independents

Hendrika felt that knowing the stories behind independents was useful for the Quarter and expressed her thoughts on the value of independents:

“Sheffield Unchained has told the real stories behind our businesses in this past week and has provided great, in-depth insights into the Quarter. This is of considerable benefit to the quarter itself, helping us to get to know each other better. This increasing of knowledge and understanding can only have a positive knock on effect of increasing the respect we have for one another and for cohesion.

“We hope we can support Sheffield Unchained and the exceptional role that they are playing to highlight the positive and invaluable aspects of independents in Sheffield. The very nature of independents offers something unique to Sheffield. As a hugely creative and artistic city, Sheffield needs to make the most of this and embrace it.”

The Vault

In October 2011 Tracy Webb transformed The Vault from a 100-year-old bank on the corner of the Abbeydale and Sheldon Road into an arts, crafts and vintage centre. Since then The Vault has come under new management by a former Martial Arts teacher.

Dianne Hayes started at The Vault as a trader in August 2012:

“I was into making handicraft and revamping clothes and bags. Tracy and I sort of hit it off and after a month I stopped doing the clothes and started doing Vintage. Then I started working for Tracy on a voluntary basis and I just loved it.”

Dianne showing customers the Antiques Quarter leaflet in The Vault

Martial Arts to Vintage

Dianne, 46, has only been a trader since August 2012, before that she spent over twenty years helping her husband teach Martial Arts. Dianne’s husband, Mark Hayes has been doing Martial Arts since he was 16 years old and he is the world champion in Eskrima, which is Philipino stick fighting. Mark teaches at the Combined Fighting Arts Centre near Devonshire Green in Sheffield.

Mark’s instructors Dan Inosanto and Richard Bustillo were the senior instructors under Bruce Lee before he died. Dianne said that Mark is now qualified under Dan and Richard to teach Jeet Kune Do, which is a martial arts system developed by Bruce Lee.

Dianne and Mark met when Mark almost ran Dianne over on a motorbike:

“I was friends with Mark’s brother and I was talking to him and his mates, when I turned around and Mark ran into me with his motorbike and knocked me over. So I made him take me out for a drink as punishment and he has been punished ever since.”

Dianne has lived in Sheffield all her life and has three girls aged 27, 19 and 14. Dianne stopped teaching Martial Arts when she found that she couldn’t train after she had to have surgery on her knees. Dianne was quick to point out that the surgery had nothing to do with Martial Arts. She said she found it hard to be involved when she couldn’t train with her husband, so she started drifting away from the sport. Dianne said that this was when she started trading in vintage and arts.

The Vault

Just before Christmas in 2012 Tracy informed Dianne that she was going to have to close The Vault as she no longer had the time to run the shop. Dianne offered to take over The Vault and on 18^th March 2013 she became the new owner. Dianne said she is very grateful for all the help she has had from Tracy:

“Tracy is still helping me and pointing me in the right direction with things, which I really appreciate.”

Something for everybody

Dianne said she would describe the new Vault as a place where there is “anything and everything, you’ve got things from a button right up to a three piece suite. Some vintage, some retro, collectors items, shabby chic, ethnic arts and then you’ve got your gallery with artwork, photography and sculptures.”

When Dianne took over The Vault she had been running a tearoom offering tea and scones. However she felt that The Vault needed something different.

Dianne talking to an artist who has a shelf in the Vault

“Tea and scones in Nether Edge is not what people want.” The Vault now houses Mabel’s Cafe, which offers a selection of homemade food, including homemade bread and cakes, coffees and a variety of teas. Dianne said she wants the cafe to be somewhere where people can grab something nice and then browse the shop:

“We’ve got no objections to people buying a coffee and walking around with their coffee looking at the shop.”

Vicky’s Vintage in The Vault

The Quarter’s community spirit

Dianne feels that being part of the Antiques Quarter has created a community spirit and brought more people to the area:

“Its brilliant because if we haven’t got what people are looking for we can pass them on to someone else in the Antiques Quarter, so we help each other out and I don’t think people would do this if we weren’t in the Antiques Quarter. It has also led to us having a lot of visitors from places like Manchester and people are coming specifically to do the Antiques trail. We’ve even had someone come from Edinburgh to pick a up piece of furniture that they had seen a photo of on our facebook page.”

Trader’s shelves in The Vault

Unlike some of the older Antiques shops in the Quarter, The Vault uses social media like twitter and facebook to advertise and trade their items rather than relying entirely on word of mouth:

“We use social media because we are still pretty new, so people don’t always know to come here, but this is already changing as more people learn about The Vault from facebook and The Antiques Quarter.”

The Vault passage way

Read more about The Vault in our previous article, which also talks about the emergence of Sheffield’s Antiques Quarter.

Books for sale in The Vault

Traders shelves in The Vault

Photoshoot outside Timewarp Collectables, photograph by Timewarp

“I don’t want to be mainstream, I like the idea of being quirky, diverting, even confrontational or bewildering.”

Joe Lachowicz, owner of Timewarp Collectables on Abbeydale Road has always had an interest in art and antiques. He said that ever since being a student he has collected antiques and interior design items that are not fashionable or mainstream:

“I’ve always had an interest in shopping for nice things that aren’t just run of the mill and I have always had an interest in art and Antiques. I suppose it started with my scholarship at arts school, then Arts College and then studying History of Art at university.”

Joe has had a varied career; first working in museums and then in the recreation management of sporting facilities and education. Joe was also an athlete and played national volleyball for twenty-two years. He was captain of the Great British Universities and England Universities teams and after that he went on to coach the universities teams. Joe retired from volleyball in his forties and decided to focus his efforts on his love of arts by running an antiques shop.

Joe Lachowicz at Timewarp Collectables, photograph by Timewarp

The first Timewarp was a cooperative at the Nichols building in Shalesmoor. Joe said he had about forty people under his wing and that it was a loose co-operative that they staffed themselves:

“We didn’t want to be under the thumb of the landowner. So we bought ourselves a big space and ran it independently without the tyranny of a landlord.

“We found the collective co-operative model was a fabulous entry for people who wanted to taste the business. They would hire a few shelves, a stall or an area and we would reduce the rent, which was offset against time served dealing with customers. So that was a really good grounding for anyone who wanted to come into the business.”

Timewarp then moved to Langtons Antiques in Heeley as Joe said he struggled to renegotiate a better deal on the area he wanted. Joe then moved Timewarp to Abbeydale road where he has been running the shop on his own for eight years.

‘I don’t like the word ‘retro’’

Joe said he has always dealt in 20^th Century antiques, however he said he does not like being classified as a ‘retro’ shop:

Timewarp Collectables, photograph by Timewarp

“It is original stuff from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s so it is not really retrospective. It would be retrospective if it was an imitation of something from the past period, which is how I understand the correct definition, but it seems the word ‘retro’ has now become a catchall but not an accurate one.

Timewarp is classified as a ‘retro shop’ even if the classification is not as precise and is too loose.”

Joe has been in the ‘retro’ antiques business since the late 80’s and he said that even before then, as mature student, he used to decorate his apartments with the same objects:

“I would go and buy things from thrift shops and junk shops because there were more around then and in those days people didn’t recognise the true value of good design.”

Being independent is a lot more personal

A diverse cliental comes to Timewarp and during our interview the range of customers was evident. Firstly, someone from London came to buy a lantern for a set design for a Warp film being shot in Sheffield. They were followed by a group simply looking for knobs for a set of draws in their house. Joe said that they also get a lot of musicians, artists and interior designers buying from the shop.

He believes that being independent allows him to be more personal with his customers:

“If you are running your own place you have to get a little bit of a cue from people and once they are engaged in conversation with you it is easier to find out what they want and to help them find it.”

Photoshoot outside Timewarp Collectables, photograph by Timewarp

How to choose an antique to sell

Joe said that a lot of his products come from people entering the shop and selling him antiques, however he doesn’t always buy them:

“I am quite precise about what I like and what I don’t like and I often have to let people down gently. For me to want to retail something it would have to have something about its design, its provenance, it has to be something that is better than the ordinary.”

When I asked Joe whether he had criteria for what he buys and sells he read out a list of principles, which reflected his ethos and beliefs about ‘retro’ very clearly:

“I like the idea of future antiques being affordable but I lose interest in the mainstream. If too many people like something I begin to question why these people didn’t like that before, it’s something to do with people being bombarded with what they should be buying. A lot of my customers are what I call ‘the early adopters’ so they are into collecting the things or buying the type of furniture they do, well ahead of everybody else.”

Joe said that he tries not to follow fashion and trends because he believes they are short-lived and turn everyone into ‘copycats’:

Timewarp Collectables, photograph by Timewarp

“I do follow my instincts and trust my experience, I like to use my intellectual knowledge, so I don’t need to Google stuff to know what it is, at the moment there is a lot of Googling going on. The best interior designers I come across are people who know what they want by intuition or the eye, not by what they can get online.

“I also try to buy the things I like or appreciate, I might not like it totally but I like something about it. It might be quirky, or I might like the decoration, the shape or the lack of decoration, it’s all about the aesthetic.”

Joe said he also has a bit of a preoccupation with design and designers. He was quick to point out that this was not in a branding sense, but in the sense that good designers create furniture that will become antiques in the future.

Antiques are green

As part of National Antiques Week, the Sheffield Antiques Quarter are focusing on the ‘greener side’ of antiques. However, Joe said he has been spouting about Antiques and collectables being green for a long time and that it is only recently that people are beginning to understand antiques from that standpoint:

“It is all recyclable, so we are not wasting natural resources to produce anything.”

Joe is very supportive of the Antiques Quarter:

“I think it is a cracking idea and I have been involved from an early stage. We have also been lucky to have the support of the Sheffield City Council in our plans. But it has needed the energy of Hendrika to drive it forwards and fortunately we have had enough people on board who are more concerned about the overall benefit to all of us collectively rather than individually.

“It has made a difference to the footfall and we find that people are doing an excursion around the area. They are still browsers and visitors and they might not be buyers in the first instance, but they are still coming and that is the first stage. They are pilgrims almost and they seem to be following the tour round almost religiously. It has also increased awareness of the Quarter nationally.”

Langton Antiques Centre in Heeley bottom

The family business at Langton’s Sheffield Antiques, now owned by Joe and Jill Mitchell, started in 1870 when Jill’s great, great grandfather James Langton came to Sheffield from Manchester to open a clog shop on Duke Street near the city centre.

With several of his sons in the business the Langtons soon had a ‘shoe empire’ with fourteen shoe shops in Sheffield, Rotherham and the Barnsley area as well as manufacturing their own shoes and boots.

Jill said their motto was ‘Straight from the cows back to the wearer’s feet’:

“We were famous in Sheffield for our boots and we also owned two snooker centres, then called Billiard Halls, in Sheffield and Rotherham.”

However, the manufacturing side of the business closed in the 1920’s and the shoe shops gradually began to deplete after the Sheffield blitz during World War Two, which destroyed a number of shops. When Jill’s father took over the business in the 1960’s, there were just nine shops, one Snooker Centre and a very large warehouse. Jill and her brother, Dave joined the family firm in the 1970’s; Dave became a professional snooker player and took on the Snooker Centre, whilst Jill specialised in wider fitting shoes. Jill said:

“It became harder to compete with department stores and supermarkets selling cheaper brands. In 1998 our family closed the doors on shoes and opened up our Antiques Centre on Heeley bottom.”

Langton Antiques Centre in Heeley bottom

Jill said that the Antiques Centre is the same building as their old shoe shop and warehouse. The building was bought by the Langton family in 1898; they had their shoe shop in the front on London Road, whilst the warehouse was used as a large hay storage area. In the 1960’s the warehouse was a builders yard and then a block paving showroom until Jill and Joe converted it into an Antiques Centre. Jill said that the snooker centre is still on the third floor and is now rented out and thriving:

“It’s been quite a journey for the Langton family, from shoes and snooker to antiques and collectables. The family is proud of our roots in Sheffield business and has adapted well over the years.

“Today our Antique Centre is one of the largest in South Yorkshire, specialising in a huge selection of Militaria, Lorna Bailey pottery, vintage items, furniture and much more.”

Langton Antiques Centre in Heeley bottom

Langtons Antiques has a wide range of antiques and collectables including a ‘50’s fun house with vintage racey and saucy posters and postcards’ as well as what they believe is the largest Victorian art deco and art nouveau and Edwardian collectables in the UK.

They are certainly worth a visit as there is much to explore and photographs simply cannot capture the expanse and range of items in the centre.

Langton Antiques Centre in Heeley bottom

Militaria at Langton Antiques Centre in Heeley bottom

Mabel’s Cafe in The Vault

Sheffield photographer Jacqui Bellamy has opted for a ‘less stressful career’ and opened her own café in The Vault arts and vintage centre in Sheffield’s Antiques Quarter two months ago.

Jacqui has been a photographer and worked in film for the last twenty years, however she said she wanted a different lifestyle and due to health reasons she wanted to do something less stressful and ‘not as full on’:

“If you work in film you are working 90 hour weeks and 15 hour days so it became a bit much and you get fed up with that after so many years. I have always loved cooking and when my friends have been around for food they always like it, so I thought ‘why not try that and sell it?’”

Mabels cafe and Art@TheVault

Jacqui, now in her 40’s, worked as a boom operator and sound recordist for twelve years, working on TV shows such as Last of the Summer Wine and Emmerdale. She then worked as a freelance photographer and sound recordist for eight years.

Jacqui is still the photographer for Sheffield Doc/Fest, which she has been documenting for the last seven years. She also covers many music and film festivals such as Sheffield’s Sensoria and every year she photographs a series of photographs called Latrino Gals. Jacqui describes the project as being inspired by woman visiting the loo together or in groups at clubs.

“It’s about engaging women in spontaneous activity within a space they consider as private. They pose for me in the cubicles, a perfect format framing their vibrant personalities.

“The photos are mostly on-the-fly, using available light, I don’t retouch or use airbrushing. Usually I have no longer than 5 or 10 minutes to capture the image I want. None of the girls are professional models, and I love the mix in how these women respond. The important element of this project is that it is about portraits of ‘normal’ women out at night. Anyone can take part. I like the documentary feel and try to capture a sense of each girl who poses for me.”

Trying something different

Originally from London, Jacqui moved to Sheffield to study Fine Art at Sheffield Hallam University in 1993 and she has lived in the city ever since. Jacqui said she is not new to the catering industry as she used to work in café’s before she moved to Sheffield.

Mabel’s Cafe

“I just wanted to try something different, media work often goes into a lull during the winter so it is nice to have a little business ticking over in the meantime, then you know you have got something to fall back on.”

The name ‘Mabel’s Café’ comes from a mix of Jacqui’s surname with that of another friend with whom she had wanted to open a café. Jacqui also said that this is something her grandma, Mary, would have done when she was a kid, so she has put her grandma’s name together with her surname.  “I also didn’t want people to get mixed up with my photography business Pixelwitch Pictures, so I wanted it to be completely different.”

Mabel’s Café offers home-cooked, wholesome, mostly vegetarian food, with home cooked soups, homemade bread and Spanish tortillas available everyday. Jacqui said that she tries to source all her ingredients locally and ensure that almost everything is home-cooked or bought from reputable bakers and suppliers. She sometimes makes sausage rolls and sources the meat from the Sheffield butcher Moss Valley Fine Meats:

“In the winter I have been doing things like Spanish stew, I do a vegetarian and a chorizo version, the other week I did a nice one with smoked pork and chorizo from the local butchers. I do a vegan Thursday sometimes, chickpea and roasted sweet potatoe curry always goes down well.”

Art@TheVault

Simon Kent’s sculptures in Art@TheVault

Jacqui has also teamed up with artist and sculptor Simon Kent, to launch Art@TheVault, an art gallery housed within The Vault, just behind Mabel’s Café. Jacqui said that the idea behind Art@TheVault is to access an audience that wouldn’t normally go to a gallery to look at art, but rather to allow them to stumble upon the gallery whilst looking for vintage items and then to sit and have a cup of tea and actually look at the art. Jacqui hopes to reach a younger generation as well, through people bringing their children with them into The Vault.

Here are photographs of some of the art currently on display in Art@TheVault:

Jacqui Bellamy’s photographs of Simon Kent’s sculptures at Art@TheVault

Jacqui Bellamy’s photographs of Simon Kent’s sculptures at Art@TheVault

Jacqui Bellamy’s photographs of Simon Kent’s sculptures at Art@TheVault

Christine Merrick in Sheffield Antiques and Not Just Military on Abbeydale Road

Sheffield Antiques is the other half of Not Just Military on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield. Owner and manager Christine Merrick has been in the antiques trade since 1972.

Christine, 64, was inspired to enter the trade by her mother, who had a passion for glass antiques and used to take Christine to antiques markets as a hobby:

“I started out in the 60’s just doing it part time, doing markets with my mum. I then went to art college and developed an interest in restoring old furniture. I couldn’t get a job when I left college so I got a shop instead. That’s when I started and I’ve had shops in numerous places, some in Chesterfield, some in Sheffield but I’ve always been Sheffield Antiques.”

Christine says her interest has always been in period furniture from the 16^th and 17^th centuries. As well as buying and selling antiques, Christine also restores period furniture and her speciality is traditional cane seating. She also teaches workshops in most country crafts such as rug making, rush seating and seagrass seating.

Working together to find antiques

According to Christine the traditional meaning of an antique is anything over 150 years old. She said that anything from 1850 backward is an antique to her, although she said most people accept anything over 100 years old as an antique. Christine collects her antiques the old fashioned way, relying on her reputation as a traditional antiques buyer to find her trade:

“I find my stuff through word of mouth mostly, because I have been in the trade so long a lot of the other dealers know of me. If they find anything traditional they give my number to the seller, as they don’t deal in traditional antiques. We do tend to try and work together, if it is something that someone else deals in and you pass it on.”

Christine is taking an alternative attitude towards the antiques trade in reaction to the growing interest in Retro.

“At the moment I am trying to focus on traditional antiques and to keep away from the Retro. There are so many people doing the Retro side for the young ones and, being older myself, I am trying to cater for the older ones. I buy and sell period country furniture and more traditional antiques. I don’t do modern, I just try and stick to the traditional meaning of antiques and I also do a bit of vintage clothing.”

Christine Merrick and her partner in Sheffield Antiques and Not Just Military on Abbeydale Road

Money isn’t everything

Despite the current economic climate, Christine believes that the new Sheffield Antiques Quarter has added to the footfall in antiques shops in the area:

“We are becoming better known, so more and more people are finding out about us and they are even coming on the train. It is encouraging as money is a lot tighter because of the recession. People are being careful about what they buy, so I have to be very careful how I buy and just put money into things that I think people are going to want, rather than gamble on an item that I think people might buy.”

However, Christine said the fun never goes out of buying and selling antiques and she is very passionate about her job:

“You never know what you are going to find next. I go to shows every weekend, most Sundays I am doing something. So I am always looking around for something that may interest, something that I may want to buy for myself or for something a little bit unusual. There is always what the trade calls ‘the sleeper’; something that you have knowledge of and other people might not have as much knowledge of, car boots sales are great for that.”

“I think I am very lucky in that I have always been able to work at something I love. I probably could have earned a lot more money working for someone else, but I certainly wouldn’t have enjoyed life as much as I have, doing what I am doing. You are not tied to an office and a boss who is telling you what to do and you please yourself how you spend your money and where your money goes, its been an interesting life.”

Not Just Military on Abbeydale Road, Sheffield

“The only reason I’m trading is because my dad was a military dealer and had a gun shop and was a Sheffield legend. So I was brought up around militaria, I went on to train as a chef but then I decided it was too much like hard work, so I decided to go into the trade myself.”

Maxine Smith, 43, has owned Not Just Military, based in the same shop as Sheffield Antiques on Abbeydale road, since October 2011. Not Just Military sells general militaria from WW1 to present day, vintage clothing, military and out of print books. Maxine’s late dad Terry owned Just Military, also on Abbeydale Road between 1985 and 2005.

“We are the only dedicated military business in Sheffield, we provide a lot of services as well as selling miltaria, but we went for the name Not Just Military because my dad’s shop was called Just Military. Everybody knows who we are and we still get a lot of people coming in from back in the day.”

Maxine has been trading in militaria for over twenty years and before she owned a shop, Maxine used to trade solely at militaria and arms fairs, vintage, retro and 1940’s weekend fairs. However, with four children, she found it difficult to get away every weekend, so she decided that running a shop was more suitable. Maxine used to trade from a unit at Langtons Antiques on London Road, however her stock soon grew and Maxine and her friend Christine Merrick, who also had a unit at Langtons, decided to open a shop together.

“When we started here I didn’t want to do it on my own, so I decided to get a friend in, Christine from Sheffield Antiques, so she is like the front of the shop and I am the back.”

Maxine compares her business model to Aunty Wainwright’s shop in the long running BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine: “We’ve got something for everybody.”

Not Just Military sells books, magazines and publications of interest to militaria antiques collectors; they also sell rare antique and specialist militaria as well as equipment, uniforms, weapons and medals. The shop also offers a full medal service, including medal mounting for events like Remembrance Sunday. They often hire out military costumes and militaria for film props:

“We’ve just done a really good hire for Derby University. They were making a short film where they needed all the accessories; knives, forks, spoons, bags and a shaving kit.”

Maxine thinks the Antiques Quarter is ‘the most fabulous thing’:

“This used to be the antiques road. When I was a kid I used to get in a car with my dad and we’d spend the whole day here, half the day down one side and the other half down the other.”

She believes that being part of the Antiques Quarter has made a difference in bringing more people to the area:

“People need a piece of paper in their hand with a map on it and just that one flyer has meant that Saturdays are now very busy. Give people a map and it’s like an adventure, they go on that adventure and they work their way round. People just need direction sometimes.”

The Corner Gallery, Hendrika Stephens and Sam Parr with the Antiques Quarter bag created by The Corner Gallery

The Sheffield Antiques Quarter, which recently launched in November 2012, encompasses an irresistible range of independent vintage, retro, arts, antiques, militaria and salvage shops and centres, as well as independent cafes, restaurants and even an ale house.

When Sheffield Unchained heard that the Quarter’s 35 plus members were pulling together to celebrate National Antiques Week, we simply could not resist the opportunity to meet all these independent gems. So we have dedicated this week to giving you an insight into the stories behind some of the independents in the Quarter.

Whilst we get to know the people behind the independents, the Quarter will be joining antiques collectors and aficionados across the country to highlight the greener side of local retail, focusing on the sustainability of their recycled, reused and reclaimed products from 22 – 28 April.

On Sunday 28 April the Quarter will be holding a Spring Market on Clyde Road with over thirty stalls representing its members. The Quarter has also made their own flyer, which includes a map of the area taking in Abbeydale Road, Broadfield Road, parts of London Road and Queens Road.

How did it all begin?

Hendrika Stephens, owner of The Corner Gallery and chair of the Antiques Quarter group began campaigning for the quarter to be officially recognised in early 2012.

The Corner Gallery – by local artist Jason Heppenstall

The previous year Hendrika had set up the Corner Gallery, which promotes local art and craft, in the Sheffield Antiques Emporium. The Corner Gallery is a social enterprise, which allows local artists to be part of the gallery by paying a sub to fund the rent of the space. Hendrika, who has four children, has been an artist for the last twelve years:

“I’ve just always been madly making things and never stopped, I make ceramic pieces and I do mosaics. I break so many things myself and always have done, so I use them in mosaics. I also make recycled button jewellery and I do workshops. It is basically about finding a way of putting all the energy I have into the gallery, the Antiques Quarter and also making a living.”

After almost a year at the Emporium Hendrika felt that the business was not being marketed sufficiently:

Heeley Bank Antiques Centre – Vintage clothes

“Having walked around the area and seen all the antiques centres, I thought ‘why aren’t we all pulling together and actually marketing ourselves together?’ It is something that they did try to do a few years ago, but it never went very far. So it was very much about sounding out with businesses whether they were interested, and they all were, and then bringing them together for our first meeting in March 2012. It just seemed so blatantly obvious to me that we should be doing this and that we could be a destination for people to come visit Sheffield.”

Whilst setting up the Antiques Quarter group Hendrika moved the Corner Gallery to the Heeley Bank Antiques Centre eight months ago. As a not-for-profit the gallery does not charge the artists commission and artists are allowed to set their own prices.

“It’s about supporting local artists. Commercial gallery’s sell at 50% commission, with this gallery we are trying to appeal to a wider audience and challenge places like Ikea with their mounted art posters. For the same price you can come in here and get a genuine, original local artists’ piece. That’s why so many artists are on board and excited about us because they also want to promote that.”

The Corner Gallery- jewellery by Wuji Creative

Working together

Hendrika has many ideas for the future of the Quarter and hopes that the businesses will get more involved to help improve the whole area:

“It has been very stressful and hard work over the past year and there isn’t money to fund a role, but it is not going to stop me anyway. I pushed it for a year and I’ll keep pushing it because we are almost there, we are at a point where it’s all cascading into making this a brilliant area. It is worth putting in a lot of energy and effort because look what we have done in a year. If all the businesses put in a lot of effort, which we are getting to, then we could change the whole area. We could have mosaics on the walls and make the whole area look fabulous with small projects involving young people and apprenticeships, there is so much to do.”

Heeley Bank Antiques Centre – Vinatage furniture

Whilst Sheffield Unchained was talking to Hendrika, a man walked into the Heeley Bank Antiques centre wanting to sell a camera and an antiques item. Hendrika and her colleague Sam Parr were not sure about the value of the antique, as they are artists not collectors. However, Hendrika pointed the customer to other antiques shops in the area who would be better suited. This was a living example of how the Quarter can benefit all the businesses as they work together, knowing which business is suited to which products. Hendrika has set up a facebook group for the businesses to work towards this purpose.

Investing back into Sheffield

The Quarter is celebrating National Antiques Week by offering discounts for their environmentally friendly products throughout the area all week. Hendrika said they are trying to encourage more collaboration within the businesses and to highlight local, independent businesses in Sheffield.

Heeley Bank Antiques Centre – even garden salvage products are on sale

“All the businesses in the Quarter are Sheffield based people, so when you buy in the Quarter you are putting money back into Sheffield. At a time when everyone is struggling and the councils have to make so many cuts, if we don’t support local businesses in Sheffield they won’t exist in the end and they will have to close down even though they are vital to the economy.”

Hendrika believes that having the Quarter officially recognised is very important as many people in Sheffield don’t even know the shops in the area exist. She also believes it will be a great attraction for visitors to Sheffield.

“Sheffield doesn’t sell itself at all well, the council is only just about to take out a membership to the tourist board Welcome to Yorkshire. We need to sell Sheffield more and that is what the Quarter can do for Sheffield.”

The Quarter also hopes to encourage more independent businesses to open up in Sheffield and therefore to create more jobs in the city:

“& Proud Design and Vintedge & Vintedge Hire are two great new shops that have popped up purely because of what has happened in the Antiques Quarter. I went on the radio with Andy Davidson from & Proud Design the other day and he was saying that he had decided to put his shop in the Quarter because he had seen the flyer in The Vault. He obviously saw that there were other places doing the same thing as him and decided to put his shop here, which I think is brilliant. He is now also helping to maintain our website. So the more people put into the Quarter the more everybody will gain from it.”

Sheffield Unchained will be previewing a number of independents from the Quarter this week, so look out for our insights into the unique people behind these businesses. We will follow up these previews will the full story behind each independent in the Quarter over the next few months.

We met up with owner and manager Reece Lippolis to talk about how the celebrations had gone and how Urban Pantry was developing a year on.

Proudly declaring themselves as a ‘haven for foodies and a converting point for sceptics’, Reece’s partner Grace Discombe explained the thinking behind their name:

“We wanted to show how the country meets the city. ‘Pantry’ has a country sound to it and refers to farmers markets, which reflects our aim of bringing food into the city for people who don’t have time to get out into the country.”

Why local?

Urban Pantry stocks mainly local produce from local suppliers in the Yorkshire region. We spoke to Reece, 32, about why they choose to stock local produce and the benefits of independents to the community. Reece believes that bringing local produce onto the high streets is important as it ensures that money is invested back into the area. “The bigger companies tend to filter their money out of the area, so you don’t see any benefit from them being there.”

Reece also believes that a greater community spirit is created through independents, “We have a big involvement with the community and we know a lot of the people who come into our shop.”

Listen to a clip from our interview here:

Greater scrutiny at times of mistrust

After a year of focusing on setting up the business, Urban Pantry are now starting to visit all their suppliers so that they can see how their products are made and what is put into them.

“Just after Christmas we went up to near Holmfirth to see one of our cheeses being produced. We watched it being made and there’s no chance of me buying a product now that isn’t going to get this inspection from myself or Grace or one of the staff members. It feels really good to be part of it and to see how that person really cares about that product,” said Reece.

Grace, 39, said that independents tend to care more about the customer’s enjoyment of the food, which is something that bigger companies are removed from. She said, “Being much closer to the source of the food also makes you more interested in the quality.”

Reece admits that there are products on their shelves that aren’t from the local region:

“This is because we want to make sure we have a good selection of all the types of food that a deli should have. But we will be honest and say where they are from and the products we get in from abroad are of very high quality.”

Criteria for a good supplier

Urban Pantry always tries samples of their products before stocking them and they often let their customers decide whether they are desired. Listen to a clip from our interview where Reece talks about his criteria for choosing a good supplier:

Can we trust our food?

Urban Pantry often holds taster days on Saturdays where customers can try products for free and sometimes meet the supplier. Reece believes this is an important way of convincing customers that a local cheese or local meat is of better quality and nicer than the cheap deals they can get from supermarkets. He believes that customers simply need to have a chance to compare the products they usually buy from a supermarket with local products. He said he often gives customers a bit of cheese to take home and compare with their supermarket cheese. Reece said they always end up coming back because they had nothing to compare with before. He also believes it is important to be able to prove that there has been no tampering with the products and that customers are getting what they ask for:

“Being independent means we can create a personal relationship between us, our suppliers and our customers. I think customers like the fact that there are independents in Sheffield, especially in the current climate. A lot of people have seen how much big companies are taking over and they are losing trust in companies like that. If they can speak to people like me and ask me where a product has come from I’m going to give them an honest answer.”

Listen to what Reece had to say about the importance of trust in a clip from our interview here:

Sheffield as a foodie destination

Reece believes that the independent scene in Sheffield is growing and that independent food shops are on the rise. “People really want to try and find out where their food is from and they want it to be local.” Reece believes that the new producers and new independent shops are starting to make Sheffield a foodie destination. Listen to the full clip here:

You can find out more about Urban Pantry on their website and keep up to date with their products on their facebook page.