A Love Letter to London's Deptford

When I was at art school, a tutor gave me a book titled Songs from the Shandy Valley—a collection of poems and illustrations paying homage to the characters that populated Deptford Market and Broadway in the early 1990s. The book fascinated me at that point, and years later I found myself living in the "Shandy Valley."

Like many places in London back then, I think that Deptford was a write-off—a no-go zone for some. That's changed for many areas, but I still feel that Deptford, particularly on a market day, resonates with an older London, a hidden yet anarchic corner of its ragged identity.

Deptford has recently been going through a regeneration process. The removal of the giant iron anchor at the end of the Broadway—both a symbol of South East London’s nautical history and a magnet for street drinkers—is ushering in a new period for the neighbourhood. Its loss is mourned by locals, shopkeepers and market traders alike.

This is not an article about gentrification, but rather a love letter to an often overlooked corner of South East London and the people who make up its community. To me, these images are a visual exploration of the themes of locality and community. The photo essay became ritualistic; shooting fluidly over the course of years, I found myself among a sea of familiar faces. To see more of Luke's work, click here.

And for more of his work on Deptford, scroll through.