The Pavement Poet returns to Sheffield city centre

A poet who writes his verses in chalk on the streets of the UK is once again in Sheffield.
The Pavement Poet's work in Fargate, Sheffield.The Pavement Poet's work in Fargate, Sheffield.
The Pavement Poet's work in Fargate, Sheffield.

Danny Rowland, also known as the Pavement Poet, left his mark on Sheffield and Doncaster when he passed through last month.

Danny travels up and down the country writing poems in chalk in pavements wherever he goes. He is now back in Sheffield making the most of the sun today (Monday, March 14) as he heads back south to his home county of Wiltshire.

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Sometimes the reception to Danny’s art can be frosty. But he was blown away by the positive comments he got in South Yorkshire. He even impressed Sheffield Council officials.

Speaking last month, Danny said: “I was overwhelmed by the positivity and the response. Occasionally when I rock up in a town I will be asked by officials to stop. But something strange seemed to happen here.

“At first the street ambassadors asked me to move on. They called the police but they left me to it. But then the city council’s head of environmental protection come down and loved it. The city centre manager loved it and was disappointed it couldn’t be more permanent.”

He added: “I don’t know what it is about Yorkshire but for some reason the response has been better than other places.”

Danny Rowland, aka The Pavement PoetDanny Rowland, aka The Pavement Poet
Danny Rowland, aka The Pavement Poet
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Danny’s poems change wherever he goes, and the nature of his medium means they only exist until they are washed away. But Danny feels this lack of permanence is a key quality of his work.

“I have written thousands of poems over the last few years, but I can only remember the most recent.

“I like that it doesn’t have that permanence. And that’s what it’s all about. It’s not just about the interaction with the space and the poetry. I can spend two or three days working on something and watch the rain wash it away in 10 minutes.”

Danny’s work can be seen at facebook.com/thepavementpoet.