That'll look nice when her wrinkled skin is hanging off her back

[Arthur Little]

Personally I don't like tattoos.

Tbh ... nor do I, Tim - even though my son sports one - I cannot seem to shake off the notion that they signify the [unspoken] statement of someone who is either a gang member, or trying to portray a "tough-guy" image.

[Steve.r]

Ok, now this is an interesting thread. I can see both sides of the argument and at 46 years old, I have no tattoos. Alan's post is as ever a well informed guide as the the history of tattoos and details how they work and effects, thanks Alan.

I am not a lover of the 'tramp stamp' quite often seen on the younger generations, misplaced inappropriate tattoos are just trashy. Even my own brother has a couple of strange 'things' on his arms which seem to mean nothing. I also worked with a young guy who when he turned 18 went directly to the tattooist and had Man United tattooed on his forearm in Thia characters . The other side of this is that my Father, now 78 years old has a tattoo that he had done at 20, of a heart with a couple of Swallows, but now just looks like a blob.

However, I am 46 years old, and have always never said never, and if I was going to have a tattoo, it would have to have major significance to me. So, I have been doing some research recently into tattoos, the meanings, styles, traditions and artists. I am of course in China which have a long tradition of tattooing, mostly by the mafia types or criminal underworld. But even here, they are becoming an acceptable thing to have.
For all my life I have been a fisherman, as long as I can remember I have held a rod in my hand , I have kept fish, bred fish, and I have even judged specific species of tropical fish in an international aquatic show. So fish for me have significance. I have researched traditional Chinese/Japanese Koi tattoos and I have looked at literally hundreds of images and photos of them and I really like them. So, I went to see a tattoo artist here in Shanghai and had a chat.
I have now decided to have a tattoo. The artist listened to my requirements, understood my reasons for my design and helped me make my idea even better. I am scared and excited by the prospect of getting ‘inked’ but I have never before found the need or reason to do it.
If anyone is interested, take a look at http://www.shanghaitattoo.com/en/ and look at the artist Ting. She was described by CNN Travel as ‘the first lady of Chinese tattooing’ Her work is art and after I am done, I will carry my art with me every day. I can post up my designs if you like to see them. My first sessions are on the 7^th and 8^th of March, 4 hours each, then 2 weeks later for another 2x4 hour sessions to finish up.

[Arthur Little]

Ok, now this is an *interesting thread. I can see both sides of the argument ...

............... oh, ...

... the other side of this is that *my Father, now 78 years old has a tattoo that he had done at 20, of a heart with a couple of Swallows ...

... and you've just raised a *couple of s; for instance, I've always tended to be 'a little' bit behind the latest trends. So ... who knows ... ... by the time I reach your dad's age, Steve ... I could well be following today's fashion ... the BIG difference of course being, I won't have had any tattoo (that I might have by then) for upwards of half a century.

I have always never said never

........................... 's what I mean.

[Arthur Little]

There again, Graham has provided us with a very "touching" example of his step-daughter's reasons for having it done ... reasons that are a lot less to do with fashion than being a visible expression of her appreciation of the people who'd nurtured and cared for her - to the extent that she ultimately became the sort of person of whom they're justifiably proud, today - her parents. Much in the same way as my son ALSO has a scrolled tattoo bearing the initials and dates that bear testament to his loving relationship with the mum he'd known for almost 20 years.