Tuesday 20 November 2012

As I Was Saying

I think I may have mentioned tattoos recently - and here I am, moth-like, drawn to the subject again. This
time it's a letter that appeared originally in the British Daily Telegraph - (and was then reprinted in The Week) - that has caught my attention. Headed "Tattoos aren't rebellious", it goes like this:

"The news that the actress Felicity Kendal is partial to visits to her local tatoo parlour proves that, by its ubiquity, body art is now meaningless.
     
Ex-cons, sailors, Teddy boys, punk rockers, Hells Angels and all those on the fringes of society were the popular canvas in days gone by. Now it appears to be harder to find someone without a tattoo than with - it's akin to finding an unsigned copy of Alastair Campbell's diaries.

A.M. Coles, London"

4 comments:

  1. If Penelope Keith has one too, then I think I'll just move to a very remote island.

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    1. A tiny dolphin on her shoulder, plus an ankle chain - oh no, that's Mrs Cameron, I forgot

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  2. Well if they were good enough for Edward VII and George V then................

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    1. Depends what you think of those two - plus all of these, stone the crows:
      "Edward VII starts royalty's tattoo obsession 1841
      Taking their sartorial lead from the British Court, where Edward VII followed George V's lead in getting tattooed; King Frederick IX of Denmark, the King of Romania, Kaiser Wilhelm II, King Alexander of Yugoslavia and even Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, all sported tattoos, many of them elaborate and ornate renditions of the Royal Coat of Arms or the Royal Family Crest. King Alfonso of modern Spain also had a tattoo.
      http://www.xtimeline.com/evt/view.aspx?i…
      King Frederick (IX) of Denmark was tattooed, he visited George Burchett in London in the 40s to have the tattoo redone. George I of Greece was said to have been tattooed while serving in the British Navy, his wife Queen Olga was also tattooed it has been claimed. George V was a naval cadet in 1877 with his elder brother Prince Albert, Duke of Clarence. In 1870 whilst serving on the HMS Bachante they found themselves in Japan, and whilst there were both tattooed by Hori Chyo of Yokohama. George became King of England in 1936. Edward VII the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Prince Edward was tattooed before he became King in 1901. He was tattooed in Jerusalem by Francois Souwan, this first tattoo was a cross. He was later tattooed in London by Sutherland MacDonald and also Tom Riley. Lady Randolph Churchill was tattooed, this was Sir Winston Churchill's mother. Lady Churchill was tattooed by Tom Riley and had a snake around her wrist. Lord Lichfield has a sea horse tattooed on his arm, this was done by George Burchett when he was working in the Waterloo Road, London."

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