A former tattoo artist received a quirky gift from staff at his Padstow Home to keep him warm this winter.
Bob ran a tattoo parlour in Bankstown for years before retiring and eventually moving into Casa Mia Aged Care.
He got his first tattoo when he was 17 from his mate, and from then on he slowly covered his arms and legs with body art.
Bob never liked wearing long pants so he always wears shorts even in winter. Staff at Casa Mia noticed and so to prevent him from getting too cold in winter they bought him fake tattoo leg warmers to complement his existing body art.
He loves the gift and wears them proudly around his Home – he only wishes they were real tattoos.
“I got my first tattoo when I was 17, and starting tattooing not much older than that,” he said.
“Me and this mate of mine got interested in doing this so we both put in a few quid each and bought a machine and colours and designs and started like that.
“I built a shed in the backyard and a few mates came in and we started tattooing them and it just expanded.
“I always made all my own gear and did all my own drawing. Anything people wanted I could draw. I still do it here – just the drawings – at our afternoon art class,” Bob said.
He’s still got a bunch of his old business cards to remind him of his life’s work.
After getting one tattoo covering your body could quickly become an addiction, he said.
“You do one and then there’s a space so you fill that up, and fill that up, and fill them all up,” Bob said.
