First one completed... No.75 Get a tattoo and/or Piercing

Having my first tattoo at a young age I completed this one before I even opened the book. So this one of the easiest ones to complete at the start of my list.

I had this done when I was 16, it's actually off the UK bank notes, take a look! Took just under an
hour to complete, and set me back £70, which I didn't mind paying after talking my way out of having no ID! This was the first of many so far.

This was my second tattoo, and by far the most painful tattoo of them all. I had the 3 lions of England done for my 19th Birthday. Due to the intricateness of the design it took 4 hours, extremely sore at the end of that! This too cost me £70, due to an admin error by the tattooists, can't complain about that really. Brilliant tattooing by Inka Tattoos of Curzon Street, Derby. Would recommend them to anyone, great staff and amazing artists. The very same day I had this done, I was playing football at JJB Sports centre... in goal. Abysmal performance by me that day!

In 101 Things To Do Before You Die, number 75, Get a Tattoo and/or Piercing, the first paragraph states "Tattoos can look amazing, but caution is advised. It's not wise to make the decision to have a tattoo in a pub and have it done that night. You will almost certainly regret it in the morning."

I can confirm, this is a fact. After a few pints in the then second home of Jorrocks, Derby, me and a close friend decided it would be a great idea to have "LAD" tattooed down the side of our legs, in thick black lettering. Not the best of ideas after a few pints acting as Dutch courage. An hour, and £50 later, i had officially gotten the biggest regret of my life permanently inked upon the bare shaven flesh of my right lower leg. I think I had this about 5 months before deciding it needed to be covered up. You live and you learn...

Here's the cover up, well half of it. I did 4 out of the 8 needed hours, and have never been back for the second 4 as of yet (was well over a year ago... really should sort it out) So not only did it cost £100 for the 4 hours, I need another £100 for the other 4 hours, and the original tattoo cost me £50. Meaning a grand total of £250 for a tattoo I didn't really want... beer, 'ay? Hopefully will get this complete eventually and I'll add it onto the end of this post.

Finally my most recent tattoo. This is in memory of my Uncle, who was killed in action in the Falklands on the Sir Galahad, 8th June, 1982. Again, this was done by the brilliant artists at Inka Design, for £85, and took an hour and a half. This is by far my favourite of all my tattoos, as it means a lot to me. I have a lot of respect for people who give their lives to protect our freedom.

This tattoo also serves a constant reminder of all our fallen heroes from past and present. If anyone has a spare few quid to spare, it would be greatly appreciated to send it to the Help for Heroes charity, by clicking here.