Three lifelong pals are set to open their very own tattoo parlour whereas focussing on psychological well being.
Mark Richards, 47, Brendan Roberts, 44, and Norma Jean, 29, from Westhoughton and Deane will welcome the tattoo curious to the Keep Bizarre Tattoo Collective studio in Westhoughton from Monday .
With years within the trade, all three are banding collectively to create a judgement-free studio to problem stereotypes on what a store ought to really feel like.
Mr Roberts mentioned: “I’ve identified Mark all my life and he was skilled in my previous store and Norma Jean was an apprentice there. I’ve labored together with her for about six years.
“I moved to Cyprus in 2016 and arrange my very own enterprise as a result of my spouse preferred the solar, and we got here again due to Covid-19 and no vacationers meant no clients.
“It was too scorching for me, and also you do smaller jobs and never large creatives ones that I used to be used to doing in England.”
The thought for Keep Bizarre was Mark’s as he ran a clothes line underneath the identical title. He had labored as a tattoo artist for years and wished to progress the enterprise.
Psychological well being is a spotlight level for the chums, who’re eager to supply a optimistic house for everybody.
Norma added: “All of us have totally different experiences in psychological well being and know what it’s like. Tattoo outlets have a repute to be intimidating locations and folks really feel intimidated particularly if they’ve by no means been to at least one.
“After they are available for an enormous tattoo it’s a very long time to spend right here so folks divulge heart’s contents to us and can inform us issues they won’t simply say in a pub with pals.”
Ms Jean considers it like counselling and added: “We don’t need folks to be scared and need to allow them to know they are often bizarre right here. We would like folks to really feel snug as a result of we don’t choose folks and could have amusing.
Mr Richards labored for a conservatories agency however gave it as much as go travelling earlier than returning to develop into a tattoo artist as an alternative of his previous job.
He mentioned: “We’re trying ahead to creating artwork in a optimistic ambiance. I’m so excited and haven’t considered the rest.”
