Conwy is the tattoo capital of N. Wales

More parlours than anywhere else... one for every 7,752 residents

CONWY has been revealed as the surprise tattoo capital of North Wales.

There are 25 parlours in the county of little more than 116,000 people – equivalent to one inking den for every 7,752 people.

The information came from a Freedom of Information request of all 22 counties in Wales and hundreds in England.

No other county in North Wales can boast so few people per shop.

Nick Carter, owner of Castle Ink in Conwy, says it is not just the young and trendy looking for ink. “We get a few grandparents in and they tend to get names and initials,” he said.

“We do a lot of roses and Welsh dragons for older people too.

“I wouldn’t like to say the oldest we have done but a guy in his 70’s came in and wanted both sides of his neck done.

“He just sat there like a rock and didn’t flinch.”

Nick, 24, has owned Castle Ink since 2010 and got into tattooing after watching his dad get a design.

The artist saw Nick’s enthusiasm and offered him an apprenticeship when he was just 15.

He says it was hard to get people to trust a young artists but he has built the business up through hard work, word of mouth and social media.

He even practised on mum Mel, 52, as he got to grips with being a businessman.

“Because Nick started doing it I didn’t have a choice,” she said. “I’ve got three Nick has done and four in total. They all mean something to me.

The days of only sailors and ex-cons being the canvas for the artists are long gone, with a broad crosssection of people wanting to commemorate people or personal events on their skin.

The majority of customers now have tattoos because they mean something personal to them according to Nick.

Rich Sharples, 32 and from Conwy, is a buyer for HB Leisure, a job which sees him away from home for periods.

He was in the process of being inked by Nick at his parlour and explained what his tattoo meant to him.

“I’ve got two kids, a boy and a girl,” he said. “This one is a clock face and it shows the time my little boy was born.

“I’ll be coming back tomorrow for one for my little girl on the other arm.”

Licensing costs artists £60 to register and premises need to pay a one-off charge of £120 to their local authority.

The overall tattoo capital of Wales is Merthyr Tydfil with one parlour for every 5,907 people.

The UK capital is Blackpool, with one tattoo parlour for every 2,867 inhabitants.