Meet The Traders: Kids Love Ink

The last thing you would expect to see sandwiched between the job centre and a greengrocers in Deptford High Street is a hip tattoo parlour called “Kids Love Ink”.

Kids Love Ink in Deptford

The last thing you would expect to see sandwiched between the job centre and a greengrocers in Deptford High Street is a hip tattoo parlour called “Kids Love Ink”, but in south-east London, you come to expect the unexpected.In an area where hip hop leads the way, the tattoo parlour, which opened its doors in September 2006, provides a place for the rock and roll kids to express themselves.

Alec Snelling, co-founder of the shop, said the main reason he chose this specific location was the happening music and art scene but also “the community feel of the area.”

He also stressed the merits of Goldsmiths College being nearby, though not all his clients come from there.  Mr Snelling said the parlour has a lot of existing customers who travel to Deptford from across the country, especially to get their tattoo done there.

Another artist in the shop, Marcus “The Muckster” Broome, said: “People generally get what celebrities have. A lot of people ask for the one that Cheryl Cole has on her hand and stars like Rihanna has are also popular.” “Tattoos do correspond with fashions,” he said, adding: “But they also vary in age group. Lots of older people stick with traditional things like family names, and young people get things like anchors, birds and flowers.”

The question of if there was such a thing as too many tattoos was met by a chuckle from “The Muckster” “I have so many I have lost count. So no, never.”

The tattoos at Kids Love Ink start at £30 for a simple design such as a single star, and go up to hundreds of pounds for intricate art such as a whole “sleeve”.

To book a tattoo, or for information call 020 8691 1124 or visit the store at 142 Deptford High Street, London, SE8 3PQ

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