Dream Forever; Live For Tomorrow

Inked all over

Inked all over

By Rachel Lauren

Tattoos and piercings make their own fashion statement especially when you hear the personal stories behind them. This issue we asked people to share theirs and even come for a sneaky photo!

Rachel Lauren, 5 tattoos, 5 piercings (used to be 8) - I never thought I would get a tattoo… then curiosity got the better of me and now I am addicted! I might tell my mam ‘It’s my last one’ but really I already want another one.

I wanted this quote for ages – it reminds me to do everything I can put my mind to and to treat every day as if it were my last. I have been through a lot personally and nearly didn’t make it to be 25 years old, so I wanted to reflect this in my tattoos.

Alistair, 1 tattoo, 3 piercings (used to be 10) - The story behind my tattoo was that I wanted something to signify being at uni and stuff so I designed the up part myself. The bottom part was hand drawn and tattooed straight on to my arm so it is truly unique, something I like about it. Piercings wise, I just really like having them. The jewellery is more interesting. Both of the stretchers are handmade. The larger one is made from animal bone and blood wood. The smaller is blown glass with black oil for the stripes. Katherine has probably told you about the hidden meaning in the tattoo.

Amelia, 4 tattoos - I got the Lily tattoo because I’ve always liked lilies and my mum had told me that if she had been able to have more kids she would have named the girl Lily. I’ve also changed my middle name to Lily! (Nothing to do with Amelia Lily off the X-Factor! – It was my name first! Haha)

I also have a Cherry Bomb tattoo on my thigh because I’m a big Joan Jett fan and that is one of my favourite songs! The other tattoos I have are Cherry Blossoms on my other thigh and a Rainbow on my hip J

Ben, 2 tattoos, 3 piercings (used to be 8) - I got it as a reminder to take the good with the bad as without one, you can’t have the other. So even though times can get tough, there will be times when things are good and enjoyable and just working towards that.

Stephanus - The story behind the “Sugar Skull” is just what it represents: leaving something behind closing a chapter in my life. It also celebrates life and death.

Ryan - I was into classic rock when I got my tattoo. I saw Guns n Roses perform “Welcome to the Jungle” on MTV so I bought the album Appetite for Destruction. I saw the picture of my tattoo in the album’s booklet so I decided to get it done… now she is 9 years old J

Jill - The sleeve tattoo is something I have always wanted and so when I turned 30 I decided it was time to get my arse in gear and actually do something about it. I started the vine pattern on my shoulder and just kept adding to it as time went by until, as you will have seen now, I am almost done. Still room for a small one on my inner arm which I am still undecided on as yet. The dermal piercings, which I am also a big fan of because they are really different, I started adding to the tattoo after a recommendation from my piercer.

Marta Ariazzi - I was inspired when I was on Fraser Island, an Australian island which is a landscape of sand dunes where there are footprints everywhere from dingoes, the wild dog native of Australia.

 

Travelling Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand was one of the best experiences of my life. I didn’t want that to end but then I thought that life is a journey so I would never stop travelling. Also, there’s a small arrow pointing forward symbolizing my start sign, Sagittarius (the traveler star sign) which means trying to take steps forward in life, always learning something new and getting to know new people from other cultures because that’s the best way to learn.

Mel Linsley - I’ve always liked tattoos and got my first one when I was 21.  In those days everyone used to see it, whether they wanted to or not.  It’s on my bottom and says ‘Born to Party’.  It doesn’t come out in public these days though, it’s definitely not as easy to read as it was in my 20’s!

 

My dragon tattoo is called ‘Tweety’ and I got him a few months ago as the latest episode in my mid-life crisis.

 

I have always loved dragons, and after seeing a woman in the gym one day with a large one on her back, I really fancied one myself.  It took a long time to make my mind up though – I knew that I wanted something BIG, and I also knew there was a possibility I’d regret it if I didn’t do it right.  It took me years to find a tattoo artist whose style I really liked.  When we met he was really frustrated with me because I could not put into words exactly what I wanted. When I finally said yes to the design he’d done for me he sank to his knees with his hands balled into fists and cheered!

 

countryside walks

Autumn is fast approaching but don’t despair! There are still many places you can enjoy in the North East.

We have beautiful spots in the countryside which are perfect for a walk – just pop on your wellies and pack a cagoule to squelch through mud and puddles!

When I was younger, I’d go for day outs to many beautiful places in the North East, that I wanted to share with you. Back then I loved leaving my parents on the main trail and finding secret paths to follow. I most likely pretended I was in Famous Five! (Hey I was 8 and a complete bookworm J)

Nowadays I don’t go as much but I still love getting out of the city for a picnic and a walk. In less than 30 minutes you can be somewhere so peaceful, you can forget the stresses of daily life.

Here are two of my top picks:

Hamsterley Forest: 2000 hectares of mixed woodland lying between the Wear and Tees valleys on the edge of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Hamsterley has a range of activities to suit everyone – signed walks, bike hire, cycle routes and horse riding trails. There is also a forest play park which is open all year round.

Cycle hire is available on site- www.woodnwheels.org.uk .

Cycle trails

There are four official routes: Red, Blue, Green and Black all of which are waymarked with colour-coded marker posts. In addition there is a highly-acclaimed downhill track for expert riders. The downhill track is run in association with Descend Hamsterley.

The latest addition to the Forest is the fantastic ‘Loop’. This allows skilled cyclists to try out off the road tracks. The Loop goes through the forest providing a range of obstacles and skill sections including drop-offs and jumps. Carefully designed to suit all abilities, the Loop is as easy or as difficult as you want it to be.

Plessey Woods Country Park is located near Hartford Bridge, off the A192.

The Park has 100 acres of woodland, meadow and riverside to explore. Keep an eye out for birds and animals along your walk – the park is home to the great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch and tree creeper, red squirrel, roe deer and fox.

Known locally as Bluebell Woods, it is a great family friendly place to spend a few hours.

So make yourself a picnic, pack your winter woolies and a spare set of clothes and go explore the beautiful North East countryside!