I run the Gentle Prick tattoo parlour in Fleetwood and it's the best job in the world

The Gentle Prick is owned by tattoo artist Nat Pendlebury, whose brilliant artistry is evident in the designs she offers at the studio.

Located in the block of shops close to the ferry slipway on The Esplanade in Fleetwood, there has been a revamp of the walls and flooring, complete with gleaming black tiles to show off the skateboards and guitars on the walls.

Originally, her parlour was called the Tattooed Arms, a reference to the fact her parents wanted to open a pub abroad and Nat planned to open a tattoo studio next to it.

But she decided on the new, tongue-in cheek name two years ago after people started to confuse the original name with that of a local pub!

She said: “I wanted a fresh name and this one sticks in people’s minds!

“It’s a great job - I used to be an artist and I decided to branch out by using thise skills for tattoos.

“The trade has really transformed in recent years - there is fabulous new equipment and if you have the skills, you can create some really amazing work.

“Attitudes have changed as well - a few years back you could face a lot of discrimination if you had a tattoo, especially when it came to getting certain types of work.

“That’s all changed now and a lot more people - all kinds of people - have tattoos.

“The range of designs has really grown too- people want all kinds of things.”

Nat even gives herself tattoos but mostly goes to others when she wants a new one.

She added: “It’s great to be back here after having to close for a couple of weeks.

“This place is my pride and joy and they’ve done a brilliant job with the reverb.”