Good Times Tattoo, Good Times Forever!!

So today wasn’t spent doing any sightseeing, but it was spent doing something I have been looking forward to just the same. Around 8 months ago I decided I wanted my next tattoo to be somewhere on our big trip as a “forever souvenir”. So I began doing some research on shops and artists I was interested in and luckily found Good Times Tattoo, located in London. Then, I found Harriet.  So I began following her on Instagram many many months ago and would fawn over every piece she posted; it was as though her and all of her art stepped right out of a fairytale. I knew I wanted to have an addition to my existing Annie tattoo on my thigh (pictured below), and knew she would be able to create the perfect floral scene to accentuate her. So for reference, this was Annie the day I got her from Vic at Blue Rose in Huntsville. (If you want a tattoo in Huntsville, go to Blue Rose!) For those of you who may not know, Annie was my first pony that I got when I was 14, and she remains part of my heart to this day.

So I love this piece that Vic gave me, but after awhile I decided that she needed something with her, and I wanted Harriett to give her a floral “wreath” so to speak. So I booked the appointment in the summer and waited anxiously for my visit.

Rob and I arrived at Good Times at noon today, having taken the train to the tube from Lisa’s house. (I’ll address public transit options in my next post about moving and sightseeing through London). I was Harriett’s only appointment for the day, so we could take our time with the set up and artwork, which was nice. The shop is located in an area called “Shoreditch” which is very near downtown and buzzing with activity. There is a bar and a place to eat about every 20 feet or so. It was on the second floor of a building, so there wasn’t really an outside to take pictures of, but I did snap some lovely interior shots of the shop. After a bit, I finally got to met Harriet! She was just as friendly and smiley in person as I had imagined her to be. She came out with several little bits drawn up, and then we played around with different flowers, placements and ideas. She took her time, and drew up things as we talked. She would also wind up free handing a lot of this piece. She is an incredible artist and such a lovely person to spend time with.

After about 2 hours of outline, we had made some progress 🙂

In all, it took a bit over 5 hours to complete, but the entire experience was incredibly awesome. The staff there is so pleasant and welcoming, and they all have fun together. They play great music and keep the conversation between artists and clients uplifting and engaging. You can tell they not only all really enjoy working around each other, but truly enjoy what they do as well. After awhile we stopped for a break and Harriett and I just sat and ate lunch together like old friends. We finished up just after 6 pm, and the end result was everything I had hoped it would be. Colorful, sweet and so perfect for Annie. I asked her to include a bird because of a nick name I gave Annie after I first got her; I called her “Annie Bird” and eventually, everyone who knew her called her that too. Just before my tattoo wrapped up, another amazing client was finishing up with someone else and brought a bunch of wine in with her. She popped open a bottle of proseco and offered Rob and I a glass as well! In truth, every person we have interacted with her so far has been overflowing with kindness and warmth. And that is no different in Good Times Tattoo, a place of kindness, warmth and damn good artists. Harriet, I will miss you from now on my dear. Thank you for giving me a gift I will carry with me always.