My body is covered in tattoos – my wife and kids stopped talking to me because of my ink but I have NO regrets

A DAD whose wife and kids stopped talking to him because he was covered in tattoos says he has no regrets.

Peter Bridgens, 72, from Birmingham, started his tattoo suit at the age of 36 and took him twenty long years to complete.

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Peter achieved his dream of being covered in tattoos from the top of his head to the soles of his feet – with only the centre of his face spared from ink.

While he got his inking done, Peter worked effectively in his role as the Head of Transport for Birmingham City Council.

A father-of-two, he was married for 41 years before his entire family cut ties with him because of his body art.

Now, he lives with his partner Michael and says he has no regrets about the choices he has made in his life.

Peter, who has five grandchildren, said: “I live with my partner who has accepted me the way I am and I am in a very happy space.

“I am not in touch with my family. I was married for 41 years and have two children who are not in contact with me.

“However, I have no regrets at all as I feel good the way I am today.”

Even though Peter wanted to get a tattoo at the young age of eight, he started his tattoo suit only at the age of 36.

A full body suit is an extensive tattoo, usually of a similar pattern or theme that covers the entire torso or the entire body of the person.

Peter said: “Tattoos were something I wanted to get since the age of eight.

“I was captivated by a neighbour who was heavily inked and I liked his tattoos a lot.

“I began my tattoo suit when I was 36 and the whole process took me almost twenty years to complete.

“Now, I am tattooed from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.

“There are no gaps at all and the only area not tattooed is the centre of my face.”

Born in a conservative family, Peter said his tattooing journey has certainly not been easy.

He said: “My parents were very conservative. When my mum saw what I had done to my body, she went ape.

“I have had so many comments from people all over but I have stopped caring.”

I have absolutely no regrets and I am happy with the way I look.”

Peter Bridgens, 72

Peter retired at the age of 52 from a job he loved and is in a happy space regardless of people’s opinions of him.

He said: “I have had many compliments from people so that is cool. That actually happens quite often, that people come up to me to compliment me.

“Though I do believe that the main thing is that I am happy with my ink.

“I have absolutely no regrets and I am happy with the way I look. Sometimes, however, I think I should get more face ink.”

When asked if it was the same meeting the people he knew as a young man with no tattoos, as a man with a full tattoo suit Peter has an incidence to relate.

Recounting the incident, he said: “The most pointed comment I have received was from a friend of my mother.

“I was in my car and when she saw me, she approached me. It was a hot day and I was sitting in my car shirtless when she pointedly commented on me.

“She said, ’Oh Peter, your tattoos! Whatever possessed you to get them.’

“I told her that indeed I am a tattooed man and had not really sought her opinion on me.

“I also said that I didn’t care about her opinions or thoughts about me and told her to keep her opinions to herself.”

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