Newcastle man gets the Metro tattooed on him
A tattoo enthusiast has paid a uniquely personal tribute to the Tyne and Wear Metro - by getting one of its trains inked on the back of his leg.
Simon Dowling, of High Heaton in Newcastle, has had the Metro train tattooed across his calf as a forever reminder of the historic fleet.
The 38 year-old, who has 29 other tattoos over his arms, legs and torso, said his latest piece of body art was a homage to the old trains before they are phased out, and that he was proud to get it done.
Even his own wife teasing him about it didn’t put him off, and he’s thrilled to bits with it.
The tattoo takes inspiration from the first ever Metro prototype, carriage 4001, that was delivered in 1975, five years ahead of the system opening in 1980.
Metro operator Nexus said it was delighted with such a personal tribute to its train fleet, which is currently in the process of making way for the new generation of Stadler Metro trains, transforming comfort, quality and reliability.
Simon, a married father of two who works as a civil servant, admitted that he loved the Metro, and while he wouldn’t describe himself as a ‘superfan’, he said he does love getting tattoos, and he has many fond memories of travelling on Metro over the years.
He said: “I saw someone else getting a train tattoo and that’s when I suddenly thought about getting one of the Metro.
“I love the Metro. It’s been a big part of my life, getting me to university and then to places of work. In the Covid lockdown me and my son would walk down to the local Metro station to watch the trains going by.
“That first ever Metro train was a big inspiration for me as well, and my great aunt was actually there on the first day that the Metro opened in 1980.”
Simon added: “A lot of people go for tattoos of local landmarks like the Tyne Bridge, or football club crests, but I wanted to do get something a bit different, and still show off that I’m proud to come from Newcastle and proud to be a Geordie.
“I have a fond memory of getting the Metro on the day that the Sunderland line opened in 2002, we even bunked off school to ride the trains.
“I don’t class myself as some kind of superfan but it’s fair to say I’m fond of our Metro system. The old trains are iconic, and I’m also really looking forward to all the new ones being in service too.
“The tattoo is my own little tribute to the old trains given that they’re being phased out, and there won’t be any left in service in the next year or so.
“I got the tattoo done at the Start Today Tattoo studio in Gateshead. A big shout to Zach who did such a great job on it. It’s a stick and poke tattoo, which is where a needle is manually dipped in ink and poked into the skin, one dot at a time, without needing the use of an electric tattoo machine, so it’s less painful.
“My wife Dawn did joke with me about the fact I was getting a Metro train, but I really like it and I’ve had many people complimenting me on it.”
Lynne Dickinson, Station Delivery Manager at Nexus, said: “This is a unique tribute to our old train fleet. We’ve not seen someone celebrate Metro through body art before, so fair play to Simon for getting it done. It looks amazing. It’s a lasting reminder of our very first train, which we recently donated to the Stephenson Steam Railway in North Tyneside.”