(Terry circa 1958, southend on sea)
Allow me to introduce myself, Stuart Wrigley is my given name, however I do respond to many an other! I'll be your guide through this very brief history and introduction to terry's. This will be my first attempt at such an amazing feat................ (Not being a guide! Oh no, that’s gonna be easy.........working this darn laptop contraption!!! ) so please enjoy what you see and read, and I’d welcome your opinion on anything relating to this site, or features you'd like to see within it.
 (Bumper sticker "1980") |
 (Terry tattooing on a 70’s Valentine’s card!) |
(Early shop fronts – terry’s tattoo studio – circa 1970’s)
Terry's has been a tattoo fixture favourite in Glasgow for over forty wonderful years!!! It still tickles me when I hear the phrase
“I got it at terry's, everyone goes to terry's!!" We have been, and intend to be a family run business for a very long time to come.
(Terry drill corporal, front centre – circa 1955)
My father......... Terry moved to Glasgow in 1964. Since leaving the armed forces, some years earlier to pursue his new found love affair
with tattooing, ( and new skills... Like being a dad! )
In this time, he had firmly established himself as a talented artist in numerous towns and cities around the UK, including Manchester, Blackpool, London and even Southend on sea!
It had taken him to almost every corner of the British Isles in search of "that perfect location" and eventually, one winter, he found himself and fellow tattoo legend... "Jimmy" Gould (later of Blackpool fame) searching Glasgow for that spot!!! Within weeks they had sourced a location and secured a lease (obviously pre bureaucracy days! ) Glasgow welcomed the "new" guys with open arms, and wallets! (pun intended)
(Terry and Jimmy - Glasgow, circa 1990)
For the next 20 yrs, (jimmy returning home after just one winter north of the border), terry honed his already considerable tattooing
skills and created the wonderfully loyal customer base that became such a vital element in our success.
(Terry working – circa 1970)
He did this not only through his artwork, but also through his people skills, he was blessed with the art of speech! And boy did he enjoy exercising that particular talent! This of course can be an invaluable asset in our industry and he used it well to quell any fears of his next trembling young victim (customer)
(Stuart and Jimmy - Blackpool 1975)
1975 was a year of change at Terry’s. It was the year that I (Stuart) started on my tattoo apprenticeship. If my fathers’ hair wasn’t grey enough at the start of that year, by late October it was an amazing silver hue! (mine just got longer! It was 1975 after all).
A main stay
of our business was the U.S. Naval base at holy loch until its closure.
This gave terry, and later me, a chance to work on a much bigger canvas!
Quite literally..... Working on service men was a perfect opportunity
to have your work seen all around the world, and indeed chance to study
art from the far reaches of the globe. (Remember, there weren't any tattoo
art publications at this period) and using his remarkable communication
skills, it wasn't long before he was corresponding with artists from every
continent. (A fact not forgotten by myself, or my siblings at home, as
it was an almighty task to address the hundreds of Xmas card envelopes
(then lick those disgusting stamps) and post off to far flung and exotic
corners of the world! Even Belgium!)
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It was in the early '70's that terry was to bring together a fraternity of these new friends and welcome artists everywhere together in the name of the "i.t.a.a". The international tattoo artists association. To this day, its memory remains as one of the best organized, most politically free and friendliest of organizations. In 1976 he handed the reigns over to another, to take a well deserved break from the full time running of an increasingly growing clan. Of course within weeks he'd taken it upon himself to start the e.t.a.a. A solely European association! (He never could rest!)
(L to R: painless Jeff, Les Bowen Snr, Huck Spaulding, Doc Forest, Terry – 1977)
1983 saw the start of a new chapter at terry's tattoo studio. After much deliberation (i.e. arguments about costs!!!) We located to our present studio @ 23 Chisholm Street, Glasgow. A much larger premise in a city centre location. And also later that year, my father handed the reigns of e.t.a.a. To his friend Jeff “painless" baker. Terry continued to contribute regularly too many world wide tattoo publications until his passing.
(L to R: bill Hooper, Steven, Terry, Stuart – circa 1997)
1996 saw terry's youngest son, Steven join the family business and it was with obvious pride that we all worked together for several years. Steven left terry’s and opened his own studio with his fathers blessing in 1999. My eldest daughter, Nicola, started to tattoo whilst still at school, and has been with me now full time since 2002. Her grandfather would be so proud of her! My young daughter Natalie helps me whenever she can on the shop floor, at this point in her life; she shows more sense than to get mixed up in the crazy world of "Terry's Tattoo Studio"
If you every find yourself in Glasgow, call into our studio, buy a ‘t-shirt, or just pick up a business card! We’re centrally located with good bars and fine eateries, lousy bars and greasy spoons all within easy reach!!! Better still, if you are the proud wearer of one of his works of art, knock on my door, and tell me………...
(Terry receiving the bob Shaw award – Nashville convention)
…. ‘Old’ terry did this!
"We always have time to share with our customers, both auld and new!" Stuart.
(Terry and Stuart – san Francisco 1994)