A Dundee pensioner said she was “gobsmacked” to discover a local man has a half-century-old photo of herself tattooed on his arm.
Ellen Kerr, 80, contacted The Courier after reading about 25-year-old Jamie Shankland’s tattoo of the H Samuel meeting corner in Monday’s paper, and recognising the 1958 photograph she features in.
Mrs Kerr, whose late husband George is also pictured in the scene, met Jamie at the tattoo studio where the design was inked to see her likeness close up and has given it her seal of approval.
She said: “When I saw the story, I couldn’t believe it. I’m not an admirer of tattoos but I know a lot of the young people are.
“This is my first time in a tattoo studio. It’s amazing, really. And when you look closely it’s absolutely beautiful. I was a wee bit gobsmacked.”
Clothing company owner Jamie said he was keen to hear the background to the photograph.
He said: “I think it’s surreal. To meet someone who is now on my arm, it’s quite strange. I’m just really pleased you found Ellen and we could meet.”
Mrs Kerr said the photo was taken on a Saturday afternoon in 1958 and the clock was three hours fast.
She said: “It was always at the wrong time. The photographer came round with this old-fashioned flashbulb on his camera.
“He took a picture and within a few minutes he came back the other way.
“I saw him coming and I said to the guy opposite me, ‘here he comes again, I’m going to swap places with you’, which we did.
“Lo and behold he turned and got me in the other direction.”
Mrs Kerr said she first saw the photograph in The Courier a year later after she and George were married.
Mr Kerr had picked her up from work and they had bumped into friends under the clock.
She said: “My husband had met several of his friends. I think they were connected to the football team at NCR, which he used to play for.
“The chap who is standing opposite me with a raincoat on, I believe had something to do with The Courier at that time.”
Mrs Kerr said she was impressed at the level of detail in the tattoo, which was drawn by artist Calum Stewart from the city’s Metalurgey studio.
The design took 15 hours to complete over the course of several months.
Mrs Kerr said: “I take it as a compliment in a way. It’s not just my picture, it’s the scene and what it stands for.
“Samuel’s corner was a real meeting place and couples especially during the evenings, that would be where you go.”