the sharp practice This tattoo practice has been a familiar landmark in Salisbury for 18 years. Owner Becky Cook takes us on a tour Photo s by K at i e N ic hol ls
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s you cross over from Milford to Catherine Street, it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise to hear the gentle buzz of a needle as Salisbury’s biggest tattoo parlour, The Sharp Practice, carries out its business as it has done for the past 18 years. The Sharp Practice is a well-established and respected member of Salisbury’s independent business scene; its contribution to the city – as well as to Independents Week - is well-known and valued. When owners Becky and Matt first arrived in the city, however, they were received with more than a little suspicion from the local council. “It took us about a year to get here,” Becky Cook tells me as she shows me around their vast premises. “Before we moved into Catherine Street, we had loads of council meetings and they’d ask us things like, ‘Where are all the Hell’s Angels going to put their motorbikes?’. It just goes to show how much this industry has changed.” There are currently five tattoo artists (although this can fluctuate up to seven) working from the shop so it’s a busy hub of creativity as customers pass in and out clutching sketches for the artists 50 I SALISBURY LIFE I www.mediaclash.co.uk
to work on. “Before we did tattooing we had an airbrush firm,” Becky informs me. “We used to go around the bike shows airbrushing t-shirts, leather jackets and printed t-shirts. “When we came here we stopped the airbrushing for a while but in the last three years we’ve picked it up again.” And it’s not just tattooing and airbrushing that Becky and Matt operate from this multifaceted business. The couple, along with their two sons, Archie and Jake, also offer piercing, semi-permanent make-up, laser hair and tattoo removal and t-shirt printing. “You never get bored,” says Becky. “There’s something different happening every day. Everyone is part of the business. We all make it work. We’ve got two kids who work here and a granddaughter, who’s here most of the time.” It certainly does have a welcoming, family feel. The tattoo artists each have their own room, while the girls operate piercings downstairs – all the doors are all open; music, laughter and the sound of needles whirring fill the corridors. In recent years, tattooing has become part of the mainstream and Becky confirms that they have customers of all ages and from all walks of life coming into the shop. Often the artists
All the staff at The Sharp Practice are part of the ‘family’ including the girls at the front desk; Becky Cook and her son, Archie; t-shirt printing is one of the many services offered; one the artist’s handiwork, fresh from the needle!