We first met Mo Deeley, the self-proclaimed tattooed glam-ma back in 2011 at the London Tattoo Convention. The following year, we spent a day in her life up in Yorkshire. We told her story in our second print issue. Meet her here…
Photos: Heather Shuker
I started getting tattoos in the late ‘80s after my divorce, a whistling worm on my ankle and two smaller ones on my shoulder blades, but never anything more than that. The bigger ones I have now were started in May 2011, when I went to my local tattooist to have the small ones on my back covered up. At the consultation, I explained that I was unsure what I wanted, but if I was a little bit younger I would have a full backpiece with a theme.
I honestly thought I was too old to get a full back tattoo. I’m 56-year-old grandmother. However, Tef the tattooist told me I should do as I want and it doesn’t matter at all about age – I should follow my heart. And so he started work on the back tattoo, which just seemed to creep over my shoulder and onto the front of my shoulder.
This was never enough and I kept thinking of different ideas, which we sat and discussed together. Then I started getting tattooed every weekend, I absolutely loved it. I also became very friendly with Tef the tattooist, which always helps, and I completely trust him.
I suppose my tattoo inspiration comes from happy memories of my childhood and, in a profound way, the loss of my dad spurred me on to keep going. I just thought life was too short. My Audrey Hepburn tattoo I got in memory of my dad, as we played Moon River at his funeral and I think he fancied her a bit.
I’ve got six children, and my son who’s 20 still lives with me, so he gets very spoilt, he’s my baby – I even bought him a full sleeve for Christmas, he loves tattoos too. At first, my daughters were against the idea of me getting so many tattoos and kept telling me I needed to stop. But now I think they are quite proud that I am who I am. They were very quick to state, “That’s my mum” when we retuned from London to find Things&Ink were looking for me on Facebook.
I had been at the London Tattoo Convention with my Husband, Paul, and I felt like I was being chased by the paparazzi. I’m a nan of 18 being followed by photographers from the USA and everywhere. I had been to a smaller event in Liverpool, but that was when I didn’t have as many tattoos. People would look at me, but nothing out of the ordinary. But when I was at the London Tattoo Convention – it was mental, I couldn’t sit down anywhere without people asking for a photo with me. I felt like Cheryl Cole [this was in 2011]. This reaction took my breath away. Paul spent most of the convention carrying a rather fetching handbag and vanity case for me, so I could oblige people who stopped me to look at my tattoos and pose for picture. I loved every minute of it. It was my photo taken by Things&Ink at the convention that has turned me into a bit of a celeb and won me a subscription to the magazine – which I adore [We had a competition to win a subscription to our print mag, we got got people to pose as it they were on the cover of the magazine and Mo won! Of course…]. I have never won anything before, and I couldn’t believe how many comments the photo received on Facebook.
After that, I got invited down to London for the Things&Ink launch party. As soon as I saw the Things&Ink launch issue cover, I knew I wanted it tattooed on me. I was just unsure how to incorporate it into a design. I told Tef my intentions and we set to work on a design. I think 2012 was an amazing year in my life and I tried to incorporate this into my tattoo. I also have a Yorkshire terrier to represent the amazing time I had at Rockalily vintage salon – they have a salon dog called Ellington – even there I was treated like royalty. I feel like it is a place that I just fit in, with my vintage styling and tattoos showing. I am also adding a wallpaper pattern to the tattoo, which reminds me of my best friend Pat – she has just put up some new beautiful patterned wallpaper and has the best taste in interiors. Pat’s home is lovely and full of vintage knicknacks, which I love.
My grandkids, all 18 of them and another on the way, live very near to me, and sometimes my granddaughter comes in to see me when I am getting tattooed, she loves showing me off as her nan. Don’t think any of her friends have a nan quite like me, and they all seem to find it quite cool. My grandchildren call me Glam-ma and always bring their friends to meet me – they all say they wish their nan was more like me.
I live in a small mining village, Maltby in Rotherham, and seem to attract a lot of attention – some nice comments, but mainly stares from people who don’t know me. People I grew up with accept me as I am, I have never really been one to conform to other peoples idea of “normal.” My husband says I’m a prototype not a stereotype.
I love big and bold clothing mainly in a ’50s style, I am also looking into collecting more garments from the 1940s. I have followed every fashion trend since my teens. Tartan, shoulder pads – the works. I love shoes and they used to be my overriding thoughts, but shoes have now been replaced by tattoos. I think about ink all the time.
I like to spend time with my family and friends, and I am quite lucky that Pat likes a lot of the same things I do. We can spend a whole day trawling vintage fairs and second-hand shops. I also often pop and see my daughter in the fish and chip shop she works, she recently won the Guiness world record for being the fast chip wrapper, so she’s a bit of a local celeb too. It must run in the family.
My life in a nutshell – born in a sleepy mining village, married very young to a mine-worker, with whom I had five children, which kept me very busy. I think I only ever really wanted to be a mum and love having my kids around me. I divorced in 1989, went a little bit off the rails I think. But my second husband, Paul, put me back on track. We have been married for 17 years now and have a son together. Paul’s my rock, he’s so placid compared to me, so we’re the perfect fit. He treats me like a queen and I love him with all my heart. During our marriage, we have travelled around a bit, but we always end up coming back to Maltby, it’s our home. We ran a pub together in Scotland, but I missed my family too much. Home is where the heart is and I am a very content and happy lady, even if some people think I look a little out of the ordinary. ❦
Tell us about your tattoo collection. When was your first? My first tattoo was a tiny roll of film on my left shoulder, it was done by Tyree Patrick of 
piece, I reached out to some specialists in lipedema asking about tattoos. They had no real information or studies on it. Basically, the replies back were: “Not really sure, but if you go through with it, update us afterwards.” It wasn’t until mid-summer last year that I realised I had already tattooed on lipedema damaged area with Ursula. It made a lot more sense looking back at how Ursula was harder to heal and seemed to be “too wet.” My thigh has been really tender during the actual tattooing. My skin puffs and pinks up in the lipedema areas pretty quickly and makes it more difficult for Ty to see the saturation of the ink. It also seeps lymph fluid, which can be annoying. 
Healing the thigh has been interesting. There is a very fine line of just enough ointment to keep it from being dry and cracking and too much that keeps it too wet that doesn’t allow it to scab over. The lymph fluid can cause some deep scabs which are really painful and sore. Ursula and The Muppets have been harder to heal than any of my other tattoos but not bad enough that it keeps me from completing my vision.
Behind a discreet door on Duke Street, you will climb some stairs and enter a little haven with warm and welcoming therapists who can do anything from nail art and bikini waxes to make-up and 
Why Norma Kerr? I am one of four sisters and we all share the same middle names Norma (from my Dad’s side of the family) and Kerr (from my Mum’s side). It was always a great source of embarrassment to me growing up – especially Norma, as it sounded so old fashioned. I hated anyone asking “what’s your middle name?” As I got older I started to like the names more (especially when I discovered Marilyn Monroe’s real name was Norma) and that we all four sisters had the same name felt quite unique and special. So, when I started the business, I knew I wanted the logo to be based on classic 1940s-50s style female tattoo design – I had seen in a tattoo reference book years ago. So, once I drawn my own version I called her Norma Kerr. Norma Kerr is a sort of alter ego, a kick-ass girl who sits on top of the world – a strong woman.
Please tell me about the significance of the Grace necklace. The Grace necklace is the heart, wings and flower design. All things of beauty, a heart is something we want to give or receive from our loved ones, wings – wings of desire, wings to fly free, to be a free spirit. And flowers – there is little more beautiful in nature than flowers. I love to grow them, have them in my house always they give me so much pleasure. And did I mention – Grace is the name I gave my daughter?
