AT least a fifth of British people are tattooed, if the latest statistics are to be believed.

For people aged 16 to 44 the proportion rises to about a third, with designs ranging from discreet one-offs seen only by loved ones to full-body murals.

Back in 1975, though, a tattoo was still the mark of the adventurous rebel, as a look back at one of our features reveals.

This week 39 years ago the Adver went to see an artist who’d lately moved from London to a new base in Ferndale Road.

We said: “Pedro Carter has been a professional tattooist for ten years, is a member of the British Tattoo Guild and one of the few Western members of the Tattoo Club of Japan, where much tattoo design and technique was originated.”

Pedro told us: “I used to work in a Chinese takeaway next to a tattoo shop and I got talking with the tattooist.

“He was getting on a bit and he asked if I would like to learn the trade.

“It took two years to learn it properly. I think it is an art, I really do. I mean, I work out most of my own designs and draw them out myself.”

We added: “Most of his trade is young men, between 18 and 30. Some of the men are older – up to their late 50s.

“And then there’s the women. For every 100 men there’ll be one woman wanting a tattoo. Pedro admits he thinks they’re probably kinky.”

We also photographed customers Phil Cleverly of Omdurman Street, Andy Bull of Pinehurst Road and Paul Curtis of Ferndale Road, all of whom were proud of their designs.

What happened to Pedro? A brief entry on the tattooroadtrip.com website notes: “Pedro Carter, a tattoo artist who had, over the years, tattooed in Swindon, Bournemouth and Southend-on-Sea, died on Monday the 30th of October, 2000.”

We hope that plenty of his gallery is still with us, though, and if you are one of Pedro’s canvasses we’d like to hear from you.

The week’s big showbusiness story in Swindon was a gig by 1960s star Helen Shapiro at Carriages, the Theatre Square venue which would go through many other incarnations before becoming Foxies Gentlemen’s Club.

Helen, still only 28, had been famous for well over a decade; back in 1961 her number one hits You Don’t Know and Walkin’ back to Happiness made her the youngest female to top the British charts.

She was happy to be interviewed by the Adver, and her stories included one about an obscure up-and-coming support act from her headlining tour back in 1963: “Towards the end of that particular tour you could tell something was happening. We all realised it.

“From the reaction of the kids to the Beatles we knew here was something new.

“But no-one realised how big and phenomenal it was going to be. It was, in fact, a new era.”

On a completely different note, a prominent local story throughout the week was an alarming ecological disaster. Late in the previous week, fish in Coate Water had begun to die by the thousands for no apparent reason. Council workers had to cart them away in bins for incineration at the old Barnfield tip.

“WIPED OUT,” said our first headline of the week, and beneath it we revealed: “The mystery pollution in Swindon’s Coate Water lake may wipe out the entire fish population.

“The slaughter which began on Friday continued through the weekend and dead fish were still floating to the surface today.

“So far, a massive one-and-a-half tons of fish have fallen victim to the killer pollution – and the toll could be doubled before the carnage ends.”

By the end of the week, whatever was killing the fish seemed to have worn off, but in spite of tests on the water and fish both dead and alive, there was never a definitive explanation.

There was also drama on the M4 involving a group of Swindon school children. Readers who happen to have been one of the Dorcan School pupils who went on a trip to London that week will remember it only too well.

“Swindon school children scrambled to safety from a blazing coach on the M4,” we wrote.

“None of the children, all from Dorcan School, was hurt, due to the prompt action of the staff, said headmaster Mr E Walls.

“About 50 children were returning from a school outing to an athletics exhibition at Olympia, London.

“Near Membury one of the children noticed smoke coming from under the floorboards near the door. And then the driving compartment burst into flames.

“The driver immediately pulled on to the verge and the children were ushered out by the teachers.”

IN OTHER NEWS...

MONDAY, APRIL 14, 1975: “SELECTIVE industrial action is almost ‘inevitable’ at hospitals in the Swindon area during the next two or three weeks. Princess Margaret Hospital would be among the worst his by militant moves by supervisory and managerial staff in the laundry, catering and domestic sections. They are all members of the health service section of the National and Local Government Officers’ Association, who are incensed that, following talks for a pay rise, they have in effect been offered a pay cut.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 15, 1975: “CHILDREN at two Swindon schools walked back into their own Monday muddles today – because militant Mrs Mopps had walked out. The pupils were the victims of an unofficial petticoat strike which mean a slash in after-hours cleaning last night at Penhill Junior and Infants School. In the words of the eight rebel cleaners, the schools were absolutely filthy. Today the children found classrooms and corridors unswept and desks undusted. They downed brushes and dusters in disgust after a decision not to replace a cleaner who retired three weeks ago.”

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16, 1975: “LOCKING them up was not such a problem at the court cells in Swindon today. But letting them back out proved a bit more difficult. The trouble down in the cells arose when the caretaker, one of the few men who knows which keys are what, went off sick. And no-one knew which keys, out of an enormous bunch, would let a couple of men, due to appear before the magistrates, out of the cells. And so an almost blushing court official had to explain that she was sorry but the men could not appear in the docks until the right keys were found.”

THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1975: “ANOTHER sleeping British Leyland worker at the Stratton St Margaret plant has sparked off a costly production stoppage. He was caught napping on Tuesday night and punished with a one-shift suspension. Last night, when the suspension took effect, about 140 men walked out in sympathy. The tired worker who left his job to go to sleep is a C building press operator. So are all the men who downed tools about 8.30pm last night and quit the factory.”

FRIDAY, ARRIL 18, 1975: “BRITISH rail fares are to go up by 15 per cent from May 18 – the second biggest increase yet faced by passengers. Fares from Swindon to Paddington will increase across the board. A first class ordinary single now costing £3.59 will go up to £4.15 and the £2.24 second class ticket will be £2.60. The first class ordinary return ticket will be £7.48, compared with the present price of £6.47. Second class will go from £4.10 to £4.74. First class weekend returns go from £5.33 to £6.17, and second class from £3.06 to £3.54.”