If it wasn't for the plaques there'd be no benches along the seafront.
In my town, with an *ahem* aging population, the local town council are always getting requests for benches etc. being dedicated to past fans of the place. The town council always have to explain that any decision (and payment) has to be made to the county council who, in fact, own any property that memorials are situated on. It's a nice little earner to county that town has no bloody choice.
When it comes to tats, let me state my case:
I'm coming up to my 60th birthday (next year, put in your diaries). One of my brothers was artistic and, for a time, had a tatoo parlour (as they were known then). When
I was born, he self-inked a cartoon crying baby with my name in a scroll below. Among many other 'classics'.
Up to the age of 20-ish, I'd rejected the idea of getting inked. Just one of those things. It was in the late 80's. I had an emotional (not acrimonious) split with a very long-term partner. I was at a 'loose end'. On a completely random impulse, I visited a tattoo parlour.
"Can you do this* on my shoulder?"
"Sure."
"How much 'n' how long?"
"About an hour and £50."
"Will it hurt?"
"Yes. At first. You get used to it, but it always hurts!"
"Okay. Go for it!"
That was my first tattoo.
Scroll on to my 40th birthday. I decided to get another tat as a milstone. I designed the image, paid the fee, got it done.
Scroll on to my 50th. I designed the image, paid, got done.
My wedding? Yup. Got a personal design done ... for me and t'wife, who'd decided she wanted one. Recently, on my 55th birthday (?) got one.
My own personal rules are:
Small designs. Easy to cover with a formal shirt. My own design.
My recommendation?
No matter what any say, they hurt. My own experience is I get inked when I've forgotten how much it hurts.
When it comes to others who have tattoos, I try hard not to judge. Silly, I know. But I judge not on someone having tattoos, but what those tattoos are. Facials, cliche stars on necks, children's names ... that (to me) is lame. But - and I hasten to say this - I don't judge them on what they've had done; it might be a very intimate and meaningful image. But even as I've got tattoos, I can't help criticism based on originality.