This 'nerdy' travel fan has had their favourite bus immortalised in a tattoo - after admitting to spending 'most of their life' on or around the 'iconic 192' service. Elliott Colvin claims they had always loved travel and transport but when they met their trainspotting partner Wil Saunders, 36, their passion grew.
The 25-year-old soon found themselves travelling on the 192 bus that runs from Manchester to Stockport daily, hopping on the 'iconic' service on their way to work or to meet loved ones.
The contact centre team leader claims the Stagecoach bus has been a 'staple part' of their life across four house moves and decided to commemorate the 'reliable' service permanently in ink.
Elliott, from Reddish, Stockport, Greater Manchester, said: "It's a bit nerdy, to be fair. My partner is a bit of a trainspotter. We've been together about five years and I've always been into transport and travel.
"He's encouraged me to be more enthusiastic about buses. I've always found them cool from being a kid. When I moved to my first flat in Manchester with my partner Wil, I was obsessed that the bus comes every two minutes. I thought it was really cool.
"It's very much a staple part of Stockport and there's an unwritten love for the 192. People make jokes about it but it's the most reliable bus. It's such an icon. It's an iconic thing."
Elliott and Wil have now moved from the Manchester suburb of Longsight to Stockport and Elliott claims they'll 'never move out of the area' all thanks to the 192 bus.
Elliott said: "We've lived in four different areas of Greater Manchester and Stockport and every time it's been the 192 that's been my local bus. It gets me to work, it gets me home.
"I spend the majority of my time in and around the bus. I just wanted something a bit unique. I like these untraditional tattoos that don't necessarily have a deep meaning but they mean something cool to me.
"The first flat we got together was in Longsight then we moved up the A6, which is where the bus goes, and it's ended up being the local bus that takes me to my job and all my friends. That's why we got Stockport via Longsight [on the front of the bus].
"It's where we've ended up. We love it and we'd never move out of the area now and that's all thanks to the 192. Other people have enjoyed the 192 tattoo which I didn't expect at all. Everyone knows it [in Manchester and Stockport]."
They have also praised tattoo artist Maisie who Elliott claims was completely on board with their 'unconventional' idea. Elliott said: "Maisie has done some of my tattoos before. She was straight on board with it.
"She's a junior tattoo artist and I was a bit sceptical about messaging her at first in case she thinks I'm insane, but she's already done some cool things for me before and I really love her work. The fact she's a junior artist and already this good, I really want to support her. She'll just go for it. It is unconventional but she's such a young, up and coming tattoo artist."
Maisie, who works for Heatons Tattoo Club in Heaton Moor, Stockport, claims she loves 'weird and wonderful' requests - which can be different to her usual dot work and stipple shading.
Maisie said: "I have tattooed Elliott multiple times. A lot of Elliott's tattoos tend to be sentimental. They approached me about the 192 one. They had to travel on that bus to see their partner. Being a tattooist you get wild and wonderful requests anyway but to get something mundane like a bus is kind of comical."
