1. What do Richey's tattoos say?
2. What year was Richey born?

1. What do Richey's tattoos say?
The earlier tattoo says "Useless Generation". In autumn 1994, he got three new ones. I think it's best to quote Simon Price's book Everything, for their description - "There were two intricate circular diagrams, one with the words Hemisphere, Jerusalem, Land, Water, Hemisphere, Hell, Mount and Purgatory (apparently derived from the seven concentric circles of Hell as depicted in Dante's Inferno), the other bearing the Caina, Antendra, Ptolomae and Judecca, with the condemning additions 'Traitors to their Lovers, Traitors to their Guests, Traitors to their Country, Traitors to their Kindred'. Obscure biblical/classical references, and more fuel to the rumour that Richey had found God in the Priory. The third tattoo read 'I'll surf this beach', a quote from Apocalypse Now."
A visitor to my old message board, Max Von Denizen, added the following information:
"The two circles described in the Tattoos seems to make reference to Dante's Inferno (and possibly Purgatorio). The first seems a description of the universe where the Divine Comedy is set (Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso). It was believed at one point that Jersalem was at the centre of the worlds continents and beneath it was hell. On the opposite side of the planet from Jerusalem was the mountain / island of purgatory, to which Dante emerges in Book 2 (Purgatorio).
"The tattoo quoted on the FAQ as saying: "'Traitors to their Lovers, Traitors to their Guests, Traitors to their Country, Traitors to their Kindred'. Obscure biblical/classical references, and more fuel to the rumour that Richey had found God in the Priory." Both of these make reference to the ninth circle in hell which is divided into four sections: Caina - Traitors to Kin, Antendora - Traitors to Homeland or Party, Ptolomea - Traitors to Guests and Judecca - Traitors to Benefactors."

2. What year was Richey born?
Richey was born in 1967, (on December 22nd). Here's why I say that:
It's the year given in the police report filed when he disappeared.
It makes him one year, (actually, about 13 months), older than Nicky (born January 1969).
Simon Price gives 1967 as Richey's birth year in his book, Everything, generally regarded as the most truthful and thorough book yet written on the band.
That year has been confirmed to me by someone who knew Richey at Swansea University.
His sister, Rachel, is quoted in the article, "I Can Never Rest Until I've Found My Vanished Street Preacher", from 23 February 1999, as saying: "When they [Manic Street Preachers] played Cardiff in December last year [1998] I couldn't bring myself to go along. It would have been Richard's 31st birthday..."
His parents said he would then be 34 years old, in their missing person appeal which appeared in the 4 February 2002 issue of The Big Issue, according to the article, "Search Goes On For Missing Manic".