Fairy-themed mobile bar brings cheer to communities without a pub

To make matters even more unusual, the brightly coloured, hand-painted fantastical bar interior is inside a 7.5-tonne horse box lorry.

It is the brainchild of former garden designer Sharon 'Tink' Longshaw who will be taking the mobile bar on the road for the summer.

Tink said: “I bought the horse box specially. I’ve always wanted to convert a vehicle and I said I wanted to do something different when the kids grew up, so I’ve now killed two birds with one stone.”

She intends to launch the new mobile bar with a difference at the end of May and then take it round the country for the summer. It is branded under the name of Tink's Tipsy Tavern.

Fairy tale tour

Armed with a bar stocked with beers, ciders, wines and spirits, all at regular pub prices, she intends to start her tour in Essex before moving on to Suffolk and Norfolk. “Then we’ll see where we go from there. We hope to bounce from place to place and keep going through the summer.”

The horse box bar has caught the imagination of those on social media with invitations from as far afield as Cumbria, Yorkshire and Wales.

The enterprise will take private hire bookings as well as charity events. Tink has her own licence and will apply for a temporary event notice at each venue. People will bring their own table, chairs and food.

However, for all its fun elements, there is a serious point. “It’s an opportunity for so many communities that have lost their pubs” she said.

“Mental health is a big issue with one in four people living in rural communities reporting depression. People need to join together and there’s nowhere to go with so many pubs closing. Local councils can’t even afford to even keep some village halls open.”