Pop Up Pub
Every Friday, 5:30 – 10pm
Every Friday evening, the hall transforms into Tackley's own village pub. The Pop Up Pub is a relaxed, welcoming space where neighbours come together to unwind at the end of the week, catch up on village news, and enjoy a drink.
There's no membership, no booking required — just turn up. Bring the family, bring a friend, or come on your own. You'll always find a friendly face.
When
Every Friday evening
5:30pm – 10pm
Where
Tackley Village Memorial Hall
Medcroft Road, Tackley
How It Started
In July 2016, the Gardiner Arms closed. The village had lost its pub, with no certainty it would come back. The village hall committee and a handful of volunteers got together and made a plan: a temporary, dynamic, volunteer-run pub using the hall's playing field and the hall's existing but little-used bar and licences. We called it the Pop Up Pub.
That first season was a wild success. Every Friday evening — whatever the weather had been earlier in the week — the sun seemed to shine, and crowds turned up with picnic blankets, camping chairs and their own glasses. The hall and the playing field became a welcoming, safe place for the whole community to meet and socialise. The takings paid for a long-overdue redecoration of the hall and replaced the tired old chairs and tables.
When the Gardiner Arms reopened, the Pop Up Pub continued as an annual summer partnership. Profits fell, but so did the workload, and the relationship survived even the disruption of covid. Then in June 2023 the Gardiner Arms closed again and went up for sale. Many of the original 2016 team got back together, remembered how well it had worked, and committed to the bigger workload of doing it properly. A new chapter began.
With autumn approaching that year, demand was still high, so the team took the tentative step of carrying on every Friday through the colder months too — with new lighting, music and games keeping loyal customers warm and entertained. Volunteers couldn't quite step away over Christmas either: Christmas Eve karaoke, Christmas Day pre-lunch drinks, Boxing Day bacon sandwiches for the fun-runners, and the now-legendary New Year's Eve party all became fixtures alongside the regular Friday nights.
As the operation grew, so did the legal and financial responsibility. TVMH has more recently established a separate community-interest company, run by unpaid TVMH volunteers, to oversee the Pop Up Pub. All money raised goes back into the village — keeping the hall safe, warm and compliant, and supporting other local causes in Tackley.
Why It Matters
Village pubs are disappearing across the country. The Pop Up Pub gives Tackley something many villages have lost — a regular, informal gathering place where the community can come together.
It's where new residents meet their neighbours, where plans for village events take shape over a pint, and where the hall earns a steady income that helps keep it running for everyone.
Join the Team
We're always looking for more people to join the team. Serving on the bar is good fun and a fantastic way to catch up with old neighbours and meet new ones. No need to commit to long hours — even an occasional shift gives the core team a chance to be on the other side of the bar for once. We'd love your help.
Find us on Facebook or get in touch via [email protected].