Over Wyre man Doug's nearest pub is in his back garden

When Doug fancies a chance to get away from everything and visit the bar, he only has to walk to the bottom of his garden - literally.

That’s because the 61 year old sales manager has transformed his garden shed into an atmospheric Irish bar, stocked with bottles of Guinness and other favourites and even beer pumps.

Doug, of Carr Lane, Hambleton, has also covered the walls with various artefacts from his travels, many of them relating to the Emerald Isle.

The former Rossall school pupil was born in Drogheda, near Dublin, and spent his formative years in Ireland before moving to the Fylde coast aged 12.

Rugby fan Doug has got a few of the famous green shirts on the walls, as well as wall plaques and posters relating to Irish beer such as Kilkenny, and a barrel for a table.

Doug has aptly named his watering hole O' Smithers.

Father of three Doug, who is married to Caroline, said: “It was actually my wife’s idea, she thought it would be great to have a bar where we could have a few friends around.

“I built it with a couple of friends about five years ago, and two years ago we extended it and made it bigger.

“I have decorated it with a few things I’ve collected over the years.

“We’ve even held a few charity fundraisers in there over the years, among friends.”

The bar is an award-winner, too, having won first prize in the Pub Shed UK competition and a similar TV contest.

Doug added: “When the government announced groups of six could meet up, I had a few friends call me up, asking to come around!”

The pub also comes with a miniature model of Blackpool Tower, which was put together by Vickers Armstrong, who built Wellington Bombers during the Second World War.

The Tower model had a varied history before Doug bought it a few years ago in Preston, and took it home wih him.

When Liberty Games launched a competition to find the best home bar in Britain last week, Doug decided to enter his Irish bar into the contest.

And it turned out there was another entry from the Fylde coast, an outdoor bar in the back garden of Blackpool resident Stella Shields .

https://www.libertygames.co.uk/blog/home-bar-competition/University student Stella, 38, who lives near High Furlong School, said: “I built it myself - I was wondering what to do with my decking and I noticed online that someone had built a bar.

“I’ve got seating and optics with various spirits, but mostly gin!

“There’s an ice bucket too, to keep the drinks chilled"