A PINT of blue top just won’t do for the artists behind this pink milk float, which has given a rosy glow to the launch of East Oxford Artweeks.

The float is the brainchild of artists Richard Lawrence, 52, from Oxford and Finn McCarthy, 22, from Banbury, who have been using it to deliver a unique exhibition on the history of printing to the towns and villages of Oxfordshire.

Trundling along the Cowley Road on Monday it was on its way to East Oxford Community Centre, where it was helping to launch East Oxford artists and the East Oxford artist trail, at Fusion Oxford’s community art agency.

Mr Lawrence explained: “The milk float is totally green, ecologically speaking, and totally pink, colour wise, and has been equipped with historic printing equipment that’s been going around the county giving traditional letterpress printing workshops to schools.

“It’s a very old method of printing, but very quick and easy and people have really enjoyed learning about it and giving it a try.”

King Alfred’s School in Wantage and West Kidlington Primary have so far enjoyed visits.

And open events are planned in Oxford, Bampton and Wantage.

Mr Lawrence bought his milk float in Bath, in Somerset, to use as a delivery vehicle when restoring his new art studios.

He explained: “I bought it because it was cheap to run and you don’t get to drive fast in Oxfordshire anyway, so it seemed like the ideal vehicle.

“I was going to paint it dark red – the pink paint is actually undercoat. But people liked the pink so much, we kept it.”

Mr Lawrence added: “The printing exhibition is fun, it’s educational, it’s creative and we’ll also be telling people about our work in renovating an old garage to create new artist studio space in Hurst Street, East Oxford.”

He added it would be a venue for Oxford Artweeks and would be used to show the work of local artists.