We've all heard of ice-cream vans, camper vans, some people now are even living in vans but one barber decided to work his trade from one.

Groomer Aaron Simmons took his trade of cutting hair mobile, creating the brand Busking Barbers in 2020 when Covid hit.

Having worked in a shop prior to lockdown, Aaron was wanting a change and the restrictions on social interaction became a catalyst to make it happen.

He said: "During lockdown I rethought how I wanted to do things.

"I wasn't particularly happy in the shop and knew I wanted to go at it on my own.

"My dad bought a camper van and I joked about putting a chair in it.

"But then I thought it might have been a good idea – I had nothing to lose and went for it."

An interesting concept and one that seems to be a plugging a wanted gap in the market.

Aaron decided on the name as it was a perfect way to combine two passions in his life, barbering and music.

Aaron started mainly in Rochester while accommodating the other Medway Towns, but with the short success, himself and barber friend Danny O'Neill began to look at expanding his brand to Sittingbourne.

The two met working at a shop in Rochester but when Aaron ventured alone, Danny kept in touch and was keen to join him on the road – and now he is the one looking to expand the brand into the new area.

Aaron said: "Timing was really on my side, the idea was cool and was something I thought the town needed.

"Building the brand is definitely something I am passionate about and I am really excited to see how far I can take the name."

With the expansion I was told it would be a good idea to get a haircut with them, which I was more than happy to oblige because as you can see my barnet was in dire need of taming.

Aaron arrived with Danny who pulled the short straw to deal with the Gordian knot on my head.

They opened the van to reveal a single chair surrounded in a wooden interior and facing a mirror and sink.

The aesthetics were rustic and warming – like getting a haircut in a beach house.

I sat down and told Danny what I wanted which was my usual undercut on the sides, fading from a two to a one, with the top styled into the form of a pompadour.

He understood what I meant and got to work.

Sitting in the van was quite a surreal experience at first and I was fully aware where I was but once the novelty wore off, it became less and less apparent.

The typical small talk helped too, making it feel like any other barbershop – I may have even fallen guilty of asking the obvious "been busy?" question.

Eventually I lost all sense of place forgetting that I was in a van in the middle of a busy car park – the only thing reminding me was the occasional head poking round to see what was happening.

Aaron said this was a common occurrence: "People poke their heads in every day.

"Even if they don't want to use the service they just say hi and compliment it."

He added: "Cats love it as well – it must look like a massive climbing frame to them."

But what was noticeable was the feeling of personal service.

The fact it comes to you removes all the hassle of going to the barbers and the social interactions that come with it.

It felt artisanal and catered to you – something Aaron says is what makes his brand unique.

"We're popular with parents in particular – they don't have to drag the kids through town.

"Normally kids could be quite nervous especially if it is their first haircut so to be in their environment makes them comfortable enough to check it out.

"We've even had a lot of positive feedback from parents with autistic children who have often struggled in social environments.

"They come in and often they're a lot more comfortable and, in some instances, look forward to having their next haircut."

Danny worked for about an hour in which we discussed the van, the job, and how others have expressed annoyance in cutting my hair as it is double-crowned, something Danny cheekily agreed with.

Nonetheless he did a terrific job in taming and shaping my hair – he even trimmed my beard which was a first for me.

I was very pleased with the outcome and was ready to give him that approval but of course when he asked "is that alright" I responded in the way every man does after getting a haircut – "yep, thanks" – although I felt I had to apologise for the amount of hair left on the van floor.

It was a weird but wonderful experience – one I would have again and would recommend if anyone is thinking of swapping barbers.

A standard cut costs £25 with hair and beard being £30. Children's cuts are the cheapest at £20.

It is more expensive than a haircut I'm typically used to but Danny did a great job and the convenience of them coming to me made it worth it.

You also decide the destination and it is a great feeling being able to look out of the shop window and see any view you wish and is something Aaron enjoys too.

He said: "We find ourselves in lots of lovely locations and in parts of the town we may not have come across otherwise.

"I boast about it all the time, taking photos and uploading them to social media, saying this is where my office is.

"It could literally be anywhere and its really nice to have that aspect of it."