POKESDOWN in Bournemouth will get its own Christmas tree as businesses continue their drive to rebrand it as the town’s ‘vintage quarter’.

The tree will be illuminated at 5pm on Thursday and many shops will trade until 10pm to mark the occasion.

The area around the train station is now home to vintage clothing shops, as well as the area’s traditional antique shops, and shoppers and traders have now set ‘The Pokesdown Collective’ to promote the area.

Emma Sadiwskyj-Frewer, a collective member from Charminster, said: “Pokesdown is fast developing into Bournemouth’s Vintage Quarter with lots of fabulous shops taking up residence.”

The guests at the lights switch-on include mayor and Pokesdown resident Cllr Christopher Rochester, Bournemouth Collegiate Choir, and local schoolchildren who will be decorating the tree.

The shops opening late include: Scribe Tattooing, Bournemouth Engraving and Trophy Centre, Tackle, Fishee Design Photobooth, Clobber, Opus Rooms Hairdressing, Love From Hetty & Dave, Reef Hair Studio, Decades of Design, George Fry, What Alice Found, Lionel Geneen, Flair, Kaotichandbag Geek Boutique and The Tattoo Parlour Cafe.

The Tattoo Parlour Cafe who will be hosting a Local Independent Traders Fayre selling handmade, original and vintage items. Caroline Read from The Tattoo Parlour and Scribe Tattooing said: “This wonderful event will showcase Pokesdown and celebrate this unusual and historic part of Bournemouth.”