CHRISTMAS has come early in the city as a new High Street trader has arrived.

Simon Askew says he is thrilled to open a festive themed shop Country Christmas at empty unit number 29, the former Moshulu.

Mr Askew said it was his first time having a shop in the city centre as his business was usually attending trade shows all over the country.

"Normally we do exhibition shows," he said.

"We would be doing shows at the NEC, we have done country living in London, we have done Oxford Christmas market.

"We were coming to the stage where 70 to 90 per cent of shows we would normally do were cancelled. We import half our stock and make the other half as a craft business.

"We are a massively seasonal business so we were in the sticky situation where we had ordered the stock before this thing got really serious.

READ MORE: Tollhouse change with festive feel

"People don't realise Christmas for us starts in January, with months and months of work and then sell it at the end of the year.

"We decided let's open a shop.

"Years ago we had a family business at what used to be the Tollhouse (in Ombersley), turning that into a Christmas shop, which was an interesting project at the time and we had never really gone back to that.

"For us as a small independent to open up a High Street shop, it's a big deal for us.

"There are not many independents around nowadays."

Mr Askew, who is born and bred in Worcester and lives in Claines, said among the items they will be selling are hundreds of different types of Christmas tree hangers - most of which they design themselves - as well as dried fruit and cinnamon wreaths and garlands.

The shop is being run as a family business with his mum Mary, known as Meryl, and dad Derek Askew.

Mr Askew said they would also be part of the Victorian Fayre as they had been for two decades, setting up outside the shop if the event goes ahead.

Mr Askew also joked that they had held off opening until last Saturday, as they couldn't justify opening a festive shop any earlier.

"There are some Christmas shops, like one in Bourton-on-the-Water in the Cotswolds, that are open all year round," he said.

"We are not quite as keen as them."