A VINTAGE shop and pop-up gallery has opened in Basingstoke’s Top of The Town.

And to get the business, called Unit 3, off to a good running start, an exhibition entitled The Horse in War and Peace, is on display.

It can be seen at Unit 3’s premises in Wote Street, behind the Willis Museum.

The exhibition features the work of Winchester-based sculpture Robert Truscott, along with his collection of military memorabilia.

Behind the venture is the wife of local businessman Alan Stone, Dina Bulavina, who is a former Moscow contemporary art gallery curator.

She said: “My husband Alan, who is chairman of the Top of The Town Traders Association, came up with the idea to offering something different for the Top of The Town.

“We hope to work with the community and offer this as a regular pop-up exhibition space.”

When the upstairs unit, next to Stone’s Fine Jewellery & Pawnbrokers, is not used as a gallery it will be open as a vintage shop.

“We’ll be selling things like vintage costume jewellery and dresses, furniture, bric-a-brac, curiosities and art works,” explained Dina.

“We’ve tested the waters with a vintage shop for two weeks prior to the exhibition and I was surprised with the response from people. They said they wanted something interesting for this part of town and they were very enthusiastic.”

Coinciding with Basingstoke Festival, The Horse in War and Peace runs until Sunday July 12.