Parish church joins Sidmouth in late-night shopping

A church verger and Sidmouth potter have produced Christmas gifts to raise funds for the re-ordering of St Giles and St Nicholas parish church.

Valéry Dunn, verger and parish administrator, has put her photographic skills to work to produce two sets of notelets to sell at tonight's late night Christmas shopping event in the town.

A stall will be set up at the church, which will remain open until 8pm, to sell the notelets and a selection of hand-made mugs, cups, nightlight holders and other pottery produced by Primley Road potter Chris Richards.

"The notelets were my idea, I thought they would make good stocking fillers and I was thinking about visitors coming in the summer," said Mrs Dunn, who has been at the church for nine years.

She has 500 of each design in stock, with 10 cards to each box. One shows pictures of stained glass windows in the church, while the other is of a fabric banner and an angel from the dorsal (background) of Lady Chapel.

"The major stained glass window is the East Window of the church [behind the altar] and the other is the music window," said Mrs Dunn.

The idea of the notelets comes after a meeting with parishioners to get fundraising ideas to help with the cost of re-ordering the church, which includes new flooring and pews.

Similarly Mr Richards, a reader there, decided to help the cause by supplying items of pottery for Friday's stall.

Mince pies, mulled wine and stolen will be available this evening at the church, which will ring out its bells between 5pm and 6pm.

Members of St Nicholas Junior School church choir will sing there during the event.