Colleagues at Sidmouth’s Original Factory Shop aim to make a difference to one local charity in 2012 by becoming its charity partner. Read this and more.

DEMONSTRATION: Sidmouth Victoria Hospital Comforts Fund will hold a Christmas Special at Kennaway House, Sidmouth, from 10.30am to 3pm on Wednesday, December 7. There will be a dried flowers demonstration with ploughman’s lunch. Tickets are �10 each from Paragon Books.

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CHARITY NOMINATION: Colleagues at Sidmouth’s Original Factory Shop aim to make a difference to one local charity in 2012 by becoming its charity partner.

Manager, Teresa Stoodley, is seeking nominations and in-store forms should be completed by Monday, December 5.

She said: “We’ve decided to support just one local cause in 2012 so that we can really make a big difference to them. We’re asking for nominations from anyone in Sidmouth who needs a helping hand, whether it’s a mothers and toddlers group, a local children’s football team or a support group of whatever kind.”

Activities will be organised by staff, who hope to raise a minimum of �500 for the chosen charity.

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BYRON DISCOVERY: Research into the collection of drawings by John Constable (1776-1837) at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum, has revealed another portrait of a literary giant: Lord Byron. The pencil sketch was rapidly executed on a pocket-sized piece of paper and bears a strong resemblance to contemporary portraits of the infamous Lord Byron (1788-1824). Its discovery follows one of William Wordsworth last year.

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WICKED: Sidmouth pupil Megan Cox is among 100 shortlisted for the 2011 WICKED Young Writers’ Award in the 8-10 age category.