AN original painting by a St Ives artist is to be transformed into cards and sold at the town s Dickensian Market to raise money for a landmark building. Roseanne Smith has donated her painting of the St Ives Corn Exchange to help raise funds for the

AN original painting by a St Ives artist is to be transformed into cards and sold at the town's Dickensian Market to raise money for a landmark building.

Roseanne Smith has donated her painting of the St Ives Corn Exchange to help raise funds for the refurbishment of the town centre building.

Proceeds will go to ACE, Friends of St Ives Corn Exchange to use for fundraising purposes.

Roseanne comes from a family known for their musical and artistic flair. She studied ceramic art in Stoke-on-Trent and later became a tutor at a brain injury rehabilitation centre in Cambridge. A highlight of her career was painting commissions for the late Ronnie Barker.

Now Roseanne has moved into architectural art and she has used acrylics to paint her picture of the much-loved Corn Exchange. She has fond memories of events held at the Corn Exchange since her father played with bands there. She is keen to see the building up and running again and her artwork will be used by ACE to publish cards to sell at the Dickensian Market in St Ives on Sunday, November 30.

Sunday also marks the big Christmas lights switch-on in St Ives at 4pm.

Other fundraising activities for ACE include a Christmas Concert by the Hemingford Ladies Choir and the Cambridge Guitar Orchestra on Saturday, December 6 at the Free Church in St Ives. Both groups have waived their fee to boost proceeds for the Corn Exchange.

The evening will include mulled wine and mince pies courtesy of Waitrose, St Ives. Tickets are available from the Just Sharing Shop at St Ives Free Church or by phoning 01480 465092, or on the door.

Elsewhere across the county the start of the festive season will be celebrated as town's turn on their Christmas lights.

The annual switch on in St Neots is taking place on Friday, November 28 on the Market Square. There will be a funfair starting at 5.30pm, stage entertainment from 6pm, a street procession at 6.30pm and the Big Switch On at 7pm.

The following day (Saturday, November 29) the spotlight will turn to Ramsey when there will be children's entertainment along the Great Whyte from 9am to 12.30pm. From 5.30pm there will be fairground rides, charity stalls and the big lights switch-on.