ART lovers are being invited to play their part in celebrating a decade of Bishop Auckland Town Hall by adding the finishing touches to an exhibition.

Young artist Lady Kitt has spent six months preparing for the display, which opens in the McGuinness Gallery on Monday.

It marks the tenth anniversary of the hall's re-opening after a £3m facelift in October 1993.

When she was growing in Bishop Auckland, Lady Kitt, 23, was a regular visitor, running a children's drama group and joining in arts and music activities with her family.

A patchwork quilt made from PVC is a centrepiece of her exhibition.

While it features sketches and photographs depicting the town hall's life, half of the patches have been left blank as "letterboxes" for visitors to fill with words or pictures of their own.

During the show, which will run until Saturday, October 18, people can bid for any of the works on display, giving their reasons for wanting it as well as a suggested price.

The town hall was built in 1862 in the style of a French chateau and was in danger of collapse before the refit, which was partly paid for by the European Union.

It now houses a theatre, art gallery, cafe bar, library and tourist office, and hosts a wide variety of events.

Telephone (01388) 602610 for details of the autumn events programme, which includes a birthday tea dance on Tuesday, October 28, and a lunchtime concert in the Eden Theatre on October 31, reprising the first musical event held in the building.