PENSIONER Jack Edwards helped fellow artists at a residential home display their skills when he put on a exhibition of their award-winning work.

The exhibition featured art and craft work by people from the Steepleton Manor Residential Home, in Winterbourne Steepleton, near Dorchester.

Jack, 87, suggested putting on the show to display some of the residents' work exhibited in Martinstown Summer Craft competitions over the past three years.

Widower Jack, who has four sons, is well-known in the area as he was a county careers officer for 25 years, based in Weymouth.

Entries for the 2002 craft competition were also on show at the exhibition, along with other samples of residents' work.

Welfare supervisor Ann Tregarth said the show went extremely well and added: "Jack is chairman of the residents' association and suggested holding a craft exhibition at the home. He proposed inviting friends and family and assumed responsibility for organising the entire event."

Jack has also had a collection of poetry published. He is donating the proceeds from the sales of the book to the renovation of the St Michael's Church at Winterbourne Steepleton and other worthy causes.

The Manor Book Of Poems (£5.99) is on sale at Ottakars in Dorchester and W H Smith in Weymouth.