JANE Austen s ancestor Diana Shervington will be bringing the literary great to life with a talk at Lyme Regis Museum.

JANE Austen's ancestor Diana Shervington will be bringing the literary great to life with a talk at Lyme Regis Museum.

The family heirlooms, which are on loan to the museum, will illustrate the talk on Wednesday, May 12, at 2.30pm.

*People are invited to take part in a celebration marking the completion of conservation work on the 108-year-old listed building during a 'night weekend' on Saturday, May 15.

There will be drinks at 6.30pm, followed by a talk on George Vialls, architect of the museum, at 7.30pm.

Former curator Max Hebditch will tell how this Victorian architect came to be designer of the museum, guildhall and other buildings in Lyme. The museum will be open until 9pm - admission is free.