OKEHAMPTON?S Mayor has called on everyone to get involved in the town?s celebration of the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar this summer. Devon and Cornwall will play their part in staging a series of events later this year to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle. A special place in the folklore is reserved for Okehampton and Lifton, which will both appear on the route of a re-enactment procession. It will be staged to mark the journey of the messenger dispatched to advise King and country of the decisive news from the battle. Following the British fleet?s victory over the combined French and Spanish fleets and the death of Lord Nelson on October 21, 1805, a messenger was dispatched with great haste to convey the news to the Admiralty in London. That messenger, Lieutenant John Richard Lapenotiere, sailed to Falmouth then embarked on a whirlwind 38-hour journey to the capital, stopping to change horse at 22 locations on the way, including Okehampton and Lifton. The route travelled is now being commemorated in a project called the New Trafalgar Dispatch. A national project team will re-enact the event by calling at the same towns as in 1805, visiting Lifton on Monday, August 15 and Okehampton the following day. A cast of actors playing Lapenotiere and others will arrive in each of the locations in a replica post-chaise vehicle and make a presentation to civic dignitaries. A large bronze commemorative plaque will be presented to the town, which, pending listed building consent, it is hoped will be placed outside the White Hart Hotel, where Lapenotiere changed horses. The team helping to co-ordinate events met in Okehampton council chambers last week to discuss the planned festivities. The idea of reviving the traditional Giglet Fayre to tie in with the celebrations was discussed. It was customary to hold the Giglet market on the first Saturday after Christmas and at the accompanying fayre any man of the town ?who was weary of being a bachelor was allowed to introduce himself to any fair lady who took his fancy and was unattached?, in the hope of finding a wife. The custom is believed to date back to sometime after the borough of Okehampton was granted its charter by James I in 1623. It is also hoped army and air cadets, the Okehampton Excelsior Silver Band and the Courtenay Players could all be incorporated into the celebrations. Mayor of Okehampton Cllr Tony Leech said: ?We are hoping that the whole town will get involved in some way or another.? The celebrations would also help promote Okehampton and could attract visitors, he added. Brigadier Tim Donkin, who is co-ordinating activities, said: ?Okehampton in common with all the other places will get a lot of publicity around the time, which is pretty good news?. Brig Donkin said the organisers were keen to involve local people at each of the places on the route, so each celebration had its own character. He said a number of pubs on the old A30 between Lifton and Okehampton would, if they so wished, be given a scroll to say they were on the Trafalgar Way. Brig Donkin said in Lifton celebrations would centre on the Arundell Arms where Lapenotiere stopped and would see the post chaise greeted by Royal Marine Drummers and the Lord Lieutenant. A meeting is planned with the parish council to confirm further details of the celebration.