This year's Falmouth Oyster Festival will mark the bicentenary of Nelson's heroic exploits at the Battle of Trafalgar, with a special themed dinner in celebration of his great victory on Friday, October 21 at the Oyster festival marquee.

The event organisers are working with a team of chefs headed up by Tanya Prince, Stuart Millard and Johan Triplet from the Victory Inn restaurant in St Mawes to provide a three course dinner for up to 300 paying guests.

They have created a special menu to reflect the kind of food eaten by Nelson and his officers in keeping with the theme of the evening.

The aptly named Victory Inn is pulling out all the stops to make the evening as authentic as possible by dressing their crew of buxom serving wenches in period costumes which have been supplied by Limelight costumes of Truro.

Dinner guests too will be encouraged to get in to the spirit of the occasion by following suit, with special prizes awarded to the best dressed couple.

"We are advertising the event as a night of celebration, feasting and frolics and hope that everyone who comes will get in to the spirit of things and join us to create some of the atmosphere of what it was like to eat on board a ship from Nelson's time," said a spokesman for the organisers.

People attending the event will be treated to free samples of oysters courtesy of Falmouth Bay Oysters with either a sherry for the ladies and molls, or Grog cocktails for men.

Tickets at £27.50 are now available and local companies are being encouraged to take part.