Admiral Lord Nelson made several guest appearances across the Five Valleys on Friday night as Trafalgar Day celebrations marked the bicentenary of one of the most famous naval battles of them all.

CUSTOMERS at The Ship at Brimscombe found their sea legs when more than £600 was raised for charity during their Trafalgar celebrations.

Organised by Stroud Rotary, visitors were invited to dress up in typical sailor outfits, join in the sea shanties and enjoy some typical naval grub.

Proceeds from the night will go to Mercy Ships, a charity which provides desperately needed medical care to developing countries from floating hospital ships.

"Everyone was very supportive of the event and helped make it a success, especially Dave and Chris Collins the landlord and his wife," said Jim Hutton, president of Stroud Rotary.

On Sunday, Mr Hutton was a guest at the Trafalgar Commemoration Service at St Lawrence Church, Stroud where he spoke about the work of the Mercy Ships. The congregation has raised more than £100 for the charity so far.

TRAFALGAR Day was brought to life at Marling School as staff hosted a range of themed activities for pupils.

It was knot tying in the maths department, sea shanties in the music block, battle tactics with the historians and cannon firing in the science labs.

A special assembly was held in the afternoon to showcase some of the most popular events.

Dressing-up as Admiral Lord Nelson for the afternoon, head teacher Roger Lock was delighted with the event. "It has been absolutely fantastic, the kids are absolutely terrific," he said.

"Hopefully they will remember the battle of Trafalgar far better than they would have done by reading a text book."