A WILTON councillor is jetting off to America today to take part in the 200th birthday celebrations of one of the ancient capital of Wessex's namesake towns in the States.

Anthony Brown-Hovelt, who represents Wilton on Salisbury district council, is flying to Maine for the three-day celebrations, which begin tomorrow.

He will be armed with a copy of the Salisbury Journal and its special Down Your Way in Wilton pull-out, to be buried in a time capsule.

Mr Brown-Hovelt said Wilton in Maine lies by the side of a lake, also named Wilton.

He added that representatives of other Wiltons in the United States would be there.

"The three-day event includes the annual Blueberry Festival - blueberries come from Maine," he said.

"On the first day, there will be a civic lunch to celebrate the foundation of the town, and on the Saturday, there will be American Civil War re-enactments and parades - I shall be on one of the floats!

"On the Sunday, they are going to bury a time capsule in a park and there will be fireworks, a band concert and country music.

"I thought it would be fun to take something for the time capsule and came up with the idea of a copy of the Salisbury Journal."