Service and ex-service good causes were handed thousands of pounds at the annual celebration of the year's fundraising for the Anglia Motel Pilgrimage Fund.

Motel boss Harold Payne, who has been organising veterans' trips to Normandy for more than 30 years, said: "It was our annual remembrance of our lads who didn't come home and a celebration for the veterans who made it back."

It was a night of celebration too for good causes with a £10,000 donation to help injured servicemen from The Royal Anglian Regiment, and Harold said: "That's to look after the young lads who need help in the hospital in London."

There was also a £1,000 donation for a new memorial due to be built in Norwich Cathedral to remember servicemen killed by the SS behind the lines at Dunkirk.

Further £1,000 donations were given to the children of RAF Marham and to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Harold said £300 each was given to "our D-Day boys" - totalling £1,200 - and £500 each to ex-service groups in Barbados and India.

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Harold Payne (left) with veterans and guests

Holbeach charity Chosen also donated £1,000 to the Royal Anglians and a massive £5,000 towards a brand new £200,000 memorial that Harold wants to build near the Anglia Motel.

Harold wants the memorial to be a tribute to our soldiers lost in Afghanistan, Iraq, The Falklands and Northern Ireland.

He said: "It's going to be called 'the tree of life' - it will be a buddleia tree with butterflies on each leaf for the names.

"It's something I have been thinking about for five years. We haven't got anything around here to represent all those young lads that lost their lives."

Some 350 people attended the celebration.

Over the years, a grand total of £875,000 has been raised by Harold and his team for ex-service and service good causes.

Harold has thanked the many people who have supported the fundraising, including those who donate direct at the Anglia Motel cafe.

He said: "We average £105 a day through the summer season."