words and pictures Craig Moore
Craig Moore visits a hidden gem, The Anglia Motel and Restaurant
The first time I drove past Harold’s D-Day Café (The Anglia Motel and Restaurant) on the A17 near Spalding, Lincolnshire, I was shocked at what I saw – Ihad to put the brakes on fast so as not to miss the entrance. (Luckily, there was no vehicle behind me.) In the large car park in front of the café, intermixed with customers’ cars, was a 155mm artillery gun at full elevation, a Gulf War desert sand yellow painted FV432, a Hawker Hunter jet gate guardian, armoured personnel carriers and a Chieftain tank, among other military equipment and weapons.
Harold Payne has run his business for over 50 years, looking after the needs of truckers, coach trip customers and passing motorists. However, he is arguably better known for his fund-raising activities for military charities. For 33 years Harold and his friends have raised money so that they could take World War Two veterans back to the battlefields and cemeteries of Europe.
