Around 30 pubs and other places took part in the Good Friday fundraising for Macmillan Cancer Support and the total was officially anounced by John Birch, secretary of the Daventry branch of Macmillan, last week. All the money collected will be spent on local projects.

The Old Plough in Braunston in particular raised an astonishing £2,200 with a tombola and auction. But the efforts of customers to support the day continue throughout the year.

Licensee Avril Emery said: “The thanks really have to go to the customers.

“They donate prizes throughout the year and raise money.

“We have people who come to Braunston by canal specifically for Easter to come to the fundraising event and some people even make sure they don’t book to go away so they can be here.

“We’ve lost a lot of very well thought of customers to cancer over the years and we all want to do what we can.”

Mr Birch said: “The people from Daventry and the villages are always so generous and very, very supportive.

“It’s also astonishing that people come up the cut on their canal boats to Braunston every year for this event.”

In 2007 Macmillan gave a total of £86,000 to 227 cancer patients with financial difficulties, funded an oncology therapist, a Macmillan uro oncology specialist nurse, and a Macmillan skin cancer clinical nurse specialist.