EMOTIONAL but elated! That's two Bury-based trade unionists who have completed a remarkable 950-mile trek from John O'Groats to Land's End.

Brian Marden and Alex Pandolfo climaxed their gruelling sponsored walk foot-weary but feeling fantastic with the knowledge they had fulfilled their remarkable goal.

Both began their walk from John O'Groats in Scotland on April 30 and finally finished it last week after 38 days on the road.

Money raised from the marathon journey will go to the Bury Independent Advice Centre -- formerly the Bury Unemployed Workers' Centre.

During various stages of their walk, Brian (43) and Alex (48) were feted by fellow trade unionists and received receptions in their home town of Bury as well as other places en route.

Brian, a local authority residential social worker and vice-president of Bury, Radcliffe and District Trade Union Council (TUC), said: "Both of us are naturally very foot-weary.

"The reception we received throughout our walk was brilliant."

Commenting on the reasons for the journey, Brian explained: "We wanted to sort out our own millennium celebration, one that would be well received by working people.

"We felt ordinary people had been excluded from the millennium celebrations, so we came up with the idea of the walk.

"People thought we were mad while others believed it was a great idea."

He continued: "Basically, we wanted to raise awareness of the struggles and contributions working people make to contemporary society."

For much of their journey, Brian and Alex, a lecturer, were served by back-up crews and spent well-deserved rests in bed and breakfasts, camp sites and youth hostels.

Predictably, the walk was physically draining for both. "It was a very hard slog," admitted Brian.

"But surprisingly, after we finished we seemed to recover very quickly. But emotionally, I was all over the place.

"My body temperature was up and down and my emotions went in every direction

"When we finally came to the end of our 950-mile walk at Land's End, it was very emotional. But it's really been a worthwhile exercise."

The walk was seen as an alternative to the earlier millennium celebrations and an event to mark 1,000 years of working class diversity, culture and struggle and the role ordinary people have played in history.

Brian and Alex are unaware as yet how much money the walk raised for the advice centre.