A roving reporter from the Eastern Daily Press has returned to the newsroom after an eight-week trek from Land's End to John O'Groats.

Ed Foss has been battling the aches and pains of walking between 15-30 miles a day in a bid to raise money for two Norfolk charities and realise a lifetime ambition.

The adventure was complete when Ed reached his final destination - 1,100 miles from where he began.

On his first day back at the EDP, Ed told Holdthefrontpage: "It's a bit strange to be back. The longest I've been off is probably two weeks in the last six or seven years.

"But I've done a job today and the shorthand flowed - which I've not done for two months."

EDP readers have been kept up-to-date with the highs and lows of Ed's journey through his weekly diary in the paper.

He said: "Filing the stories was okay down south - there were Internet cafes and cousins' houses to use. Further on it got a bit harder, I sometimes had to hand write stories and fax them in."

By night Ed also had to double up as a dad - spending time with his two daughters and partner who made the trip in a motorhome 'headquarters'.

Ed said: "It was hard work when it rained as there wasn't much space. But I wouldn't have been able to go away without them and the children got a lot out of it."

Ed adapted a route from a book to slightly shorten his journey and take him along more A-roads.

He said: "A lot of the planning was done as we went. Two or three times I ended up half-a-mile or so in the wrong direction but didn't really get lost.

"I've said to a lot of people that Scotland impressed me. The people were very friendly and generous. We didn't big up the PR but when you talk to people in pubs they end up giving a fiver or a tenner."

Ed has raised almost £10,000 - double his original target - which is to benefit the EDP Breast Cancer Appeal and the Norfolk and Norwich Association for the Blind.

In the final installment of his weekly diary, Ed told EDP readers: "I honestly don't yet know what to think about the whole adventure, other than it was fun, difficult, inspiring and an enormous education."

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