TWO well-known Bury men will put on their walking shoes to follow a 300km route across Spain in memory of a popular businessman and president of Bury Hospice Businessman Hervey Magnall and the Rev Hugh Bearn will set off on Thursday, August 25, on the Pilgrim’s Route from Leon to Santiago de Compostela.

Mr Magnall is the owner of the Fisherman’s Retreat restaurant in Shuttleworth, while Mr Bearn is the vicar of St Anne’s Church in Tottington.

The pair hope to complete the walk in 17 days and raise hundreds of pounds for Bury Hospice and Derian House children’s hospice.

They are taking on the challenge in memory of their friend, Les Ratcliffe, who died in 2009 at the age of 82 after suffering a stroke.

Mr Ratcliffe, who lived in Helmshore, was well known across the borough for setting up Dunsters Farm, a chilled food service company.

He was also the life president of Bury Hospice and spent 25 years as president of the East Lancashire Railway.

Mr Magnall, aged 61, said: “Les was a friend to both of us and he was a great man. He was a philanthropist and helped a lot of people. This is our way of doing a bit to help. Les would be smiling if he knew we were doing this.

”It will be an interesting trip and I’m very much looking forward to it. I’ve been walking regularly on the hills to prepare. It’s not going to be easy and the temperature will be the worst thing for us. We’ll have to be very carefully not to get dehydrated.”

As well as collecting sponsorship, they will raise money by holding a function at Mr Magnall’s restaurant at 7pm on Thursday, August 18.

Anyone wishing to sponsor them or buy tickets for the function should call the restaurant on 01706 825314.