AT 61, the thrilling days of hovercraft racing may be over for the Rev Granville Spedding.

But the minister's involvement in the fun sport is as busy as ever.

He continues to design and make the machines for other enthusiasts and is now vice-chairman of the Hovercraft Club of Great Britain, organising race meetings and worldwide club publications.

Rev Spedding, assistant minister at Christ Church, Pennington, Leigh, started teaching hovercraft principles to school children, then building the machine.

He still works on new designs in his garage with the help of his son Jonathan, a joiner.

"At the end of the month we have a bank holiday meeting at Carnforth which I am helping to put together," said Mr Spedding who has spent 38 years a minister in the Manchester Diocese in postings at Manchester, Farnworth, Bolton.

"And recently there was a World Hovercraft Federation meeting at Telford, with 138 machines from all over the world. After I finished racing, my son took part in races as a teenager then later got involved with me in the building of the machines, and I then became his helper while I organised events for the club.

"I have built 15 hovercraft in all and Jonathan has done twenty-odd. Most of them are used by members of the club. I am too old now to take part in races and now I give demonstration rides to children at meetings. But I have to admit that I damaged my hovercraft recently when I crashed into a fence - and that has to be fixed."

• Two of the £5,000 Spedding hovercraft are in regular use by holidaymakers during summer and on winter weekends at Tanrallt farm in the village of Llangian, near Abersoch. Would-be pilots are given full tuition.

The Speddings are also in discussions with a holiday farm in mid-Wales about introducing their hovercraft to the site.