Some of the best stories used to just literally walk through the office door and this is the perfect example. A man contacted me and said: “I have built a hovercraft and might it make a story?” It turned out that his dad had done exactly the same things back in the day and he was following the family tradition. It turned out to be a good yarn and it was later picked up by the BBC which tends to be how it works…

HEADS could not help but turn in Scarborough’s South Bay as a homemade hovercraft went skimming across the sand and water at speeds of up to 30mph.

It was built by 43-year-old taxi driver Anthony Ring, who was continuing a family tradition after his father made one for him in 1977 – which made headlines across the world.

Mr Ring, of Ruffa Lane in Pickering, who admitted not being initially interested, later dreamed of building his own.

He said: “I wanted to have another go. When we were young we weren’t really interested but I remember coming here with it. This one does go better. It’s taken about 18 months to build. Once we decided we were going to have a go we built it first, then found the engine.”

Mr Ring estimated that it had cost a total of £800 to build his craft, powered by a 250cc two-stroke Suzuki motorcycle engine which cost £100. He said: “There were a few teething problems but once it got going it went really well.”

The beach test took place at 9am on Sunday and his father, 71-year-old Sid, was watching the activity intently. He remembered that he had built his hovercraft for his two sons, Anthony and Ian, and his photograph appeared in the Daily Mail as well as newspapers in Belgium and West Australia.

The former garage owner from Wilton said: “It’s grand to have another go. I just like to see it going. I’ve had a few goes on it but I’ll just leave it to Anthony now.

“We used to live in Howe Bridge, between Malton and Pickering, and we used to go on the river on the flood waters but you can’t do that now.”

Mr Ring senior built the machine with his neighbour, Wally Jones, after seeing plans at the Boat Show.

His granddaughter, six-year-old Amy, also had fun driving the machine – which was tied to a length of rope and held securely by her father. She said: “It’s cool, wicked and groovy. I was going too fast. It was scary.”

Mr Ring Jr said he had got permission from Scarborough Council to use the machine on the beach. He said: “I have no regrets making it but it takes up a lot of room in the garage with all the quad bikes, motorbikes and the car.”

From the Scarborough Evening News on Wednesday, February 25, 2009.

TV focus on hovercraft

SCARBOROUGH’S homemade hovercraft has been filmed for a regional news report after appearing in the Evening News.

The machine was built by 43-year-old taxi driver Anthony Ring, of Ruffa Lane in Pickering, who was continuing a family tradition after his father Sid built one for his two sons in 1977.

Carla Fowler, a video journalist who covered the story for BBC Look North, said the story had appealed to her because it was so unusual for the area.

She said: “There is the family connection as well – it’s a lovely tradition to keep going, true Yorkshire enterprise.”

She added that she did not know exactly when her film would be broadcast but she hoped it would be shown either today or tomorrow.

There was, however, a complaint during Sunday’s filming session on the South Bay beach and police officers turned up saying there had been one person who objected to a hovercraft “running amok” across the sands.

However, officers were satisfied when the Ring family said they had permission from Scarborough Council who had approved because the beach was for everyone.

Mr Ring estimates it has cost a total of £800 to build his craft, powered by a 250cc two-stroke Suzuki motorcycle engine which cost £100.

When he tested it on the beach last month his dad Sid, 71, was among the eager spectators.

Sid built his hovercraft for his two sons, Anthony and Ian, and his photograph appeared in the Daily Mail as well as newspapers in Belgium and West Australia. He built his machine with his neighbour, Wally Jones, after seeing plans at the Boat Show.

From the Scarborough Evening News on Thursday, March 12, 2009.