BLIND great grandmother Hilda Crabtree dealt with her need for speed -- by climbing on board a Harley Davidson.

The 77-year-old whizzed around a car park in the shadows of Bolton Wanderers' Reebok Stadium to raise more than £1,500 for Guide Dogs for the Blind, which has a regional base in Bolton.

Before her ride on the back of the motorbike, Hilda took a car for a spin to get her in the mood. Hilda said: "I love cars and driving. I always have done. My father drove lorries for a living, so it was bred into us."

Under the guidance of car driving instructor Lisa Stevens, Hilda negotiated a series of manoeuvres that would have given Stirling Moss a headache.

The awareness of blind drivers impressed Lisa and the other driving instructors. Lisa said: "It is very rewarding and really amazing. They just seem to have a better sense of where they are going."

After stepping out of the car, Hilda only had one thing on her mind. "That was lovely, but I could do with a pint or a cup of tea", she said.

Then Hilda, who lives with husband George and guide dog Jeannie in Grange Terrace, Rawtenstall, made her way over to a collection of Harley Davidsons. Watched by several members of her family, she climbed onto a bike and was taken for a high-speed spin with a member of the Harley Davidson Club of Great Britain.