Curling fever is not confined to Scotland, home of last week's Winter Olympics gold medal winners.

One Sussex family has been curling for 13 years.

The only catch is they have to travel to Switzerland to indulge in their favourite sport.

There is not a curling rink within 250 miles of the Ainleys' home in Hove so curling competitions are limited to family holidays.

The Ainleys began curling during a family holiday in Zermatt.

Since then, father Nick, mother Sue and son Chris, 12, a pupil at St Christopher's School, Hove, have won numerous competition trophies.

Sue, an accountant, said: "Nick and I started curling when I was pregnant with Chris and couldn't ski. As Chris got older, he got more interested in curling. He now prefers curling to skiing or snowboarding."

Their mantelpiece is weighed down with trophies, plates, pewter mugs and a glass dish.

Chris won a trophy while wearing his Brighton and Hove Albion strip.

Sue said: "We'd love to play more here but, unfortunately, there isn't anywhere to do it. We're floating, homeless curlers."

Outside Scotland, there is only one curling centre in Britain, in Deeside, North Wales.

The Ainleys, of Fourth Avenue, are members of the Zermatt Curling Club. They play outdoor curling, made all the more appealing by having the Matterhorn as a backdrop.

Sue said: "Playing outdoors means you have to read the ice because early in the day when it is cold, it can be sticky and not very fast. Indoor conditions are much more predictable."

Sue said Nick, a barrister, was probably the best player in the family. The youngest member, Astrid, ten, is ready to make her debut.

Sue said: "She has been too small to lift the stones, which weigh 42lb each but next time we'll have the full team of four."

Eldest son Tom, 20, has not caught the curling bug and prefers skiing.

Sue said: "Curling is like bowls on ice but it's a very exciting game because the lead can change constantly and often the game will be won on the last stone.

"It also has a very colourful and international language. A very good shot is a 'tip top', which probably comes from Scottish and the German word 'fest' is shouted for sweep faster. Then there are bits of French and the local Swiss language."

The Swiss have a novel way of utilising their outdoor spaces for curling. The predictable cold weather means they are able to flood tennis courts and use them for curling and ice rinks.

Sport England said although 30,000 Britons played curling, all but a handful were in Scotland.

A spokesman said: "It has been difficult to put an argument in support of funding for curling. But we are hoping Britain's Olympic success will inspire more people to give it a go and get involved."

A flood of interest would also get the English Curling Association out of a pickle.

According to its web site, curling has not been played in England for three years.

As a result, membership has fallen to just 100 members and it has been unable to find a junior team - of just four.

To find out more about the sport, contact the English Curling Association on 01234 315174 or Sport England on 0207 273 1500.