Nobby Andrew is keen to set up a roller-skating squad at Sprowston Academy sports hall to share his valuable tips and tricks with other aspiring skaters.

The 53-year-old from Rackheath set out to master the sport after his nine-year-old son got his first pair of roller skates, six years ago for Christmas.

Nobby Andrew (Image: Submitted)

And since then, Mr Andrew has transformed his garage into a roller rink and spent thousands of pounds on professional skates.

He said: "Skating is a stress reliever for me; I don't know what I would do without it.

"I knew nothing about dancing or technique back then.

"I taught myself to skate by watching videos on YouTube.

The self-taught skater (Image: Submitted)

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"My son Charlie is now 16.

"He still skates, but he doesn't skate with me anymore.

"I have three sets of skates, my most expensive pair costs £1,400.

"They are a pair of Riedell skates, handmade in America.

"I hire out Sprowston Academy sports hall with one of my friends, Darren, who I met at Funkys, a roller rink in Norwich.

"He has been skating since he was a teenager.

"I would like to invite more people down to skate if people are interested."

Mr Andrew with his friend, Darren (Image: Submitted)

Mr Andrew, who hails the low-impact sport for curing his back problems, says his passion "really took off" during the Covid lockdown.

He said: "I cleaned out my garage and installed a laminate floor.

"I was really dedicated to skating, I had to be, as I had just bought my first set of dance skates the year before.

"They can range from £200 to £300.

"When I put my skates on, everything else gets left at the door."

Mr Andrew's real name is Andrew Stiles, but he is known by his nearest and dearest as Nobby Andrew.

"Everyone used to call me Nobby at school after the famous footballer, Nobby Stiles," he said.

"The name has stuck ever since."

© Norwich Evening News