Most people associate skateboarding with teenagers, so it came as quite a surprise when Aldenham School's chaplain took up the recreational sport.

Padre Simon Chapman, 39, has been learning how to longboard, similar to skateboarding but on a longer board.

Padre Chapman, who lives on the school grounds in Aldenham Road, started skateboarding in July.

He said: "I've always wanted to give it a go, and when my six-year-old daughter said she was keen, I thought it would be a great hobby for us to do together, especially over the summer holidays.

"I was really nervous though and I thought I'd keep falling off. But both me and my daughter, Beatrix, got a couple of lessons from Josh Ward-Brickett, who runs Skates and Ladders."

The clergyman said after hours of practice he can now do some simple tricks such as flicking the board around and jumping and doing a half turn.

His daughter though is a few steps ahead and can do the kickflip, where she jumps and kicks the board into a spin and then lands back on it.

Padre Chapman, who is a former RAF chaplain added: "I find skateboarding quite relaxing as well as fun, but my wife thinks it's amusing and declines to take up the sport. My eldest daughter, Amalie (nine) though is about start skateboarding too.

"My aim is to take the girls skateboarding on the promenade on Brighton sea front. We've went to Cassiobury Park in Watford, at the end of August, which we really enjoyed."

The father of two has also skated to the local shops, and admitted that he has had some weird looks from people, but said mostly the repsonse has been positive.

He said: "Students have come up to me and said they skateboard too.

"I'm hoping, when the weather gets better, to set up a skateboarding club, as one of our after school activities on Thursdays. It would be great way to get children outside and active."

The skateboarding chaplin added: "I think anything that gets the kids outside and brings family together is really good thing, and this certainly is."