I was born in Whitchurch, Shropshire on 20th Dec 1934 and was educated at the local Grammar School (now Sir John Talbot's). I completed my National Service from Nov 1953 to Nov 1955 in 1st Bn. The King's Shropshire Light Infantry, serving in Germany and Kenya (at the time of the Mau Mau crisis). On my return to 'civvy street' I joined the Metropolitan Police Force but left after a couple of years to return to Whitchurch to help my parents who had started their own grocery business. Three years later I married and, in 1963, joined the Royal Air Force as a commissioned officer. My wife and our two sons, who were born before I joined up, travelled around from posting to posting. While we were in Germany in the mid-60's our youngest son and our daughter were born.