I was born in the house next to the blacksmith’s shop in Brook Street, Wymeswold on 3rd November 1939. My journey started in this small village – the streets were dirty and poorly lit at night. Looking back, I was blessed with wonderful parents, a community spirit and in many ways a childhood in paradise.

As a shy boy, I would have been horrified at the thought of university, but my experience in Manchester and then a year in France opened my horizons and changed my world.