John was born in England at the start of second world war and that momentous event affected his whole education. He was a single child born in the heart of England on Christmas Day in 1938. The best decision he ever made in life was in his choice of parents! They both remained totally dedicated and endlessly supportive of him throughout their lives. From his earliest days, he can still remember some of the hardships of domestic life during the second world war. However, as a result of that event, his nation resolved to focus on giving its children the best possible start in life and he and all his generation benefited from that focus.

After his first 6 years in a small state primary school, he was fortunate to gain a place in the local boys’ grammar school that had been educating children continually since its foundation by a wool merchant in 1495. Its Latin motto was “We gather strength as we go.” And so it proved. The traditions of that ancient foundation started his fascination with coats of arms which has continued throughout his life.

As well as getting a superb high school education, he came out of his shell as a single child and developed his social skills in part by playing for the school in its cricket, rugby and hockey teams.

Thanks to an especially dedicated teacher, John became fascinated with biology and moved on to study that subject at the University of Birmingham. (Motto “Through hard work to the stars”).

There he was awarded a B.Sc. first class and finally a PhD. His special interest was fishes, an interest that continued for much of his life. During that period, he also spent a year as President of the student body, another opportunity to balance the academic with the social. This was one of several times in his life in which he felt blessed beyond his wildest dreams and that, if he seized all opportunities that life offered him, anything was possible.