The author married in 1959 and has a daughter, two sons and two grandsons. He attended the John Lyon School, Harrow and won many cups for running. His dyslexia went unrecognised although, unusually, his best subject was English Grammar. His main interests are history, art, gardening and writing poetry. He served his national service as a radar operator in the Royal Air Force after which he joined a company of East India Merchants. He studied at the City of London College and became a chartered secretary. A keen volunteer, he was elected vice-chairman of the British Dyslexia Association in 1977. In 1987 he and his wife were founder members of the European Dyslexia Association formed in Brussels, of which he became president from 1993 to 1999. He has published reports on dyslexia and is a joint editor of The International Book of Dyslexia.