I was by far the youngest of the family, and at times it was like being an only child.

I felt strongly that since the pursuit of good science was so difficult it was essential that the problem being studied was an important one to justify the effort expanded.

I think it was this curiosity about the natural world which awoke my early interest in science.

It has been a privilege to pursue knowledge for its own sake and to see how it might help mankind in more practical ways.

At age 11 in 1960, I moved to an academic state secondary school, Harrow County Grammar School for Boys.

After an extensive interview he arranged for my weaknesses in foreign languages to be over-looked and so I started a Biology degree at Birmingham in 1967.

This possibility bothered me as I thought it was not advisable to remain in one academic environment, and the long dark winters in Edinburgh could be rather dismal.