As an only child John was close to cousins Anne, Alan and Barry and the family have many photographs of happy family holidays in Skegness.  John was educated at Carter Lane Junior and Sherwood Hall schools in Mansfield.  His childhood and youth photos appear to evidence his eyesight magically improving as his younger self wore some quite unattractive glasses that weren't present as an older teenager!  

An early school report from Carter Lane indicates he was intelligent but didn’t quite put enough effort in which will be surprising to people who knew him later as he was well known for working exceptionally hard and never let anyone else do things for him, even in his 70s he washed his own car, did his own decorating, gardening and most of his own DIY.

Less is known about his secondary school/6th form education at Sherwood Hall school but John left in 1964 with 5 O-Level passes and 2 A-Level passes (in maths and English).  He didn't go to University but instead started working for Nottingham City Council as a trainee accountant, eventually becoming a qualified Chartered Accountant through CIPFA.