Ron was born in Brighton.  He went to Whitehawk school. He did his National Service in the RAF Medical Corps. He had training as a Dental Mechanic and also as a skilled machine tool operator with the major Brighton firm Allen West, where he met his wife Phyllis, who was a short hand typist in the office there. They were married in December 1952 in St Aubyns church, Coomb Rd Brighton. Their daughter Rosemary was born December 1953.