 He was educated at St Paulinus Church of England Primary School, Crayford, Kent, and then at the City of London School, London which he attended on a scholarship as a chorister at the Temple Church under choirmaster Sir George Thalben-Ball, appearing on two records made by the choir during his time there.He had previously sung in the St Paulinus Church choir, Crayford, and the Westminster Abbey Special Choir.On leaving school at the age of 16, he attended Erith College (now Bexley College) for a year before enlisting in the United States Air Force at the age of 17, where he served for three years as a radio operator before taking an early discharge and returning to the UK to attend Merchant Navy College (formerly the Thames Nautical Training College), Greenhithe, Kent, qualifying as a Radio Officer in 1989.