Born on 22 August 1923 at Milan in Italy, the second son of Asher Alhadef, a tobacco merchant, and his wife Jeannette Franses. He was educated at Bromsgrove School, Birmingham, and at Worcester College (1942-47) and the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, qualifying in 1947. He held resident posts at Notti

Brian McEvedy was a consultant in general surgery at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He was born in Manchester on 13 December 1923, the second of three medical sons of Peter McEvedy of Ancoats Hospital, one of the great names in hernia surgery. His mother was Lilian Grace née Denn