▁worked ▁for ▁his ▁father ▁at ▁the ▁gar age ▁until ▁he ▁was ▁ 2 5 . ▁He ▁had ▁two ▁brothers ▁and ▁a ▁sister . ▁Wat kins ▁gained ▁a ▁scholar ship ▁at ▁Pres cot ▁Gram mar ▁School . ▁He ▁told ▁his ▁father ▁that ▁he ▁wanted ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁doctor , ▁an ▁idea ▁of ▁which ▁his ▁father ▁disapp ro ved . ▁ ▁Wat kins ▁graduated ▁as ▁a ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Medicine ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Liverpool ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ; ▁during ▁his ▁time ▁there ▁he ▁carried ▁out ▁research ▁on ▁the ▁effects ▁of ▁heat ▁stress ▁on ▁performance , ▁finding ▁that ▁increased ▁heat ▁greatly ▁affected ▁intellectual ▁performance . ▁This ▁research ▁would ▁later ▁prove ▁useful ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁in ▁motor ▁racing . ▁Following ▁gradu ation , ▁he ▁served ▁with ▁the ▁Royal ▁Army ▁Medical ▁Corps ▁in ▁West ▁Africa ▁for ▁four ▁years . ▁There ▁he ▁competed ▁in ▁his ▁only ▁mot ors port ▁event , ▁driving ▁a ▁Ford ▁Ze ph yr ▁Z od iac ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 5 ▁West ▁African ▁R ally , ▁ret iring ▁from ▁the ▁event ▁after ▁the ▁first ▁stage . ▁He ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁UK ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ▁to ▁special ise ▁in ▁neu ros urg ery ▁at ▁the ▁Rad cl iffe ▁Inf irm ary , ▁Oxford , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁when ▁he ▁took ▁up ▁his ▁first ▁mot ors port ▁event ▁in ▁a ▁medical ▁capacity ▁at ▁a ▁k art ▁race ▁at ▁the ▁Br ands ▁H atch ▁circuit . ▁During ▁his ▁free ▁time ▁he ▁acted