▁crossing ▁the ▁Fal ▁Est u ary . ▁He ▁contract ed ▁r he um atic ▁fe ver ▁and ▁was ▁unable ▁to ▁attend ▁school ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁during ▁which ▁time ▁he ▁read ▁many ▁science ▁books . ▁ ▁University ▁ ▁At kin son ▁got ▁a ▁Sch olar ship ▁to ▁Cambridge ▁where ▁he ▁read ▁Physics . ▁He ▁started ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 . ▁Having ▁passed ▁everything ▁needed ▁for ▁a ▁first ▁class ▁hon ours ▁degree ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁ 2 nd ▁year ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁spend ▁his ▁third ▁year ▁on ▁different ▁subjects . ▁He ▁stayed ▁on ▁for ▁a ▁fourth ▁year ▁to ▁do ▁the ▁new ▁Di pl oma ▁in ▁Comput ing . ▁ ▁Personal ▁ ▁He ▁met ▁his ▁first ▁wife ▁Val erie ▁Ross ▁in ▁Cambridge ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁married ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁They ▁left ▁Cambridge ▁to ▁start ▁the ▁department ▁of ▁Computer ▁Science ▁at ▁the ▁new ▁Lanc aster ▁University ▁and ▁their ▁first ▁daughter , ▁K irst een , ▁was ▁born ▁there . ▁Later ▁they ▁had ▁two ▁more ▁daughters , ▁Tam z yn ▁and ▁J anna . ▁Val erie ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁He ▁is ▁married ▁to ▁Kath y ▁Hum ph ry ▁whom ▁he ▁first ▁met ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁where ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁Comput ing ▁Officer . ▁ ▁Mis cell aneous ▁events ▁and ▁interests ▁ ▁At kin son ▁was ▁instrument al ▁in ▁setting ▁up ▁a ▁M ining ▁Society ▁at ▁the ▁grammar ▁school . ▁He ▁is ▁an ▁av id ▁d ing hy