sˈɪɹəl wˈɔltɚ hˈɑːdʒᵻz wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn bˈɛkənˌæm, kˈɛnt, ðə sˈʌn ʌv sˈɪɹəl hˈɑːdʒᵻz, "ɐ lˈiːdɪŋ fˈɪɡjɚɹ ɪn ˈædvɚtˌaɪzɪŋ ænd kˈɑːpɪɹˌaɪɾɪŋ".
Cyril Walter Hodges was born in Beckenham, Kent, the son of Cyril Hodges, "a leading figure in advertising and copyrighting".