sisters: Pamela, who was born on 3 October 1943 and died on 14 October 1945 of leukaemia; and Barbara, who was born on 22 August 1946.

Jones attended local schools, including Dean Close School from September 1949 to July 1953; and Cheltenham Grammar School for Boys, (now Pate's Grammar School) which he entered in September 1953 after passing the eleven-plus