Daniel was born September 19th, 1946, at Crawley Hospital. At age five he attended West Green Primary School and age eleven, after passing his Eleven Plus examination, he attended the recently opened Hazelwick School where he showed an aptitude for languages and mathematics, exceling in cricket and rugby.
His favorite pastimes are sports, reading, and making models. His favorite radio program is The Goon Show. In April 1959, the family moved to Edinburgh where Daniel attended the private Honorable Bankers School for Boys.