John Pirkis was born John Simon Alexander Lyne-Pirkis in Guildford, Surrey, England and grew up in the neighboring market town of Godalming. His father was Dr. Richard Hugh Godfrey Lyne-Pirkis (Born of English Aristocracy; Earls of Liverpool), and his mother (born of Irish Aristocracy; Earls of Carysfort), Ellinor Bessie Maureen (Austin). Their blood runs thick with a healthy blend of Russian, French, German and Scandinavian. John was privately educated; first at Penthorpe preparatory school in Rudgewick, Sussex, and then Sutton Valence School in Kent, where he won several prizes for his writing and public narrative. He trained as an actor at The Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Shortly after graduating, he took the unconventional step of joining a circus company, touring Mediaeval Jousting Tournaments around Great Britain and Europe as ...