Born on June 24, 1925, to John and Sarah Gordon, Ian grew up in Chorlton-cum-Hardy Manchester. He attended Chorlton Municipal Grammar School for Boys who were briefly evacuated as a whole school at the start of the war, before leaving at 16 to start work as a copy boy at the Daily Telegraph in Manchester. He then became a junior reporter for The Manchester City News, beginning a career in journalism spanning almost 50 years. He received his calling up papers as his 18th birthday approached, joining the Royal Navy in 1943; on discovering during his medical that he was colour blind and given his ‘good education’ he was signed up as a coder and sent off to Butlins Skegness, which had been commandeered for initial training and kitting up of new recruits.