I was a book publisher in Iran. The business had had nine partners and I was chosen as the director as I was the only one who hadn’t been imprisoned, either before or after the Iranian revolution. We were a well known publisher but we were not liked by the authorities. Two of the partners were killed by the authorities. We all would have have left the country but I was the only one who had the opportunity to do so. My wife was a lecturer in a university in Tehran and she had an offer from the University of Sheffield to do a Ph.D.so we came in Sheffield in 1997.

I have two sons, both of whom are very keen to be involved in British politics. One has just graduated and the other is still at school and is a member of the youth parliament.

Grave of Samuel Holberry, Chartist leader, General Cemetery