Don Alexander was born in Neepsend, Sheffield, in 1937 and educated at Hillfoot County School, then Firth Park Grammar. He gained a degree in Spanish at Manchester University then learned Russian in the Army before serving in Berlin at the height of the Cold War. A keen interest in local industry led him to Park Gate Iron & Steel, then the Ickles, then Brinsworth Strip Mills exporting Rotherham Steel. After 20 years in the steel trade he took redundancy and opened a shop on Ecclesall Road in 1983 selling Sheffield made cutlery, tools, pewter and silverware. The business was sold in September 2001 to Paul Iseard who is increasing sales and promoting Sheffield goods on the World Wide Web. Don met his wife Mary, a Leeds girl, at Manchester University. They have three daughters; Susan, Rachel and Lucy.