No, I was not named after Mr Castro, or any of the other famous Fidel's throughout history! School friends found it hilarious — it was the cause of many instances of verbal abuse as a child. I spent years convincing bureacracies that I have two middle names, nowadays, I still have trouble with institutions that insist that everyone has a Christian name (whether they are Christian or not), and a single middle initial…

Fidel was the first name of one of my ancestors, a watchmaker who was born near Frieburg in Germany in 1834. His father was also named Fidel, but we don't know much about him. He ran away from home and followed the Rhine down to the sea, then across the English Channel to England. Through family practice, the first-born son in each generation has been given the middle name.