McNally grew up in the Harlescott area of Shrewsbury, and was a pupil at the Harlescott Grange school.
There was once a military supply depot here, RAF Harlescott, but this has closed and the nearest RAF base is now a few miles away at Shawbury.
Children going to private or grammar schools took the train from Walcot or Upton Magna stations whilst students at the secondary modern at Harlescott were bussed into Shrewsbury.