The author seems to be a Professor in Oxford. I took the trouble to look up because i (correctly) guessed this was typical, dry British irony. The academic link also came as no surprise.
<<Academically I have obtained a doctorate degree (DPhil, aka PhD) from the University of Oxford>>
It does not say he is/was a professor. (Please correct me if wrong.) Still, a PhD from Oxford is an amazing achievement!
And, yes, I also enjoyed that bone-dry humor about enquiry about size of fingernail...