From a childhood dream and a treasured Christmas present to a remarkable career with Iron Maiden, Nicko McBrain looks back on the experiences that helped shape his life in music in his new book, Hello Boys and Girls. But among the memories of an extraordinary musical journey, it is the love and encouragement of his family that shine through.

For Nicko McBrain, the road to becoming one of heavy metal's most recognisable drummers began long before he joined Iron Maiden. It started with a childhood passion for music, the excitement of receiving his first proper drum kit and, perhaps most importantly, the support of a family who believed in him.

His new book, Hello Boys and Girls, looks back across his life and career, tracing the experiences that helped turn a young enthusiast into a professional musician. From his early years and the drummers who inspired him to his formative session work and his eventual place in the history of heavy metal, it offers an opportunity to reflect on the journey behind the familiar name.

Yet when we spoke, it was his memories of home that provided some of the most heartwarming moments of our conversation.

Asked how pivotal his parents' support had been to his success, Nicko recalled how his father recognised his musical potential, even when his mother insisted that he should first acquire a trade.

"My dad knew that I had it to go pro," he explained. "But when I was 16, Mum turned round and said, 'No, you've got to get a trade'."

His father's response was characteristically practical.

"My dad said to me, 'Anything for a quiet life, son. Do as your mum tells you, do you understand?'"

Nicko, however, was convinced that his ability behind the drums was sufficient to make music his profession. He wanted his father to intervene, but the advice remained the same: if his mother wanted him to obtain a qualification, that was what he should do.

Looking back, Nicko recognises the wisdom in that decision.

"So that was the only blemish, but she was right! I went and got my City & Guilds and on the day I got notified, I went pro."

It is a wonderful example of how family support can sometimes take a form that a young person might not immediately appreciate. His parents were encouraging his ambitions, but they also wanted him to have something solid to fall back on.

As it turned out, the two paths came together in a moment that Nicko still remembers with unmistakable affection.

Having decided to leave his job and become a professional musician, he arrived home on a Friday, only to find that a letter from City & Guilds had arrived for him.

"I jacked in my job and came home — it was a Friday — and my mum says, 'What are you doing home?' And then she said, 'Oh, this came for you…'"

The letter confirmed that he had passed his qualification with honours.

"I opened it and Mum was jumping up and down and dancing."

There was just one small detail still to explain.

"Then she went to go in the kitchen and then turned round and said, 'Why are you home, by the way?' And I said, 'Well, I'm professional now, Mum'. She said, 'You what?' And I said, 'I'm a professional'. She said, 'You wait till your father gets home!'"

Nicko laughs as he recalls the exchange, but the story captures something important about his upbringing. His parents might have wanted him to secure his future before taking the plunge, but when the moment arrived, his mother's delight was immediate.

"So they were very supportive," he said, adding that there was "a lot of love from my sister, mum and dad".

It is a sentiment that gives the story of his musical success a more personal dimension. Behind the achievements, the performances and the years spent playing to audiences around the world was a family whose encouragement helped him pursue his ambitions.

A Christmas present that changed everything

That family connection reaches back to one of the defining moments of Nicko's childhood: Christmas morning in 1963, when he received his first proper drum kit.

His reaction was one of pure excitement.

"Oh, the little John Grey drum set! The weird thing about that was I was elated, I couldn't believe it!"

For a young drummer, it must have felt like a dream coming true. But the family had one more surprise in store.

After the initial excitement, Nicko discovered that his new kit had arrived without the one thing he needed to play it.

"I didn't have a pair of sticks! I said to me Dad, 'Where's me sticks?' and they wound me up rotten!"

The missing drumsticks were part of a family Christmas tradition that Nicko continues to this day with his own family in Florida.

He explained how presents would be placed under the tree on three separate occasions: one before Christmas, another on Christmas Day after the main presents had been opened, and a final one on Boxing Day.

His father then played his part in the joke.

"My dad said, 'Here, Rose! Where are those sticks? Did we buy a pair of sticks?' And she said, 'They're on the tree!'"

Nicko laughs at the memory, explaining that the drumsticks were presented early as part of the family's Christmas fun.

It is a small story, but a revealing one. His first drum kit was not simply a musical instrument; it was a gift surrounded by family excitement, teasing and shared memories that would stay with him for decades.

The fact that he continues the tradition with his own family in Florida demonstrates how those early experiences have remained part of his life.

Looking back on a lifetime in music

Nicko's journey from that Christmas morning to the professional music world was only just beginning.

His early influences included Ringo Starr and other outstanding drummers whose playing helped inspire his own ambitions. Those formative years would lead into professional work, including session playing, before he became known to millions of rock and metal fans through Iron Maiden.

His career would take him far beyond the world of that first John Grey drum kit, but the memories of his beginnings remain central to the story he tells in Hello Boys and Girls.

Asked how it felt to finally have the time to look back and write the book, Nicko revealed that the project had been a long time in the making.

"Oh well, I started writing it in 2012. It's been a long time coming!"

That lengthy process has given him the opportunity to revisit the experiences that shaped him, from childhood memories to the professional milestones that followed.

And while the book encompasses a lifetime of music, the stories he shared with me underline the importance of looking beyond the achievements themselves.

The encouragement of his parents, the affection of his sister and the family traditions that began in childhood all form part of the bigger picture. His mother may have insisted that he obtain a trade before pursuing his dream, but her reaction when she discovered he had passed his qualification — and had also decided to go professional — speaks volumes about the love behind that advice.

Likewise, the story of the missing drumsticks captures the warmth and humour of a family celebrating a young boy's passion.

These are the memories that make a personal account of a musical career so engaging. The legendary drummer may be the figure audiences recognise, but the boy opening his presents on Christmas morning and the young man nervously announcing his new profession are equally important parts of the story.

With Hello Boys and Girls, Nicko McBrain looks back at the experiences that helped shape his life in music. In our conversation, it was clear that, among the many memories accumulated along the way, the love and support of his family remain particularly precious.

Find out more at www.nickomcbrain.co.uk and in the meantime enjoy the video below as Nicko exits the Iron Maiden stage for the final time.