Alan Herbert is a post war boom baby, born in West London of working class parents. His early days were spent playing on the bomb sites around Notting Hill Gate, Hyde park and also Holland park which were his old stomping grounds. By the age of five, Alan had travelled much of England – boating, cycling and camping. He claims this is the basis for his complex if not contradictory character. A city kid that is more at home in the wild.
He left school at just 15 years old. Alan had various occupations until joining the RAF at 18 as motor boat crew on RAF Marine craft. He saw service in the far east and Northern Ireland. He served 3 years in the RAF, leaving as a senior air craftsman. Alan then later Joined the Royal Navy aged 24 as a medical assistant. This is where he found his true calling at last. He served a further 13 years, then ending his career as a senior Petty Officer medical assistant (enrolled nurse) on nuclear submarines.
Alan is very adventurous, he sailed his own small boat across the North Sea, climbed mountains, ran marathons and swum for charities. And if this isn’t enough, he is also a budding artist. Some of his oil paintings have been auctioned raising over £1500 for charity.
In 2012 Alan was diagnosed with breast cancer which led him to write his story The Pink Unicorns of Male Breast Cancer. He states that Breast Cancer was an adventure he could have done without and that the treatment was the hardest trial he had ever faced. Even though he had forty years of experience in the medical world, he had no idea about Male Breast Cancer, which is why he felt the need to write a book. Alan continues to raise awareness about breast cancer and in particular male breast cancer.