Nic Treadwell’s Storyville

A personal reflection and tribute to Brendan Higgins who died in January 2024. Big Bren was a writer who was well known around Birmingham for his unforgetable poetical outbursts at events over many many years. He also fronted the avant garde free jazz banf Big Bren's Combo, was a novelist, playwright, actor, facilitator and event organiser.

In this podcast I reflect my friendship with Bren , his creative output and his legacy.

Including poetry, music and more from the man himself.

Further infomration about Brendan can be found @ Big Bren's Facebook Page:

In Oct 1973 the Midwest United States experienced a UFO flap that ignited the imagination of the country. Sightings of strange light, craft and beings flooded the TV and Radio.

One such strange incident happended one rainy night in Zanesville, Ohio. Seventy five year old Eric Gillan (suffering with the late the stages of Alzheimer's disease) woke up in the middle of the night and saw a strange light out of the window of his care home .

What happend next would have a profound effect on him and his son Will.

Written and narrated by Nic Treadwell (C) 2023.

Angelsong - written by Marc Cohn & released Atlantic Records 1991

Help and support for families affected by Alzheimer's

A one act, one scene play set in a living room of a quiet suburban home in the West Midlands. Jules has been waiting patiently for Baz to return from the pub, where he’s been most of the evening. Their son Ricky is in his room playing on his Xbox. It is around 10pm when Jules hears the front door slam signaling Baz’s return.

Enhanced Spotify Edition featuring the song Tonight by Elton John.

Credits:

In Sorry Luv, was written, recorded and produced and performed by Nic Treadwell

Additional music sourced from freemusicarchive.org under creative commons license included:

A one act, one scene play set in a living room of a quiet suburban home in the West Midlands. Jules has been waiting patiently for Baz to return from the pub, where he’s been most of the evening. Their son Ricky is in his room playing on his Xbox. It is around 10pm when Jules hears the front door slam signaling Baz’s return.

Credits:

Sorry Luv, was written, recorded and produced and performed by Nic Treadwell

Additional music sourced from freemusicarchive.org under creative commons license included:

A review and my experience of reading Liz Berry's new book of poetry, The Home Child. Which is a story in verse, inspired by her great aunt, who, orphaned, was chosen to be emigrated to Canada in 1908 as part of the Home Children project.

This article was written by Ron Jonson following an extensive Skype  interview in 2021 with the artist, Jacque Stru’del, it first appeared in the  Bloxwich Slacker on 9th  April  2021. For this podcast, Ron has  kindly contributed the original recordings of the interview, records  from his own private collection of Stru’del memorabilia, and the voice  over narration.

Jacque Stru'del is pop icon from 60's band The Stru'del Brothers. After leaving the Brothers he blazed a solo artist trail, leaving a wake of experimental projects in music and audio. His name is synonymous with disasterous failures, though his contribution to culture is priceless.

This is his story.