Nic Treadwells 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: https://www.facebook.com/groups/308653259223097/

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 https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/ https://www.alz.org/

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: Prelude No 21 by Chris Zabriskie  - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/chris-zabriskie/ CC BY 4.0 DEED LICENCE - https://chriszabriskie.com/ Free Day By Denys Kyshchuk https://www.audiocoffee.net  httpsfreemusicarchive.org/music/daynigthmorning/business/free-day/ CC BY NC-ND 4.0 DEED Additional Original Sound Recordings sourced from Freesound.org

In part Two of this two part podcsst, i explore some of the horror films that made a big impresssion on me during my teenage years - Jaws, The Fog, Poltergeist, The Burning, Alien, An American Werewolf In London and The Omen. There will be a spcial spotify enhanced version of this podcast feauring soime of the music from the films.

in part one of this two part podcast, I revisit some of the strange and weird kids tv shows I was subjected to as a child. Shows such as The Pipkins, The Boy From Space, Chocky, Wurzel Gummidge, Public Information Films and Project and Survive. In part two I will tackle some of the films that terrorised my teenage self.

The ultimate gift for any Billy Joel fan…

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. More on Liz's work at her website - https://www.lizberrypoetry.co.uk/ The Home Child was published in March 2023 by Chatto & Windus

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. Credits: The track Breath Of Life is adapted from Presto, Pizz and Rhondo by Andrew Christopher Smith under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US All other musical works are by Nic Treadwell copyright 2023

This podcast features the narration to Ron Jonson's latest substack article. Which you can find here https://open.substack.com/pub/nictreadwell/p/the-return-of-a-maverick-cb6?r=1eh0xb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Following an extensive Skype  interview in 2021 with the artist, Jacque  Stru’del, it first appeared in the  Bloxwich Slacker on 2nd 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. Credits: The song My Death is adapted from Majestic Nature by Maxim Novak - used under CC BY-

This podcast features the narration to Ron Jonson's latest substack article. Which you can find here https://open.substack.com/pub/nictreadwell/p/the-return-of-a-maverick?r=1eh0xb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Following an extensive Skype  interview in 2021 with the artist, Jacque Stru’del, it first appeared in the  Bloxwich Slacker on 26th March 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. Credits: The Song Easy Does It is adapted from Heresay Of Paraphrase by One Man Brook - used under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 The Song Tremors From The Und

New Earth - Part 1 - Out Woods. A poem by Nic Treadwell

Chapter Six of The Story Of My Heart by Richard Jefferies - read by Nic Treadwell

In the context of the events of the last few years, which has seen a worrying move towards a more authoritarian society, I look back at the relationship between art and protest thoughout history. Written by Nic Treadwell

In this revised piece of writing from 2013 I explore the effect of one particular episode of Deep Space Nine called The Visitor, which had a profound effect on me at around the same time as my mother passed away.

Written in 2010 and expanded and revisted in 2023 this is a reflection on my own experience with TV and how I remember those days back in the 70s and 80s.

The Story Of My Heart - Chapter 5 by Richard Jefferies.

The Story Of My Heart - Chapter 4 - by Richard Jefferies. Narrated by Nic Treadwell

The Story Of My Heart by Richard Jefferies - Chapter 3 narrated by Nic Treadwell

The Story Of My Heart by Richard Jefferies - Chapter 2.

The Story Of My Heart by Richard Jefferies - Chapter 1