The Story Room in Brookvale May 2nd, 2023

Overview 

The ancient art of storytelling comes to life on the stage when six storytellers from different walks of life share a true and deeply personal story. 

Theme for the evening 

“The Best Things In Life Are Free” 

About the night 

The venue, Bucketty’s Brewing Co. Brookvale, is a warm and friendly environment, where you can mingle with friends, make new friends, relax with a beer, enjoy a meal and be entertained by the eclectic and talented storytellers. This event connects the community through the sharing of real stories. Enjoy drama, laughter and sometimes tears and have a chance to be a part of something different here on the Northern Beaches. Please Note: Venue will be open from 5.15pm allowing time for you to order a meal and have a drink before the entertainment commences at 7pm sharp.

About the Venue 

Bucketty's Brewing Co, Brookvale There is so much to learn about Bucketty's and its humble beginnings. It's a family owned business with much blood, sweat and tears making it what it is today. I can't think of a better place for Story Room Aus to call home, after-all beer and stories are like peas in a pod, they just fit perfectly. https://www.buckettys.com.au/

The Food and the Beer

Check out the menu. You certainly won't starve to death while you listen to some great stories. Check out the menu. 

https://www.buckettys.com.au/pages/menu

How to get to Bucketty's 

The B1 will drop you on Pittwater Road, not far from Warringah Mall. It is a short walk down Orchard Road to number 26. If you drive there is loads of free parking in the surrounding streets of Brookvale. NB: If you going to have a few drinks, be sure to nominate a designated driver or grab a taxi or an uber. Safe travels Meet the Storytellers (in no particular order)

Roger Danne AKA Old Man Bucketty

Roger Danne was born on Thursday 19th February 1953. At Buckettys he is known as OMB, Old Man Bucketty.

He loves music and has played drums and percussion since he was a teenager. Growing up he had a variety of jobs including being a Rock & Roll roadie.

With no qualifications for any trade specifically, the music industry road was the path he chose.  In 1984, after the completion of the Narara Music Festival everything changed. There were new opportunities and circumstances including a wife, a daughter and a new career path with Events, Promotions, Decorations.

He was the 1st certified balloon artist in Australia representing the Pioneer balloon company from America. Finally he started his own business Art of Balloons in Sydney.

In 2000 he worked on project, “Wave to the World”. This is a double CD created for the Paralympic Games as a fund raiser. It was a huge international project, with many music legends including Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Marcia Hinze and Jimmy Barnes singing on this amazing CD. He was tour manager for the Jack Danials Experience around Australia and for The Bundy Rum Roadshow.

But he always kept music in his life. His band, “Stonehenge,” has been together for over 40 years with 3 albums on Spotify.He plays percussion with the bands that play at, “Bucketty’s Brewery, Brookvale

Recently OMB returned from a 3 month motorbike ride of 28,000 kms around Australia

For the past six years, he has worked as Santa. This has given him material for writing his children’s book, “Santa’s Assume Christmas Downunder”.

Nim Gholkar

Nim Gholkar, founder and director of Nims Academy Australia, is a Life Coach, International Speaker and author of 4 published books. An engaging speaker, she has presented on a wide range of topics across Australia, India, Dubai, Thailand and Egypt. Nim is the author of 4 popular books: 1) Diary of an Immigrant Bride; 2) Unlock The Real You; 3) A Little Wiser, A Little Happier and 4) Success Café – Takeaways for Everyday Success.
Nims Academy Australia offers personal and professional development programs in communication skills & public speaking, soft skills, next generation leadership, team engagement and collaboration, personal empowerment, mental well-being, time management, creative writing.

Nim and her husband Ash also run a not-for-profit called “Yimiri” which offers well-being programs for the community relating to: Pranayama (breathwork), mantra chanting, meditation and manifestation.

Luke Escombe 

Luke Escombe is an ARIA-nominated songwriter, musician and comedian who loves using his creativity to get himself both into, and out of, trouble. He is the creator of "Chronic", a musical comedy show about living with chronic illness, and "The Vegetable Plot", a subversive children's band that makes fresh, funky music inspired by vegetables. Luke received his early musical education in London, where his father’s job in the rock and roll industry enabled him to see hundreds of legendary performances by artists like Freddie Mercury, Prince and Bruce Springsteen while he was just a boy. When he’s not channeling his inner rockstar, Luke is an ambassador for a number of health charities, a member of the NSW Arts Advisory Panel and a teaching artist with the Sydney Opera House's Creative Leadership in Learning Program. He believes strongly that music and storytelling can play a transformative role in health, education and society. Among his more obscure awards is the title of “Sydney’s Sexiest man voice”, which he won in a competition on a once-popular Sydney radio station.

Hannah Rodger

Hannah is a woman on a mission to make workplaces healthier, happier and more harmonious.
An Operations team recruiter, Mum to a 1 year old and nearly 3 year old, Step-mum to 2 teens,
reluctant Kia Carnival driver, Sober warrior, Coach and Storyteller. Hannah has been on stage at
Generation Women and Story Room, and is passionate about being real and telling real stories. A
one time appearance on Channel 7's House Of Wellness gave her an ego boost, to be later shot
down by her fear that talking about her sobriety on national television would negatively impact
her career options (...it didn't). Advocating for women's mental health in a world that gaslights
working women and mothers who are told they have it all and should be bloody grateful,
Hannah is unapologetic and undeterred. Hannah can't remember what it feels like to sleep for
more than 2 hours in a row, and considers success to look very different to how it did premotherhood.

Martin Davies

Life has been about helping others to get their stories out and share their voice.

 I’m a Pom from a close knit community on the Welsh border. Life was full of characters in that farming world,  where stories were swapped in pubs, in the markets, or after church.

My first job as a BBC radio reporter entailed breaking the story of a Muslim listener who had cut open a holy egg plant. My career took me to Africa as I launched BBC Africa Have

 Your Say. I earned a contract from Amnesty International to give African slum-dwellers a voice on radio, before leading a team designed to tell stories on TV about sport, to attract young female African viewers. I am now  working on a Community Radio News Agenda in Australia,  and run media courses in Africa in the French language. The best things in life are free I thought,  as soon after arriving here I mounted my bicycle in Sydney, to ride to Coffs Harbou

Fiona Higgins

Fiona Higgins is the author of four bestselling novels of contemporary fiction published by Allen and Unwin Australia and Boldwood Books UK, as well as a memoir published by Macmillan. Her last novel, An Unusual Boy, was launched between lockdowns in 2020 and has gone on to become a USA Today Bestseller.

Outside of writing, Fiona has spent twenty years working in the social investment sector, after early-career roles in international development, corporate communications and Indonesian translation. In 2012, she was one of three founding directors of Australian Philanthropic Services (APS), a not-for-profit that is now the leading independent philanthropic services organisation in Australia. Last year, APS helped its 700+ clients to donate more than $150 million to charity. Currently she fulfils the role of Specialist Advisor – Giving and manages the Eisen Family Private Fund, a philanthropic foundation active in climate change, First Nations and community development. She is a member of the selection committee for the JB Fairfax Rural Journalism Award and the Snow Fellowships for Social Change.

In recent years, due to having three active teens and tweens in her life, Fiona has developed an unexpected appreciation for cricket.