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Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd in the 1960s

Syd Barrett, the original 1960s frontman of legendary rock band Pink Floyd, died in 2006. He'd spent over 25 years out of the spotlight, living virtually as a hermit in an unassuming terraced house in his home town of Cambridge, where he was cared for by his ever watchful sister, Rosemary. Meanwhile, the group he'd formed became one of the most successful in the world, releasing hit albums and performing huge arena gigs.

In Radio 4's The Twilight World of Syd Barrett, we hear how his friends, family and bandmates coped with Barrett's mental breakdown, and their concerns about how the singer's experimentation with drugs led to further deterioration in his mental health and caused some distressing, near-catatonic stage performances. They recall how there was very little understanding of mental illness in the drug infused music culture of the late '60s, and while a few steps were taken to help Syd at the time, they ultimately proved to be inappropriate and ineffective.

Also on iPlayer

The Disabled Century (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four)
The first episode of this series chronicling events of the 20th century from the perspective of disabled people, originally shown in 1999, looks at the experiences of those who were disabled while fighting for their country in two world wars. (Available until Thursday 10 May, 12.49am)

The Surgery with Aled (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 1)
Sarah-Jane Crawford (standing in for Aled) and the team discuss male anorexia and cancer in young people. (Available until Sunday 13 May, 10.02pm)

Melody Gardot at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 2)
The disabled US jazz and blues singer - whom we profiled on Ouch in 2008 when she first caught the attention of UK music fans - features in a concert recorded at this year's Cheltenham Jazz Festival. You can also hear her on Weekend Wogan, in a stripped-back acoustic session, and watch her on Later Live... with Jools Holland performing tracks from her new album. (Available until Monday 14 May, 7.02pm)

Peter Green: Man of the World (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four)
Profile of legendary blues guitarist and original Fleetwood Mac member Peter Green, who was named by BB King as one of the greatest exponents of the blues and is now recording again after years battling mental illness. (Available until Monday 14 May, 4.24am)

See Hear (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4)
The team meet a young deaf man whose life was turned upside down when Guillain Barre Syndrome left him paralysed and unable to communicate. The first ever deaf contestant to brave the Mastermind quiz chair talks us through her stint in the spotlight. (Available until Wednesday 27 June, 1.29pm)

In Touch (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4)
Peter White talks to blind Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng who is currently in a Beijing hospital, recovering from the injuries he received escaping from being held under house arrest in his home town. Plus, Lee Kumutat reports from New College Worcester, and meets students visiting from mainstream schools to compare methods of accessing the curriculum.

Click (Ö÷²¥´óÐã World Service)
The International Telecommunication Union recently celebrated its Girls in ICT Day. One of those taking part was sixteen year old Joanne O'Riordan from Ireland. Joanne, who was born without arms or legs, delivered the keynote address at the event. She tells Click about how technology has transformed her life.

Woman's Hour (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4)
Woman's Hour asks: what is a "normal" body size, and what is the definition of obesity? After hearing about anorexia and obesity, they look for the middle ground.

Something Special (CBeebies)
Educational series for four- to seven-year-old children with learning difficulties.

Coming up

The Trouble with Moody Teens (Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 4, Friday 11 May, 11.00am)
In every school class, at least one teenager will need urgent treatment for clinical depression. With thousands of under-16s on anti-depressants, there is concern that mental health problems amongst youngsters are on the rise. Presenter Miranda Sawyer hears from young people who speak frankly about their thoughts and feelings, often hidden from those around them. She also talks to parents, teachers and experts to find out what are the first signs that a teenager is suffering from clinical depression - and asks why it's sometimes so difficult to spot those early symptoms.