TOASTMASTERS International, of which Malvern Speakers is a member club, is not just about speech making.

It is also about listening, and evaluating speeches in a critical and constructive way. So it was that at its most recent meeting, a club contest to select a representative to go on to the next stage of a national contest, evaluation was equally rated with actual speech making. The way the contest works is that one member makes a test speech, and those competing each separately appraise the strengths and weaknesses of its content and delivery.

On this occasion, the test speech, by Sarah Colloby, was a hilarious account of The Essential Grandmother's Survival Kit, using a myriad of visual aids including a voluminous Mary Poppinesque bag of toys and other props - and out-of-sorts with her daughters for making her a granny a such a young age! Evaluating this theatrical tour de force were four of the club's most experienced senior members, Caroline Bellhouse, Ciaran Murphy, Hilary Benoit and Catalina Thiersen. And evaluating their evaluations was a panel of distinguished visiting judges headed by Cheltenham founder member John Evans and including Voice of Wales President Rick Cooper and Area Governor John Christie.

The results of their deliberations were that Caroline was adjudged best evaluator, while the winner of the best prepared speech was Hilary Benoit, who saw off entertaining contributions from Ciaran Murphy and Catalina Thiersen. Hilary and Caroline now go forward to represent Malvern at the Area Contest to be held at the Mount Pleasant Hotel from 1pm on Sunday March 29.

The next regular club meeting will be this coming Tuesday, March 24 at the Great Malvern Hotel starting at 7.30pm.

COLIN JACKSON