MALVERN SPEAKERS

WHAT proved to be an unusually emotional meeting started off in typically light-hearted way with the unprepared short table topic speeches on subjects set by Hazel Robinson, who asked speakers how they might cope with typical life problems.

Dave Bradley decided he would deal with a neighbour's pet snake constantly invading his garden either by becoming a snake charmer or catching and cooking the reptile. The winner, however, was Wendy Aridela for her deterrent solution to a persistent stalker-type pest at work: prominently exhibit the rainbow colours favoured by lesbians on a flag or badge (or, she ended shoot the b.....!).

A family theme ran through the main speeches. It began with debutante speaker Glenda Ballard describing a mobile conversation from a train carriage, discussing with her husband at home how to look after their children in her absence. She later disclosed that the “children” in question were a pair of tortoises – which had led to some puzzlement among the eagerly-listening other passengers, also that the said children had been bought at a pet shop with some bingo winnings!

Of a much more serious nature was Ros Graham's highly informed piece about autism spectrum disorder – a distressing subject which she had obviously researched in depth. The reason, revealed in her final sentence, that her own daughter had just been diagnosed with Asperger's – a form of autism - stunned her audience. Elaine Watt's sensitive appraisal of this speech was adjudged best evaluation

Even more emotional, and even reducing one of her listeners to tears, was Amanda Duncan's account of how, after a difficult divorce she had been left alone with two young teenage children. And how joining Toastmasters, taking up distance running plus the support of friends, had enabled her to get her life on back on track. This fluent, note-free, speech, which was Amanda's tenth, not only qualified her to apply for the Toastmasters' Competent Communicator award, but was also voted the night's best.

Next meeting will be at the Great Malvern Hotel at 7.30pm on Tuesday May 26.

COLIN JACKSON