THERE was a Shakespearean touch at last week's meeting, which thanks to holidays and illness had the lowest attendance of any since the club's formation two years ago.

So it was a case of one man in his time plays many parts with various members mixing speaking with evaluating others' speeches, collecting voting slips, and taking part in Bob Cartwright's holiday-themed table topics session – won by Wendy Aridela.

First – and voted the best – of the main speeches came from Dave Evans, newly elected the club's Sergeant at Arms, and fresh from collecting its Toastmaster of the Year award. His skills were well displayed in a rather pessimistic account, sarcastically entitled Proud to be British, in which he compared aspects of contemporary Britain unfavourably with those in Germany.

Second up was Colin Jackson, who put forward the idea of matching up the growing number of people awaiting organ transplants with the many others who wish to end their lives but are prevented by the law against assisted suicide. Jackie Preuss gave a moving account of how a minor lottery win had finally encouraged her to cast off past bad experiences and her fear of change and embrace a forward-looking life.

Most cheerful but also thought-provoking was Wendy Aridela's plea for a more playful approach to education She pointed out how children as they grow older tend to dislike learning associated with tests, exams and deadlines rather than the pleasurable play-based learning of the nursery years.

The club's Treasurer, Steve Birch, was voted best evaluator for his appraisal of Dave Evans’s speech.

Next meeting will be at the Great Malvern Hotel at 7.15pm on Tuesday, July 28.

COLIN JACKSON