You've read my public speaking blog; now why not see how I do it by booking me as your speaker?

I will speak pretty much anywhere if it's viable and, although I complete up to 100 speaking engagements per year, I can sometimes be booked at short notice - it's always worth enquiring!

I have completed some 700 speaking engagements since 1996 (and that doesn't  include all the adult education classes I taught over a 7-year period!)

The bookings I am available for fall into 6 categories:

1. Corporate training day workshops and presentations

2. Corporate after dinner speaking

3. Talks/workshops for arts events

4. Talks and speeches for clubs, societies and functions

5. 'How to' lectures/workshops

6. Quizzes

Further details of the suggested talks can be found here.

1. Corporate training day workshops and presentations

This can be a full one-day workshop run by myself or a shorter presentation which can be included in your organisation's training day programme. Clients have included the Home Office, ICL-Fujitsu (now Siemens), WA Shearings (formerly Wallace Arnold), the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Christchurch Borough Council and many more.

Suitable titles:

Public Speaking = the Triumph of Technique Over Terror! 

The Power of Humour in Business.

This consists of topical humour plus anecdotes and observations from my career as a BBC radio comedy writer, TV appearances, etc. Please note that I do not tell 'shaggy dog stories' or take old jokes that have doing the rounds for years and pretend that they are about something that has happened to me, 'a friend' or someone present at the function! Neither do I steal others' material - I am a comedy writer, after all! My material is original, clean, profanity-free and suitable for intelligent audiences! Clients have included the Glass NTO and the Marsh Business Breakfast, Exeter.

Suitable titles:

My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer

The Power of Humour in Everyday Life

or a specially-written speech

Unsolicited testimonial from this type of engagement:

'The client was very pleased'. GB Promotions, Exeter.

3. Talks/Workshops for events

These are very popular at literary and arts festivals. 

Suitable titles:

My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer

Write Funny!

Unsolicited testimonial from this type of engagement:

'Many thanks on behalf of Mere Literary Festival for your very entertaining talks, You had the audience laughing from start to finish and we have had very good feedback. I would be happy to recommend you to any other festival'. Adrienne Howell, Organiser, Mere Literary Festival.

4. Talks and speeches for clubs, societies and functions

Either a humorous talk about my career/everyday humour or a title selected from my ever-increasing list of presentations about humorous writers and performers. I have extensive experience of speaking to:

Rotary, Inner Wheel, Rotaract and Past Rotarians, Probus (over 100 times!), 41 Clubs and Tangent, Moose International, Lions, WIs (from individual branches to Council Meetings), TGs (including Residential and Federation Lunch events), Ladies Luncheon Clubs. Soroptimists, U3As, retirement fellowships (civil servants, NHS. Royal Mail and BT, firefighters, police, British Gas, Southern Electric, ARPO50 and Kent ARAs), ex-forces (British Legion, RAFA, Royal Naval Association, Wrens, REME, etc), church groups, charity functions, yacht clubs, golf clubs, wine circles, motoring clubs, disability groups, National Trust, civic functions and many more.

Suitable titles:

My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer

The Power of Humour in Everyday Life

The Life, Literature and Laughter of Patrick 'Call My Bluff' Campbell

The One, the Only...Groucho!

Dorothy Parker and the Algonquin Wits

I Must Write That Down! (A Commonplace Book)

Public Speaking = the Triumph of Technique Over Terror!

The Great Comedy Quiz

or a specially written speech

Unsolicited testimonials from this type of engagement:

Women's: 'My phone has melted and my poor postman is bow-legged under the deluge of compliments which I am asked to pass on to you. We all thoroughly enjoyed your visit to us and consider that you made our party really special - for this we say a big thank you and hope you enjoyed your visit to Harrow as much as we enjoyed having you with us. Thank you once again for giving us a great evening's entertainment'. Harrow Roxbourne Townswomen's Guild following their 50th Anniversary Celebrations.

Men's: 'The outstanding success of our 25th Anniversary Celebrations was due mainly to your entertaining and hilarious talk, 'Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer' - you were the Star of the Show, hence the spontaneous invitation to speak at our Winter Luncheon. Thank you once again for a most enjoyable day'. Lentune Probus, Hampshire.

Mixed: 'Your entertaining talk held us in thrall and wonder; you are a professional'. Second Wednesday Luncheon Club, Wimbledon.

5. 'How to' lectures/workshops

Instructional but humorous presentations for business networking meetings, writers' circles, film-making and AV clubs, speakers' organisations and personal development groups.  

Suitable titles:

Public Speaking = the Triumph of Technique Over Terror!

The Power of Humour in Business

Write Funny!

The Power of Humour in Everyday Life

Unsolicited testimonial from this type of engagement:

'Thank you so much for the talk. It was both interesting and entertaining and provided inspiration for many of our members. The generosity with which you shared your personal experience and market knowledge was very much appreciated...  you've gained a group of fans'. Havant Writers' Circle, Hampshire.

6. Quizzes

I can either act as a quiz master injecting humour into the questions and answers you have prepared for your event or using my own humorous quiz.

Suitable title:

The Great Comedy Quiz

Unsolicited testimonial from this type of engagement:

'Thanks for your excellent performance on Saturday night. It was great fun'. Bournemouth Literary Festival.