Brian D Jones was a student on my Comedy Writing course for Bournemouth Adult Learning in 1997 (during which he had material used on Channel 4's 'Rory Bremner, Who Else?', Radio 2's 'News Huddlines' and Radio 4's 'Week Ending') and the following year he enrolled on my Public Speaking course. It was Brian who introduced me to the book 'The Compleat After Dinner Speaker' by Gerald McKnight and also the wonderful 'Christmas Cracker' commonplace selections from John Julius Norwich.

But he also gave me an unsolicited testimonial which I cherish. Towards the end of the course, I had asked the class to bring along a poem to read out. Being a poet himself, Brian brought along one of his own:

A Private Hell: A Villanelle

With two long Wednesday hours to pass
We, all of us, were joined by fear
Within our Public Speaking class

As each in turn must speak, alas,
Our parched throats crave some wine or beer
With two long Wednesday hours to pass

If truth were told, we'd all, en masse,
Curl up and hide and disappear
Within our Public Speaking class.

Now weeks have flown and this impasse
Gives way to feelings of good cheer
With two long Wednesday hours to pass

It's time to raise a thanking glass
A toast to Nick, who guides us here
Within our Public Speaking class.

Relaxed, no longer feeling crass
We breathe in deep and speak out clear
With two long Wednesday hours to pass
Within our Public Speaking class.

Copyright Brian D Jones 1998.

(A villanelle is a poetic form consisting of nineteen lines with only two rhyme sounds. The best-known example is probably 'Do not go gentle into that good night' by Dylan Thomas)

.Of course, it's really a testament to the difference that regular, structured practice can make to a nervous speaker.

With a wide range of interests, Brian remains the best advertisement for active retirement that I know of and if his name looks familiar to some of you, it is because he has had a phenomenal number of topical, satirical limericks published in the Daily Mail's Peterborough section over the past ten years (but I can't claim any credit for teaching where these are concerned - he was getting them in print long before he joined my comedy class!) His wife Valerie is also a regular contributor.