Blackmore Vale Probus

My first speaking engagement last month was about My Life as a Freelance Comedy Writer for the Probus Club of Blackmore Vale in Marnhull, Dorset on 6 May. This involved a very early bus journey to Salisbury and then a train from Salisbury station (where the ticket office was as slow as ever) to Gillingham, from where I was given a lift to Marnhull by Mr Alan Lloyd.

Most Probus Clubs are similar: all-male or all-female who have a meeting followed by a speaker and then lunch or a slightly shorter meeting and talk after their meal. There are variations, though: some clubs are mixed and some meet for a coffee morning but not a formal lunch and there are Probus in North Dorset - such as the one at Marnhull - which are examples of both (the very friendly Stour Valley Probus in Blandford Forum is another).

There were about 30 members at the Village Hall and my talk was in two halves (a bit like a football match except that the speaker and audience didn't change ends at half time!) I had decided that I would play a recording of a comedy sketch I had written but using the dictaphone I use to record my talks instead of carrying a bigger player with me on public transport on a hot day!This has been a wonderfully reliable piece of equipment (I have been using it to record nearly all my presentations since 2000) but it doesn't have much volume so I walked out into the audience and stood with it halfway up the aisle, holding it up and checking to see if anyone appeared to be straining to hear the item so that I could move if necessary. You will find that once you are fairly used to getting up in front of people, you will not feel too self-conscious about doing something like this. 

Public Speaking Tip #214: Look out for ways to adapt at a moment's notice so that the maximum number of your audience can get the full benefit of your material.

There was a very good question and answer session afterwards and I was given a lift back to Gillingham by a member who told me some fascinating stories about her son who is a dresser working on major Hollywood films.