Fugelmere Ladies' Probus

On 16 June, I gave an after-lunch talk on the Power of Humour in Everyday Life for the Fugelmere Ladies' Probus Club of Fleet in Hampshire.

It was a glorious, sunny day but their President Pam Grist might have wished it was rather less warm as she ended up waiting an extra half an hour for me at Fleet station due to my train from Bournemouth being delayed due to signalling problemsand this leading to a missed connection at Basingstoke.

This club actually meets some way outside Fleet at Peppone's restaurant which is located at the Bownhurst Golf Centre at Crondall. Peppone's serves traditional Mediterranean food with ingredients flown in from Southern Italy and the menu, which included an excellent main course of Sicilian pork, made a real change.

Aterwards, I chose to speak from the end of the room, rather than from behind the table, as this gave me more room for my props, etc, and, I felt, better visibility for the 60 or so ladies present.

Public Speaking Tip #224: Although the traditional idea of after dinner (or lunch) speaking is that the speaker gets up and performs from the place where they have just been eating the meal, you should consider your own comfort and that of the audience. Can they see you without having to crane their necks? Are there obstacles in the room, such as pillars that block the view of the speaker altogether? Do you need to be near an electric point? Is there some 'secret' prop that you wish to produce with a flourish but which may be visible in advance to other diners if you speak from the table.

You must choose where to deliver your speech from - just try not to be so far from the audience that the intimacy of speaking from behind the table is lost.

I was actually speaking next to an open door which was very cooling but there are some factors to consider when speaking in an open air (or almost al fresco) setting. Noise for example. (There was a little chatter from people outside but nothing too distracting. Fortunately there were no traffic sounds to worry about). Plus the fact that the odd, curious non-member may hover nearby listening. And, even on a warm day, the possibility that a sudden gust of wind can blow away important papers - such as notes! (This happened to me at one venue so I have allowed for the possibilty ever since by using a clipboard or weighing items down!)

Public Speaking Tip #225: Speaking in the open air or next to an open door should not prove too problematic for a speaker provided you anticipate any challenges from additional noise or the elements - and it can be a lot more comfortable than being stuck in the far corner of a boiling hot room!

But there were no problems on this occasion; it all worked very well and the talk got a great reception, so much so, in fact, that they booked me on the spot to go back in exactly a year's time with my Patrick Campbell talk (as I have mentioned, your checklist of items to take to speaking engagements should include your diary!)

My thanks to the patient President Pam for running me back to the station afterwards.