Mudeford Wood Age Concern, Christchurch

It's funny how the bookings fall sometimes - you can find yourself speaking to a number of organisations in the same area within a very short space of time. On 11 March, I found myself back at Mudeford (and indeed at the Mudeford Wood Community Centre) yet again, this time for the Pop In Centre run by Age Concern.

This was a repeat booking for this group (I spoke to them for the first time in November 2005) and my topic for the 40-or-so members and helpers this time was The Power of Humour in Everyday Life.

This is very much a 'pick 'n' mix' talk where content is concerned. There are certain 'banker' anecdotes which go in every time but other items vary. For this particular audience, I decided to include a piece of original verse from my late mother's talks, 'Radio Remembered', which I thought they would appreciate. It drew a gratifying round of applause so I was right!

Public Speaking Tip #299: If you are delivering personal material, don't forget to draw upon your own family as a resource. They may have some great, original stories, etc, that will be perfect for your presentation and deserve a wider audience.

I spoke for around 55 minutes and it went well, including another airing for the new 'dangers of puns' anecdote I have 'running in' recently!

After the talk, I spent some time chatting to John and Ilse Cole who have done such a great job organising this much-needed club for many years. Then it was time to start thinking about my fourth booking that week - an engagement at a writers' circle in Surrey where I had never spoken before...