The London Speaker

Welcome to The London Speaker!

This site is dedicated to members of Toastmasters based in and around London and those people interested in learning more about what we do. Details for each of our clubs are listed in the side bar. Please get in touch if you have questions not answered by this site.

If you are a member of a London club, this site will highlight ideas from neighbouring clubs that may be of benefit to you and your club. You will also learn about your fellow members, pick up a few tips and hear about events looming on the Toastmasters calendar. Just leave your comments below - this is just the start of the conversation!

Finally, if you are from a club outside London, Hello! You will find plenty here for you too. Please just join in and let us know the great things happening in your part of the world too.

If you have features you would like to see added, an idea for an article, or an event to publicise just get in touch either in the comments or directly by email. Thank you.

Division B drink up tonight! Sign up here!

Just a quick reminder. We are having our celebration drinks for all Toastmasters tonight. The premise is simply to celebrate the great results that the Division has achieved over the past year. There will be no speeches or any reason to prepare anything. Just bring a pair or drinking boots (or stilettos depending on your inclination).

We are meeting upstairs at 7pm at The Cheshire Cheese pub. It would be great to get as many folks along as possible. Committee members from both this year and next, please come along. Division Council members please come along. Members please come along – the more the merrier! Please feel free to bring along partners etc.

The address for The Cheshire Cheese pub is 5 Little Essex Street, London WC2R 3LD. A map is below:

There is no charge for coming. If you have a chance please register below as it will help us keep an eye on numbers. However if you are not able to register then feel free to turn up anyway.

Look forward to seeing you there this evening!

Rapid Reaction Fun Force - Volunteers needed!

"The best way to cheer yourself is to try to cheer someone else up" Mark Twain.

Do you want to: Practice your speaking? Do your bit for the local community?  Bring a little laughter and sparkle to the lives of older people in SW1?

If your answer is YES then Kim would like to hear from you. The Pullen Centre is a Day Care Centre for elderly people in London SW1 near Victoria.  The Centre provides a vital local service for people in their 70's, 80's and 90's who are classed as 'vulnerable adults'" with health or mobility problems who may feel lonely and isolated. 

Among other entertainment the Centre regularly invites people in to give talks so...Kim wondered...might the Good People at Toastmasters be interested in:

Delivering a humorous speech or comedy routine? Giving a talk or slide show?

Playing music (there is a piano in the room). Singing. Songs from the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s are always very popular.  Juggling or using other entertainment skills.

If you have half an hour to volunteer for a guest spot, usually late morning or afternoon, your contribution will be greatly appeciated. The  benefits to you are many: a forum to practice speeches/performances; that buzz you get when doing something altuistic.  Putting a smile on the faces of others just can't be beaten!

If you would like to help or to find out more please contact Kim Crosby Mobile: 07775 992505 Email: TellMeMore@CustomerClix.com.  If this pilot is a success Kim is hoping to collect a groundswell of people who could be parachuted in to put a smile on the face of vulnerable people, from all walks of life, across Central London.

Tall Tales Contest was great fun...

On Friday 19th June 2009 Marlow Orators hosted a Tall Tales Contest attracting Toastmasters as participants and audience members from a large number of club in and around London. 

Division B participants were Dave Sellman (Excalibur and London Cardinals) and David Jones (Excalibur, Holborn Speakers, London Olympians).  They both clearly enjoyed crafting and delivering their 5 minute Tall Tale.

The audience was regaled with stories of international art theft, surviving capture by a Stone-Age tribe in an ancient forest, efficient collection of methane from cow etc.  The winner, as voted by the audience, was IAN CLARKE of Camberley Speakers.  His tale entitled 'Cannon Fodder' was about a school trip to France and a terrible accident which affected his ears, as you can see in the picture.

The overall verdict?  A fun evening, very well organised by Keith Clarke, Jacqui Hogan and their team...AND we should have more tall tales!  In contests, for tall tales dinners, as an entertaining evening to vary your club programme.

Pictured above left to right:  Gerald Pillai, Ian Clarke (WINNER),Jaqui Hogan (Contest Chairman), Stewart Linford, Dave Sellman, Lesley Wells, Keith Clarke (President Marlow Orator), Alan Donegan, Samantha Babister (Division H Governor), Martin Berry, David Jones, Trish Weller, Sheila Hamilton-Andrews, John Morris.

Impromptu speaking skills applied in debate

On Friday 19th June 2009 Sylvan Debating Club held its annual dinner debate.  And who was to be found there...opposing the motion That England Has Oomph! ...Paul Carroll, of London Athenians. 

Magnus Nielsen of Sylvans proposed the motion in a 15 minute prepared statement.  This was then answered by the opposer, Paul, with a 15 minute impromptu speech.  Members at the dinner gave 5 minute off-the-cuff contributions before the winding up by Paul and Magnus. 

The dinner, held every summer, contains a light hearted debate.  During the year more serious subjects are hotly argued at Sylvan's monthly meetings.

The Sylvan Debating Club, founded 1868, is affiliated to The Society of Cogers - one of the oldest free speech organisations in the world.  If you feel like visiting to test your own impromptu public speaking in a different environment you are very welcome to visit one of the Cogers clubs or Slyvan.  See www.cogers.org for more info.

The motion was defeated 12 to 9 with 5 abstentions.  Go Toastmasters!

Division B Celebratory drinks on July 1st

Sometimes I think we are not good enough at recognising the good things that happen around us and celebrating them. As a result I made this one of my resolutions for this year.

With this in mind there is plenty to celebrate at Toastmasters. We are nearing the end of a hugely successful Division B year. The Division has gone from strength to strength. You, our Club committees and members, been the key to that success.

Additionally, we are about to start what will, I am sure, be another fabulous year for the Division. Our new Division Council already are cooking up exciting plans for the coming year.

Given my New Years resolution, it seems rude not to celebrate this success doesn’t it?

Accordingly, we will be holding a social/drink up at The Cheshire Cheese pub (Excalibur Speakers venue) on July 1st. We will kick off at around 7pm and can keep going as long as you wish! There is no need to prepare speeches or worry about being picked for Table Topics – this is a purely social event. Indeed the only timekeeper will be last orders. Word of the day will of course, be “Cheers”! So please use it at all times!

So who is welcome? YOU!

It would be great to get as many folks along as possible to enjoy the summer sun and sangria. Committee members from both this year and next, please come along. Division Council members please come along. Members please come along – the more the merrier! Please feel free to bring along partners etc.

The address for The Cheshire Cheese pub is 5 Little Essex Street, London WC2R 3LD. A map is below:

There is no charge for coming but please can you register on our usual system. It will help us to keep an eye on the numbers and make sure that the pub has enough staff etc. To register please use the link below:

There are 80 tickets initially but if this sells out then it should not be a problem to arrange some more.

This will be a fun excuse to say goodbye to the 2008/9 year and welcome in the 2009/10 year. Hope to see you there!

An evening of drama, humour, suspense....

A reminder that the Tall Tales Contest Evening hosted by Marlow Orators is this Friday evening 19th June 2009. 

Come and hear tall tales from Toastmasters from different clubs (from Divisions H, G and B - London and surrounding areas). And a short keynote speech from Simon Bucknall.  A glass of wine and refreshments are included in the ticket price.  This promises to be a fun evening and perhaps the start of more tall tales evenings...

Time: 7.30pm Venue: All Saints Church Hall, The Causeway, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, SL7 2AA.  Tickets: GBP 5.  Call or email Keith Clarke or Jacqui Hogan for tickets all details on www.marloworators.org.uk

Listen, Think, Speak tickets sold out - email me to join the waiting list!

Just checked the ticket sales for Nigel Cutts' Listen, Think, Speak workshop for next Tuesday. Looks like we have sold the last ticket for the event. I have put a call in to the hotel to try to secure extra space but am waiting to hear back. If you are keen to come please drop me an email at freddiedaniells@gmail.com and I will let you know if we are able to do so. I have just been looking at the guest list and this has obviously appealed to the TM cognoscenti! Should be a great evening!

PS just sent this from a park in London. Isn't technology great!?

Excalibur Speakers WILL be meeting tomorrow Wednesday 10th June

Cancel the Excalibur meeting?  Certainly not!  Tomorrow, Wednesday 10th June 2009 Excalibur Speakers will be meeting as usual 7pm, for 7.15pm start at The Cheshire Cheese, 5 Essex Street, London, WC2R 3LD.  After a packed programme including excellent Advanced Toastmasters speeches we will be in the bar before wending our way home by train or bus...remember Excalibur meets within easy reach of Waterloo, Charing Cross and Blackfriars mainline train stations with easy transfers at Clapham Junction if your usual station is Victoria!  If you haven't visited us before perhaps tomorrow is the night to chose.  As a bonus you get this romantic view across the river if you walk along the Victoria Embankment.  See map.

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Listen, Think, Speak workshop reminder for June 16th – just 7 days to go!

Tickets are going well for the Listen, Think, Speak workshop on Tuesday 16th June. If we get a few more ticket sales in the next couple of days, I will try to book some extra space for the event.

As mentioned before, I believe this will be a fascinating session, full of practical ideas and techniques to help us with our speeches at Toastmasters. However, don’t listen to me! Why not hear what Simon Bucknall, Nigel’s mentee says:

“The ideas and techniques that Nigel brings are hugely powerful. They've certainly made a real and meaningful difference to speeches I've prepared both inside and outside of Toastmasters in recent years.”

Simon Bucknall, 2007/8 and 2008/9 UK & Ireland International Speech Contest Champion and 2009/10 UK & Ireland Evaluation Champion 

Or perhaps what what Hilary Briggs says:

“I studied earlier versions of the material that Nigel will be presenting a few years ago, and have found it hugely valuable in developing my skills as a facilitator, trainer and coach. Now more than ever, we need clarity of thinking – for ourselves and others. Nigel will be sharing a process that really is cutting edge in this field.”

Hilary Briggs, 2008/9 UK & Ireland Evaluation Champion

If the likes of Simon and Hilary think there is much to learn from Nigel then we can all safely assume that we can too!

As I said earlier, there are a few tickets available in the current room. If you are coming, get your orders in now and I will try to sort some extra space.

As a reminder, the event is being held on Tuesday 16th June at the Thistle Westminster Hotel, 49 Buckingham Palace Road, SW1W 0QT. Doors will open at 6.30pm (and not before as there is another event on) and we will finish at around 9pm.

Tickets and more details can be found and bought here:

Hopefully we will see you there!