I joined Toastmasters International, mainly because I wanted to be able to improve my ability to express myself cogently, without stammering and without going terribly red in the face. Several years and many speeches later, I'm not sure I've achieved that aim, but I'm not so self-conscious on those occasions when I still stammer or my face blooms. Toastmasters will certainly make you more confident, though to be honest that's never been a problem of mine. I've also learned to speak off-the-cuff, evaluate effectively, and I have vastly improved my leadership skills (I have been both club Vice President Education and President). I can't recommend Toastmasters highly enough. Click here to find a club near you.

In addition to giving prepared speeches, toastmasters also hone their improvisation skills with Table Topics. Toastmasters are also encouraged to take on the rotating roles of Toastmaster, Timekeeper, Grammarian, Table Topics Master. I've had a bash at each one of them more than once.

I've posted my speeches online, not (solely) for ego, but because I enjoy listening to and reading other peoples' speeches, and there are very few on the web; this is my small contribution to changing that. If you read the speeches in the order I delivered them you might notice that the main lesson I've learned is to recognise the difference between writing an essay and a speech. So, here are links to most of my speeches. I hope you enjoy them.

No 1 Speech: The Icebreaker: The Gift (November 2001)

No 2 Speech: Speaking with Sincerity: Dyslexia Lures (December 2002)

No 3 Speech: Organise Your Speech: Tied up in Knots (February 2002)

No 4 Speech: Show What You Mean: Hold the Toast (April 2002)

No 5 Speech: Vocal Variety: Raising the Fair Lady Rhiannon (May 2002)

No 6 Speech: Work With Words: Tall Poppies (June 2002)

No 7 Speech: Apply Your Skills: Close Encounter (August 2002)

No 8 Speech: Add Impact to Your Speech: Something Else to Worry About (September 2002)

No 9 Speech: Persuade With Power: Rocking the Boat (November 2002)

No 10 Speech: Inspire Your Audience: On Target (January 2003)

Advanced Speech: The Entertaining Speech A Real Imp (May 2003)

Advanced Speech: Speaking to Inform: Judging a Book by Its Cover (July 2003)

Advanced Speech: The Entertaining Speaker: A Dish Best Served Cold (January 2004)

Advanced Speech: Speaking to Inform: FMG (March 2004)

Advanced Speech: The Entertaining Speaker: Life's a Gas (March 2004)

Advanced Speech: The Entertaining Speaker: The Room (April 2004)

Advanced Speech: Speaking to Inform: Where Is the Motivation? (May 2004)

Advanced Speech: Speaking to Inform: It's a Fact (June 2004)

Advanced Speech: Speaking to Inform: The God Spot (August 2004)

Advanced Speech: The Entertaining Speaker: The View From the Crowd (October 2004)

Advanced Speech: Storytelling: Lake Illawarra and the Five Islands (November 2004)

Advanced Speech: Storytelling: The Frog and the Scorpion (January 2005)

Advanced Speech: Interpretive Reading Story : The Followers,  Dylan Thomas ― There isn't a script for this speech as it would breach copyright. I did enjoy this one. I read it in a Welsh accent (of course), and there were those among the audience who thought I was Welsh. (November 2005)

Advanced Speech: Interpretive Reading Poem: Wild Grapes,  Robert Frost ― There isn't a script for this speech in case it would breach copyright, though it can be read here. Now this one I read in an English accent, as I didn't want to be "the one who always does the accents", though it would have been much better read with an American accent. (February 2006)

Advanced Speech: Interpretive Reading Monodrama: Alice Fisher,  Willis Hall ― There isn't a script for this speech in case as it would breach copyright. Oh, I did make a hack of this! My mind went utterly blank at the second paragraph. Once I got over that, for the first time (and I hope the last) my mouth and throat dried up utterly and totally so that my lips stuck to my teeth, my tongue felt like a rasp. You'd never think I'd performed the role of Alice Fisher on stage to a paying public. Ah well, my Yorkshire accent was fairly faultless. (March 2006)

Humorous Speech: Midlife Crisis― I wrote this speech a year or so earlier for a Toastmasters competition, but didn't attend the competition for some long-forgotten reason. However, it came in useful when I delivered it at a social evening at Parkside Players. (August 2006)

Well, did you enjoy them? I'd love to hear your comments (I think)