After weeks of putting it off, I’ve finally taken the plunge and joined Cambridge Speakers’ Club.
Their members are the most interesting eclectic mix you could imagine spanning the globe. Just spending the evening with them was one reason I had to go ahead.
The club has already transformed my life. My friend Chrissie invited me along and on the first evening I met Geoff who lured me into blogsphere.
It means I will now be given important tasks to perform, such as being the time keeper or grammarian, and they will have to be carried out confidently and eloquently to a very high standard.
I remember reading in one of Paul McKenna’s book that public speaking is the biggest fear that people have, and I hope to overcome this with practise.
The interesting thing about the Cambridge Toastmasters’ Club is how for many members, English is their second language.
Last night Dmitry from Russia, and Martynas, from Lithuania, both made impressive debut presentations, without notes too which is not a requirement, and a hard act to follow. Martynas confided to me that he got his off to a fine art by practising 15 times beforehand.
I will be my harshest critic, the members are always very kind with their “recommendations”.
I would love to hear from others who have benefited by joining this excellent organisation.
Well done Elle – I’ve leant that to cope with fears the best way is
to face them, but that is so much
more easily said that done! I’m
just going to have to join too but
I don’t know if I can practice what I preach!
There’s one just down the road from me – in Lausanne. I might pop by one of these times….
AJD, why not join and we can compare notes. Will you be able to make your presentations in English? How come you ended up in Lausanne if you are from the Fens, like me.
It appears to be a club that attempts to promote the use of the English language as well as public speaking. It’s just a question of time. How much time do you have to put in?
As for living near Laussanne (about 30 minutes from the city), I escaped my drab existence in NE Cambs when I fled to university. I spent 8 years or so studying and after a few more years experience, I now work for a Swiss university.
So you have been in the Fens all your life?
Hi AJD, our meetings are once a fortnight, I am planning my first presentation which lasts 5 mins, trying to break it up into 5 topics to talk about for 1 minute apiece. The first one has to be about yourself and I will focus on passions, the different passions I have in my life, must try and find 5.
I’m from Wisbech orginally and work for Malcolm as his Press Officer. The furthest I moved away to was Cambridge and I am still in that area. It must be beautiful where you are.
Haha – Wisbech!
I was born in the Bowthorpe hostpital, lived in Leverington for the first three years of my life, before moving to Trafford road. There I stayed until I left for University.
It’s a small world! You never know – we might have met each other, although I left the Fens a good 10 years ago. I still go back there to visit family (in fact I was there about 3 weeks ago).
When I get home I think I’ll add you to my links – it’s not often I find someone from my old town!
Well I was born in the same hospital, you don’t get much closer than that do you? How amazing! I don’t blame you for heading to the Alps, it must be so stunning.
I’m now writing a blog column for the Cambridge Evening News, my next one should be in this evening and is about a local law firm, hope to write about it later.
I wonder how many more bloggers there are from Wisbech, the good old Capital of the Fens.vgwavf
Well done on taking the plunge. Becoming a member of Toastmasters is a fun way to improve your speaking skills. You get to practice in a safe environment in front of people who all want you to be successful. People who understand what it is like to get up there and talk for the first time. If you talking skills are anything like your writing skills then you will be great! MM
I know of this chap:
http://www.martincurtis.net/blog/blogger.html
Not Wisbech, but not far 🙂
As far as Switzerland goes, I was attracted by the job rather than location. If someone had offered me an equivalent job in the UK (or even not quite as good) I would have taken it.
In a few years I’ll be on the market again – but for now, I will stay put.
Hi Ellee
If you’d like to get a regular fix of watching professional speakers do their stuff, just come along to some of our events. Many of our regular audience members have been to every event in the last two years because they are fascinated by the techniques employed by people who earn their living by speaking. We always have a ten minute spot at the start for a local speaker & this Monday 15th May, Kate Atkin will be talking about Confidence. For more details of our events just contact me ann@annhawkins.com
or see details on http://www.inspirationalspeakers.blogspot.com.
Our next Inspirational Speaker on May 15th is Andrew Risner
Venue: Conference Room 1, First Floor, The Varrier Jones Conference Centre,
Upper Pendrill Court,
Chequers Lane, Papworth Everard, Cambs. CB3 8UY
To Book: e-mail ann@annhawkins.com
6.30pm Coffee – 8.30pm
How to have your best year ever! From Andrew Risner
A year from now you may wish you had started today.
Many of us know that we have the skill, intelligence and knowledge to achieve our dreams. Yet, quite often, we feel something intangible inside ourselves that holds us back. It could be many things: lack of clarity, a negative attitude, perfectionism, fear of failure or success, maybe procrastination.
Whatever the reason, we know that making a few simple changes would yield us quantum leaps in our performance. In short, if we would only jump…the net would appear!
Ann Hawkins