Meeting October 5th 2005

Those lucky enough to attend this meeting witnessed three well delivered speeches. It is not uncommon to hear three interesting speeches but less often does one hear three such well delivered speeches, this after all is a club for people learning to speak in public, not a showcase for professional talent.

The first speech, which was on modern art, managed to be graphic, disturbing, descriptive and polemical all at the same time.  A speech which was delivered with such fervour and passion that speaker threated to dislodge the secretary's precious microphone from it's perch on the lecturn.

The second Speaker ran rings around his audience with his deft use of metaphor in a speech which was one minute  didactic  the next brilliant in it's scope. A ready mixture of 'kick-ass' common sense and blistering erudition.  The speaker had, to quote Wilbur Smith, the far sighted gaze of a Mirage Pilot.

The final speaker gave a speech on Karate which was so compelling and inspirational, it could  provide the story line for the next Steven Seagal  action movie.  The only question that remained in the audience's mind was : Is Steven Seagal, at 6 foot 5, big enough for the role?

The evening was rounded off with a well structured topics session in which participants were given the opportunity to express their love for the North East of England.  Few contestants made the most of this opportunity, preferring instead to 'go negative' much to the chagrin of the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator, in this instance the Secretary, gave a good summary of the evening.