Manor House Speakers

31/08/2026

In our meeting last week we had a topic of “four-legged friends”, nicely fitting with on Wednesday, and we had a bumper set of ten Table Topics questions to accommodate all the guests we had in attendance. From our regular members, we were also treated to speeches on Greek dancing and the club’s approach to social media.

Manor House Speakers is part of the Toastmasters International UK & Irelands network of public speaking clubs, and we meet two Wednesdays a month, on Zoom (second Wednesdays) and in-person (fourth Wednesdays) at the Redmond Community Centre, Woodberry Down N4 2HF near Manor House station. It's a great place to work on your speaking or leadership skills in a tight-knit community environment that’s part of a wider network, and learn from other members and most welcome guests.

If you would like to join us, our next online meeting will be September 9th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-session-public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-tickets-659699638377

And thereafter, our next in-person meeting at the Redmond Centre will be on September 23rd at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-in-person-tickets-659876677907

01/08/2026

She really hits the nail on the head here.

01/08/2026

New post from our VP Public Relations Elliot Bidgood:

"Invigorating to pop into central London today to attend Club Officer Training organised Toastmasters International UK & Ireland, alongside my fellow Manor House Speakers (Toastmasters) club officers Odysseas and Alice.

Toastmasters is a global not-for-profit network and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2024. Since then, it has helped so many people grow their confidence with speaking and leading since then – me included.

For about two years now I’ve been our club’s Vice President Public Relations, a slightly grandiose way of saying I handle our social media presence, but also play a role in guiding members once they join. I also loved one person’s description today of VP Public Relations as the “town crier” - letting the community in our corner of London know our club is here and what’s on.

Today stimulated my mind and sent me home with a set of new ideas. How to sharpen our club’s online footprint, certainly, but also suggestions for physical spaces we could identify to reach out to new members and guests (e.g. one person suggested posters in local libraries, and in our club we are fortunate to be in the centre of an estate, with the Woodberry Down Residents Community Organisation and Redmond Community Centre connecting residents).

More broadly in our clubs, we took a whistle-stop tour of ways to do what we do even better. How to support members and guests who don’t speak English as a first language, or whether a dedicated "VP Mentoring" might help aid our club’s VP Education with their work and boost hands-on guidance for members. We explored how to encourage more members to progress through their speech ‘pathways’, cater for those who prefer improvisation to pre-planned speeches, or really celebrate someone's win in off-the-cuff ‘Table Topics’ or their very first ‘Icebreaker’ speech."

If you would like to come along to Manor House Speakers, our next Zoom meeting will be August 12th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-session-public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-tickets-659699638377

And thereafter, our next in-person meeting at the Redmond Centre, N4 2HF will be on August 26th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-in-person-tickets-659876677907

26/07/2026

Hello Manor House! We hope you’re enjoying the scorching weather and making the most of your summer.

In our meeting this week we had a Table Topics session with questions on “continuity with change”, which saw guests Joe and Michael share the spoils of the winners’ prize. Well done both.

And in a prepared speech, our regular member Jessica Bays shared her own change of scenery, with reflections on a recent visit to family in Ireland and what it means for her.

Manor House Speakers is part of the Toastmasters International UK & Ireland network of public speaking clubs, and we meet two Wednesdays a month, on Zoom (second Wednesdays) and in-person (fourth Wednesdays) at the Redmond Community Centre, Woodberry Down N4, N4 2HF near Manor House, London. It's a great place to work on your speaking or leadership skills in a tight-knit community environment that’s part of a wider network, and learn from other members and most welcome guests.

If you would like to join us, our next online meeting will be August 12th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-session-public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-tickets-659699638377

And thereafter, our next in-person meeting at the Redmond Centre will be on August 26th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-in-person-tickets-659876677907

26/07/2026

Because it's more than just the speech.

13/06/2026

As the World Cup 2026 kicks off, could joining a public speaking club match your "goals"?

In our Zoom meeting this week we had quickfire Table Topics session for with questions "on winning", which saw our guest Alex emerge victorious.

On a seperate note, our regular member Elliot also gave a speech about "graph of doom" in local politics.

Manor House Speakers is part of the Toastmasters International UK & Irelands network of public speaking clubs, and we meet two Wednesdays a month, on Zoom (second Wednesdays) and in-person (fourth Wednesdays) at the Redmond Community Centre Community Centre, Woodberry Down N4, N4 2HF near Manor House, London. It's a great place to work on your speaking or leadership skills in a tight-knit community environment that’s part of a wider network, and learn from other members and most welcome guests.

If you would like to join us, our next in-person meeting at the Redmond Centre will be on June 24th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-in-person-tickets-659876677907

And then our next online meeting will be July 8th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-session-public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-tickets-659699638377

13/06/2026

24/05/2026

What really helps a speaker connect, inspire, and leave an impact? 🎤

In our latest episode of Toastmasters Unplugged – Mastering the Moment, our District Champions shared insights that went far beyond trophies and titles.

Just a couple of the gems that emerged from the conversation:
✨ Let the audience work with you - audiences want to connect with the speaker.
✨ Humour changes a person’s state - and when you change someone’s state, you create impact.
✨ Public speaking isn’t just a skill - it’s a discipline practiced to build human connection.

The conversation also explored the importance of listening, bringing energy to online speaking, and embracing every opportunity Toastmasters has to offer.

A huge thank you to Nigel Smith and our District Champions, Aaron Day, James McGinty and Nick Collins for such an insightful and inspiring discussion.

🎥 If you missed the livestream, you can catch it here:

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUJHs3BKIZk
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/events/7460337751305945088/?viewAsMember=true

24/05/2026

Gesture with purpose, not distraction. 💬

13/05/2026

Wonderful and topical online meeting tonight, with a theme of "Vision and Visionaries" and many new guests.

Our member Rachel spoke to us about styles of leadership for her Visionary Communication pathway task, reflecting on the timeliness of this subject given events in Westminster this week and taking us through inspiring examples of historical figures and the contrasts between them. This included an exploration of the life of Christian missionary Gladys Aylward, born just up the road from us in Edmonton.

Then our member Elliot gave a part 2 to his speech last year reflecting on the meaning of Eurovision and the UK's place in the contest, reviewing this year's offerings, Britain's latest quirky entry and the pop bid by North London girl Antigoni for Cyprus.

After that, Rachel led us through a twist on our usual impromptu Table Topics, with each our of members and guests speaking for 1-2 minutes on their favourite country in Europe! Thank you also to one of our newer members, Alice, for leading proceedings tonight as our excellent Toastmaster.

Manor House Speakers is part of the Toastmasters International UK & Ireland network of public speaking clubs, and we meet two Wednesdays a month, on Zoom (second Wednesdays) and in-person at the Redmond Community Centre, Woodberry Down, N4 2HF (fourth Wednesdays). It's a great place to work on your speaking or leadership skills in a tight-knit community environment that’s part of a wider network, and learn from other members and most welcome guests.

If you would like to join us, our next in-person meeting at the Redmond Centre will be on May 27th at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-in-person-tickets-659876677907

And then our next online meeting will be June 10 at 7pm:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-session-public-speaking-with-manor-house-speakers-toastmasters-tickets-659699638377