Maidenhead Speakers Club, St Piran’s School, Gringer Hill, Maidenhead (2026)

31/03/2026

What happens when you mix a childhood in rural Kazakhstan, a superpower that could save the planet, and a travel-themed Table Topics session? You get another brilliant Monday evening at Maidenhead Speakers Club! ✈️

Tony took the reins as Toastmaster of the Evening and kept things moving smoothly from start to finish.

Clayton kicked off the impromptu speaking with a travel-themed Table Topics session that had everyone reaching for their imaginary passports 🌍 Graham shared his best holiday, Nicolas recalled his worst, Julia picked the Cotswolds for a dream UK trip, and Lauren tackled a tricky question about airline seating policies, Josh shared his airport pet peeves, Maria revealed who they would take on holiday, Ian weighed in on whether drinking before 6 AM at the airport should be allowed, Thisan pondered pets on planes, Cora chose her favourite mode of transport, and Steve considered whether standing plane tickets should be a thing. Plenty of laughs and strong opinions all round! 😄

Then it was time for our prepared speeches. Indira delivered her Ice Breaker speech, "Roots in Rural Kazakhstan", painting a vivid picture of growing up in a rural village -- harsh winters, home-grown food, multiple jobs to juggle, and a deep sense of responsibility tying you to the land. A brave and personal start to her Pathways journey 👏

David took to the stage with "Superpower" and had the audience hooked with his exploration of infrared vision and the idea that everyone has a superpower to save the planet. Hands were going up, projector slides were flying -- proper audience engagement! 🦸

Nick rounded off the speeches with "Speaking Beyond Toastmasters", an educational session about the many ways Toastmasters experience feeds into wider roles -- committee engagements, VPPR responsibilities, Area Director duties, and more. A great reminder that the skills we build here reach far beyond the lectern.

The Word of the Day was "paradigm" -- and the evening certainly shifted a few! 💡

🏆 Awards:
🎤 Best Speaker -- David
📝 Best Evaluator -- Angelika
💬 Best Table Topics -- Lauren

A big well done to everyone who took on a role, and a warm welcome to our guest for joining us.

📅 Our next meeting is Monday 13th April. Whether you are a seasoned speaker or have never spoken in front of a group before, you are welcome. Come along from 7:00 PM for a 7:15 PM start at St Piran's Centre, Maidenhead.

👉 Get in touch: https://maidenheadspeakers.org.uk/contact/

24/03/2026

Maidenhead Speakers – Meeting Highlights (24th March)

What should be illegal? That was the question on everyone's lips at last night's Maidenhead Speakers Club meeting, and the answers did not disappoint.

Clayton took the reins as Toastmaster of the Day, keeping the evening moving with his usual effortless style. Before we got into the speeches, President Thisan shared some brilliant news from the area contest -- Francesco took the International Speech title and Tony won the Evaluation contest, with both now heading to the next round. Huge congratulations to them both!

Thisan also had us smiling with a personal story about taking his 3-year-old son swimming and realising just how much his Toastmaster skills have helped him in everyday life. If that's not a testament to what this club does, we don't know what is.

🎤 On to the prepared speeches, and what a lineup. Guillaume delivered his Ice Breaker, "Extraordinary Evening" -- a milestone moment for any Toastmaster, and Guillaume made it one to remember. Marie gave a thought-provoking, emotional speech about emotions and how so many of us spend our lives running away from them. And Clara had the room captivated with an amazing story about alligators and her personal experience. Yes, alligators.

🗣️ Saagar led a lively Table Topics session with the theme "Things that should be illegal." The responses ranged from slow drivers hogging the fast lane (we've all been there, Adam) to smelly food in the workplace (Josh, we hear you) to Will's suggestion that people who don't tidy up after themselves should face 100 press-ups. Tony delivered a powerful response about sentences targeted at people simply for being themselves, and it earned him the Best Table Topics award on the night.

Indira kept us all honest as Grammarian, with "Transformation" as the Word of the Day, and gave a thorough report on everyone's ums and ahs. Abdul kept time, and David rounded things off as General Evaluator.

🏆 Awards
Best Table Topics: Tony
Best Speaker: Clara
Best Evaluator: Graham

Another fantastic evening of speeches, laughs, and growth. Whether you're a seasoned speaker or have never stood up in front of a room before, there's a place for you here.

👉 Our next meeting is Monday, 30th March at St Piran's Centre, Maidenhead. Doors open at 7:00 PM, meeting starts at 7:15 PM. Guests are always welcome -- get in touch via https://maidenheadspeakers.org.uk/contact/ to let us know you're coming!

25/11/2025

What an Evening of being inspired 🌟

We had another incredible night at Maidenhead Speakers!

Keith opened the meeting with a light-hearted story about driving to Toastmasters without his phone… only to panic about car breakdowns, roadblocks, and getting lost and turning back to get it! A perfect, humorous warm-up.

Our President then shared a heartfelt reflection on "being seen" and not for praise or judgement, but for who we truly are. And how Toastmasters is one of the rare places where people listen with intention and appreciation.

Tony, our Toastmaster of the evening, built beautifully on this theme by speaking about **appreciation** and how strongly our club embodies it.

We welcomed four guests, two of whom stepped up for Table Topics and did brilliantly.

We then enjoyed three powerful speeches:
✨ Satya delivered her *Icebreaker*, taking us from India to the UK, through family life, learning, and rediscovery.
✨ Michelle shared the surprising power of breath and did you know we take 20,000 breaths a day?
✨ Joe delivered a compelling speech on *Absurdity*, linking Einstein’s formulas to GPS and even bacteria used in COVID tests.

🏆 **Winners of the evening:**

Best Speaker: Joe
Best Table Topic and Evaluator: Lucy
Icebreaker Achievement:** Satya

A night filled with laughter, learning, inspiration, and real connection.
Another reminder of why Toastmasters is such a powerful space. 💫

18/10/2025

🎤 Area Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contest – What a Night! 🌟

Friday 17th October 2025 - Maidenhead Speakers had the honour of hosting the Area Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest, and what an incredible evening it was!
We had three brilliant contestants in each category:

😄 Humorous Speech: Francesco, Donatis, and Mohammed
💡 Table Topics: Tony, Bushra, and Cristina
It was a fierce and funny competition — filled with laughter, quick thinking, and storytelling brilliance from our neighbouring clubs Burnham, Windsor, and Maidenhead.

🏆 Huge congratulations to our winners, Francesco and Tony from Maidenhead Speakers!
Both took home first place in their respective contests and will now represent us at the Division Finals:

📅 Saturday, 25th October 2025
🕙 10am – 2pm (Briefing from 9:15am)
📍 Kingston Quaker Centre
🚗 Parking: Cattle Market Car Park (3-minute walk)
🚆 5-minute walk from Kingston Station

👏 A heartfelt thank-you to all our timers, counters, judges, and contest organisers: Monica, Roby, David, Bala, Ece, Abdul, Swati, Jonathan, and Thisan - who made the night run so smoothly.
And to everyone who joined us on a Friday evening, your energy, laughter, and support made it a night to remember! 💫

24/09/2025

🏆 Maidenhead Speakers Club Contest Night (22nd September) 🏆

What a night! It was competition time at Maidenhead Speakers, where members battled it out in the Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests the first step on the road to Division level. And wow… did our speakers deliver!

We kicked off on time with our experienced Sergeant-at-Arms Keith, who had us laughing straight away: “What’s the opposite of a can opener? … A can’t opener.” (Groans + giggles guaranteed. 😂)

Our long-standing member Ian then stepped up not just as President for the evening, but also Contest Chair. Double duty, double the charm! He kept everything flowing with wit, humour, and that trademark Ian style.

🎤 Humorous Speech Contest

1️⃣ Thisan opened the contest, sharing his marriage-and-half-marathon story a hilarious take on running with your spouse (spoiler: she runs, he follows 🏃‍♂️).
2️⃣ Tony improvised brilliantly when the lights literally went out. Talk about commitment to stage drama!
3️⃣ Francesco stole the show (and 1st place!) with his masterful storytelling about Sicily and asking: “Why am I still here?” His stagecraft and delivery were flawless.
4️⃣ Lorraine brought us back to her childhood strategy for befriending her older brothers — funny, relatable, and heartfelt.
5️⃣ Marie closed with a thoughtful and witty speech on cultures and feedback.

✨ Results:
🥇 Francesco (advancing to Division in Humorous Speech!)
🥈 Thisan
🥉 Tony

❓ Table Topics Contest

The question: “If I could be a question mark…”
One by one, speakers tackled this quirky challenge with creativity and humour. As the last contestant, Thisan declared he’d be President of the World to spread Toastmasters’ values everywhere. 🌍💬

✨ Results:
🥇 Tony (advancing to Division in Table Topics!)
🥈 Francesco
🥉 Thisan

🙌 Team Effort

These events don’t run themselves! Huge thanks to:

Marie, our brand-new Vice President of Education, who bravely took on the responsibility of organising the whole competition. From policies to people, she kicked off the process, made sure everything was covered, and smashed her first big challenge in the role. 👏

Lucy – our tireless Chief Judge

Steve – for all the behind-the-scenes legwork

Lorraine – for making sure every sheet was printed

And of course to all our timers, counters, and judges, some of whom were doing these roles for the very first time. You did brilliantly and helped make the evening a smooth, fair, and professional contest. 🙌

We also welcomed four wonderful guests, who told us they were amazed at the quality and professionalism of the evening.

Another proud night at Maidenhead Speakers filled with laughter, learning, and top-level speeches. Congratulations again to all our contestants, and best of luck to Francesco (Humorous Speech) and Tony (Table Topics) as they represent us at Division! 🎉

13/09/2025

🎤 Maidenhead Speakers – Meeting Highlights (8th September) 🎤
What do you get when you mix a last-minute venue change, a milestone award, and a speech about eating bugs? Another unforgettable evening at Maidenhead Speakers!
We squeezed into the small hall (parent’s evening stole our usual room!) but thanks to David, our Sergeant-at-Arms extraordinaire, the setup was flawless organised chairs, TV, and confidence included. He opened with a cracking story on confidence and handed over to me. I shared how my youngest son uses his hands more than his words… and how Toastmasters taught me the magic of consistent, kind feedback (which works better than bribing him with biscuits 😉).
Then came Jon. Can you believe he’s only been a member a few weeks? Already Icebreaker ✔️, Table Topics ✔️, and now Toastmaster of the Evening ✔️. He inspired us with the tale of two world-class speakers at his company who revealed their secret weapon: Toastmasters. Proof we’re in good company!
Next up, Keith as Table Topics Master. His theme? Fun! His questions gave us gems like:
🍚 Jonah describing Iranian rice so well we almost booked flights on the spot.
💸 Tuuli, our Most Improved speaker, declaring she’d join a game show, win loads of money, travel the world… and eat bugs. (Clearly fearless on AND off stage!).
😂 And our winner, Ian, former club president, who turned the question “who would you dine with, dead or alive?” into a riot of laughter.
Prepared speeches were just as epic:
✨ Clara (our PR whizz) delivered her second speech in a month with wit and wisdom on mentorship. Turns out, even the best advice needs the right timing.
🤖 And then Steve, with over 20 years in the club, nailed his Level 5 speech and bagged his Distinguished Toastmaster award! His talk on AI in customer service had us thinking… and slightly worried that robots might start running Toastmasters one day.
Evaluations tied the bow on the evening:
👏 Tony reminded us not to bolt off stage the second the green light flashes and use the full two minutes (note to self!).
👏 Angelika and founding member Norman gave thoughtful, classy feedback, especially on Steve’s milestone.
👏 Lucy, our grammarian, reported that I had zero ums and ahs. From 20–25 down to 0… miracles do happen!
👏 And Julia, our warm-hearted General Evaluator, wrapped it all up perfectly.
From Iranian rice to AI robots, from bug-eating to milestone awards… this night had it all. 🎉
If you’ve ever thought about visiting Toastmasters, take this as your sign. You’ll laugh, you’ll learn, and you might even leave planning a game show audition.

20/08/2025

🎤 Maidenhead Speakers – August 18th Recap 🎉
Despite the summer holidays and a short turnaround from our previous meeting, our Toastmasters evening on August 18th was nothing short of inspiring. With over half the roles initially vacant, our Toastmaster of the Evening, Henry, stepped up with remarkable poise and clarity—especially impressive given it was his first time in the role! His clear communication and encouragement empowered several newer members to take on roles for the very first time. A true leadership moment.
✨ First-time magic was everywhere:
• Tuuli led Table Topics for the first time, guiding us down memory lane with holiday-themed prompts that sparked laughter and nostalgia.
• Jo took on the Timer role with confidence and precision.
• We were treated to two Ice Breaker speeches from Jon and Keith, both shared personal journeys filled with vulnerability, humour, and growth. Jon spoke of his upbringing and how his daughter’s courage on stage inspired his own, while Keith reflected on a missed opportunity to speak up in front of his CEO, and how he wants to use Toastmasters to ensure he never miss such a moment again.
🏛️ Our Sergeant-at-Arms, Julia, not only set up the room beautifully but also transported us to the Royal Academy of Arts with a vivid story of her recent visit. Her storytelling continues to be a highlight—always authentic, always captivating.
🎙️ As President, I took on a challenge from our members to refine how I address the audience. I’m experimenting with a new framework to bring more structure to my delivery—growth in action! And Abdul, our VP of Mentorship, introduced a new 1-to-1 mentoring programme tailored to each member’s goals. A powerful reminder that Maidenhead Speakers isn’t just a club it’s a community that nurtures personal development with care and intention.
🌍 Our Table Topics session kicked off with Satya, who shared a hilarious and relatable tale about the chaos of early morning flights with kids—a perfect blend of humour and insight.
🎭 We welcomed three guests, two of whom bravely participated in Table Topics and wowed us with their confidence and wit. All three expressed their enthusiasm and plan to return and proof that our club’s energy is contagious.
💬 The evening wrapped with thoughtful evaluations and a lively general evaluation, reinforcing the value of constructive feedback and mutual support.
Even with a leaner crowd, we had an evening rich in laughter, learning, and connection.

Our next meeting is on September 8th, come join us and experience the magic for yourself!

12/08/2025

🌟 What a night at Maidenhead Speakers! 🌟
Even with half the club away on well-deserved holidays, our Toastmasters meeting was nothing short of extraordinary. The energy, the stories, the growth.. It was all there!
👋 Julia and David set the tone as our Sergeant-at-Arms, welcoming guests and ensuring everything was perfectly in place. We kicked off right on time, with Julia whisking us into a hilarious yet insightful tale from her “Fawlty Towers” experience reminding us how clarity and preparation can make all the difference.
🧸 I shared a personal story about my two-year-old son and our potty-training adventures surprisingly similar to my Toastmasters journey. You can prepare and prepare, and still things go sideways… but that’s the beauty of growth. You stick with it, learn, and evolve.
🎉 We welcomed our newest member Tuuli, who dove straight into her first role as Grammarian with courage and grace. That’s the spirit jumping into the fire with a growth mindset!
🎤 Our guests brought fresh energy, and one even won Best Table Topic! Ben had us all laughing with his story of buying three suits for his first day at work… only to find everyone dressed casually. Classic!
🌍 Alan, our Toastmaster of the Evening, gave a masterclass in hosting opening with a story from Wi******er that beautifully tied into the skills we’re building here. He passed the mic to Sagar, who crafted one of the most thought-provoking Table Topics themes we’ve had in ages: second chances. Fittingly, Sagar himself has completed his Icebreaker twice; living proof of resilience and renewal.
💬 We had three powerful prepared speeches:
• Marie guided us through cultural nuances in giving and receiving feedback.
• Zeeshan opened up about overcoming inner barriers to collaborate meaningfully.
• Vidya shared three hard-earned lessons from working with some of the world’s top companies.
📝 Our evaluators were on fire, with Lorraine taking Best Evaluator for her insightful feedback to Vidya, helping her refine a speech she’ll be delivering at universities in India. Tuuli’s debut Grammarian report was spot-on, and Tony wrapped up the evening with a rich, historical-style General Evaluation that tied everything together beautifully.
💫 As club president (just three meetings in!), I’m humbled by the safe space we’ve created. Sharing personal stories on stage isn’t easy, but the support, feedback, and shared journey make it incredibly rewarding.
If you’re looking to grow your public speaking skills, boost your confidence, or simply connect with inspiring people—come visit us at Maidenhead Speakers. We’d love to welcome you. 💙

05/08/2025

What a wonderful evening we had yesterday at Storia Maidenhead with our Toastmasters group! 🥂 The atmosphere was fantastic, great conversations flowed, and it was such a joy to spend quality time together as a club family.

It was bittersweet saying farewell to our dear Stella, who has given so much to our club over the years. Wishing you all the best in your Master's journey, Stella - you'll be greatly missed! 🌟

02/08/2025

✨ **Maidenhead Speakers – 28 July** ✨
Second week with our new committee, and what a night of firsts and fearless growth.

David kicked us off beautifully with a heart-warming (and hilarious!) story from a family holiday, setting a tone of connection and courage.

I then shared a reflection as club president: "This is a space built on courage. Because speaking isn’t just about words, it’s about showing up, and wow, did our members show up"

👏 Keith stepped into the timer role for the first time. Several others took on new challenges: from roles to speeches, and absolutely nailed them.

Lorraine kept the energy high as Toastmaster of the evening, with wit and warmth, while Tony’s table topics, drawn from weekend sports sparked some beautifully personal responses.

Stella gave thoughtful evaluations that left every speaker feeling seen and supported.

🎤 Speeches delivered:
**Sagar** bravely revisited his icebreaker, weaving in past feedback into a masterclass in growth.

**Jonah** took us on an engaging tour of Iran, working on a new approach in story telling while maintaining his natural charm.

**Clara**, stepping in last-minute, delivered a powerful speech on the art of saying sorry (I took notes for next time with my wife!).

🏅 **Awards:**
- Best Speaker: Clara
- Best Table Topics: Lucy & Clayton
- Best Evaluator: Lucy
- Most Improved: Sagar

This was more than a meeting, it was a celebration of courage in real time. Here’s to facing our fears and growing together. 🌱 Until next time!

Maidenhead Speakers Club

31/03/2026

24/03/2026

25/11/2025

18/10/2025

24/09/2025

13/09/2025

20/08/2025

12/08/2025

05/08/2025

02/08/2025

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