Maidenhead Speakers Club

Maidenhead Speakers Club We're a supportive community helping you build confidence in public speaking, leadership, and communication. Meetings every 2nd, 4th & 5th Monday!

Whether you're new or experienced, join us to grow, connect, and reach your potential!

What happens when you mix a childhood in rural Kazakhstan, a superpower that could save the planet, and a travel-themed ...
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/

Maidenhead Speakers – Meeting Highlights (24th March) What should be illegal? That was the question on everyone's lips a...
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!

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St Piran’s School, Gringer Hill
Maidenhead
SL67LZ

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