During the evening, new members were encouraged to take part.

Lynn Stewart gave a beautiful and sensitive reading of W H Auden's poem Funeral Blues.

Other new members took part in the topics session where they were asked to give a spontaneous speech on an object that had just been handed to them.

This can be a difficult task but all participants were very successful.

Andrea Morris gave a challenging speech entitled What's the Matter with Tap Water? where she encouraged members to accept the water from the tap rather than spend money on bottled water.

Alan Young gave a speech entitled Spin. The excellent speech is to be given in an area speech competition in Solihull.

Other skills were practised during the evening - sight reading, spontaneous speaking and evaluating a speech.

The taster course is now completed but the club welcomes visitors or prospective members at any meeting, held at the Quality Hotel every other Tuesday. More details from Alan Young on 459516.