Thursday’s meeting at Bromley Speakers was one for the books. In fact, our general evaluator called it the busiest night for guests she had ever seen. Over the evening we laughed, we learned, and at one point we even shed a tear.
Why we don’t enjoy watching people fail
Club President Carol opened with a timely topic. This week, a clip of Prince Harry losing his place after a teleprompter failure went viral. Before long, the internet was full of people picking it apart. However, Carol asked a sharper question. What does enjoying someone else’s slip do to us as speakers? Her answer was simple. If we laugh when others stumble, we become too scared to stumble ourselves.
So her message to every guest was clear: nobody here takes pleasure in your mistakes. Instead, we want to see you reach the edge of your comfort zone. And when you get there, we will back you.
Toastmaster for the evening – Na
Twin teenagers and a nanny who saw it coming
Next, Mohit took the stage with a speech about raising twin teenage girls. When the twins were babies, their nanny told him to enjoy that stage, because the expensive part comes later. At the time, he laughed it off. As it turns out, she wasn’t just a nanny. She was a prophet.
Suddenly, £50 hoodies are “really affordable”. Meanwhile, two girls who disagree on every film and playlist become a united negotiating team the moment he says no. Yet the ending turned the room. On car journeys, they share stories from school. Sometimes, they quietly hold his hand when nobody is looking. His closing line? “My twin teenage girls aren’t expensive. They’re priceless.”
The power of keeping records
Then Joe delivered “Keeping Records”, a research speech from his Presentation Mastery pathway. He first visited a Toastmasters club back in 2013. After that, he tried two more clubs over six years without joining. Finally, in August 2024, he walked through our doors and stayed.
Since then, he has logged 19 meetings and 10 different roles. He also tracks his daughter’s weekly phonics quiz and more than 350 runs since 2014. His point was a useful one. A record won’t tell you that you’re improving. However, it will show you where you can. Fittingly, he ended with his ritual after every meeting: a honey yoghurt and a fresh entry in his log.
Tips worth stealing
Along the way, the evaluations added practical advice for everyone in the room. Our visiting evaluator Manoj, from Beckenham, shared that a humorous speech should land a laugh roughly every 15 seconds. Meanwhile, Neil offered a clever timing trick. Mark your notes in green, amber and red to match the timing lights. That way, you’ll know instantly whether to slow down or speed up.
Every story has a turning point
After the break, Tola led Table Topics with an ambitious twelve questions. As a result, we travelled a long way in half an hour. For example, one member explained why she finally chose to face a fear of speaking that dates back to her school days. Jack told us how he failed his driving test within 30 seconds of leaving the test centre, then passed four months later.
Michael, meanwhile, cycled 15 miles in the wrong direction on a Land’s End to John o’Groats ride. Carol spun a three-word challenge (a train, an umbrella and £50) into a teenage quest for a designer umbrella. Jeff also shared a moving memory of working in the City on 11 September 2001.
Our guests stepped up too. Nisha struggled to find an answer at first. Instead of giving up, she came back and told a powerful story about a family friend’s extraordinary generosity. Similarly, Candace, another first-timer, had the whole room laughing with a story she can now see the funny side of.
What a first-time guest would notice
Above all, a guest would notice how quickly strangers become friends here. During the break, one visitor said Toastmasters feels like a community as much as a club. Through stories like these, we get to know each other on a more honest level. We also officially welcomed two new members, Michael and Jeff.
Ready to find your own turning point? Then come along as our guest. You can simply watch, or try Table Topics if you feel brave. Either way, nobody here will be waiting for you to fail.
Michael was recognised for the best supporting role – Warm up
The best Table Topics went to guests