Speaking

 

“We really enjoyed your talk – you manage to be stimulating and funny, which is no mean feat.”  Churchill Women’s Institute

My speaking career has taken me all round the UK, from Glasgow to Gloucester. I’ve been a keynote speaker at conferences and done numerous talks, lectures and workshops for many different organisations both in my previous work in the Church and as a freelance speaker. I’ve broadcast on Radio 4 and various local TV and radio stations.

I’m highly experienced at working with all kinds of groups, small or large, and my talks are entertaining, thought-provoking and accessible. I am a regular speaker on the Oxfordshire Federation of Women’s Institutes circuit.

Check out my three most popular current talks below, and email me for more information and to book.

Feel your age, and enjoy it anyway: How to thrive as we age

This illustrated talk looks at the lighter side of ageing, and how to thrive as we age:

• Why big birthdays are bad news
• Whether 70 really is the new 50
• Age deniers, age defiers and ageing superstars
• What’s good about getting older
• What helps us thrive as we age, from staying active to robot cats with VibraPurr_®

Ping Pong Piffle: Romance, Villainy, and 11 surprising fun facts about table tennis

This light-hearted, illustrated talk for a general audience features stories of romance across the net, table tennis bad boys, a collection of antique bats, and the answer to such questions as:

• What happened when a player tried to play chess during a long, boring rally
• Whether it’s ever a good idea to play mixed doubles with your spouse
• 

  Recycled table tennis balls

  The most creative uses for cracked table tennis balls (Prize for the best idea from the audience)

I include practical demonstrations and activities where possible, and can bring a small table tennis table for these if required.

I also offer a fun two hour event for groups called Wiff-Waff and Waffles, either in Oxford or at your own venue. Take part in a selection of table-tennis-themed activities, as gentle or energetic as you like, with prizes, and waffles! 

The Invigilator who set fire to his trousers: tales from the exam hall

This talk draws on my years of invigilating exams and training invigilators in schools, colleges and training organisations around the country. Along with stories collected from audiences, I have a huge fund of stories about the lighter side of exams, including

• The funniest-ever exam room announcement
• The secret code of invigilators
• Which innocent-looking everyday items are banned from exam rooms
• The most unusual exam room interruptions
• And what to do if the invigilator catches fire!