Lights! Characters! Action! storytelling workshop

Renowned storyteller Andrew Brammer presented a brilliant Lights! Characters! Action! workshop to Ipswich Electrifiers on using stories to make presentations more dynamic. Andrew is a legend in his own storytime. His Stumpy stories, based on his experiences of growing up in Dunstable in the 1970s, have been performed at workshops throughout England and Ireland, and have just been published as Stumpy Sanderson’s Scrapbook (available on Amazon.co.uk). He has been a member of Toastmasters International for 14 years, and holds our highest qualification, that of Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). Now living in Norfolk, he co-founded the North Norfolk Speakers’ Club and has won numerous speech contests, including the District 71 (England and Ireland) Humorous Speech Championship in 2000.

Let them eat jelly

Congratulations to Ipswich Electrifiers’ member Steve Butterworth, of Suffolk Digital, who set up Suffolk’s first ‘jelly’ day. This global phenomenon gives freelancers and homeworkers a taste of communal working.

Steve and his colleague Emma Jell (how appropriate is that?) organised a day of talking, working, and idea-exchanging, fuelled by some excellent cupcakes and other refreshments, at the amazingly located Eastern Area Hub, with its superb views over the Ipswich Waterfront.
Dozens of homeworkers turned up with their laptops, and managed to do some work as well as network, and enjoy the range of activities on offer. Steve and fellow Electrifier Cathy Shelbourne gave talks from the soapbox, on citizen journalism, and speaking in public.

Follow these links to see the East Anglian Daily Times’ coverage of the day and to find out more about Suffolk Digital and future jellies.

Sparkling Guest Evening

Guests at Ipswich Electrifiers’ Guest Evening on Thursday 20th October thoroughly enjoyed their introduction to public speaking. "From the moment I came in the door I felt very welcome," said one guest. Another commented that "It was a fantastic means of getting to grips with public speaking." Brave guest Chris, who took part in the 2-minute topics session, and delivered an inspired mini-speech on the Titanic effect on a miniature bottle of Guinness (you should’ve been there!), found it "very enjoyable."
Toastmaster of the Evening Alan steered everyone through the programme, dispensing encouragement and friendliness. First-time orator Jacky delivered an excellent speech on her family roots in ship-building on the Clyde, and seasoned speaker Norman regaled us with tales from his time at Boeing in Seattle. Ferial’s superb cakes sustained everyone in the break - sensibly extended in order to do justice to her culinary skills.
The most thought-provoking words, in a very witty and stimulating evening, were surely that this was a "hospital for sinners, not a hotel for saints." To which Alan swiftly responded: "And we are all in the recovery ward!"
Build up your public speaking skills by joining us at the next meeting on Thursday 3rd November.

Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest.

These pictures show Adhi Vishnu and Christopher Brown representing Ipswich Electrifiers at the area humorous speech and table topics competition.

Mark Witter from Speakeasy at Martlesham won the humorous speech competition and James McGinty of Chelmsford Speakers won the table topics.

Never too old to learn!

Members of Ipswich Electrifiers Speakers‘ Club enjoy a training session they hosted recently for the four clubs in Area 1 of Toastmasters International.

International Speech and Evaluation Contest 2011.

Evaluation Contest Winners - Christopher Brown (1st), Alan Todd (2nd)
International Speech Contest Winners - Keith Herod (1st), Sylvia Turay (2nd).
Keith and Christopher then took part in the area contest at Manningtree.

Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas visited the club and drew great caricatures of some of our members during the meeting.
Find out more about Dave at his website

Katie Ward

Imagine you‘ve written a stunning first novel, and the publisher asks you to read your work out loud at a series of country-wide events. Aaargh! The thought of speaking in public scares you witless. What do you do?
Take a leaf out of Katie Ward‘s book! On realising that her first published novel, Girl Reading, was going to require her to be the girl reading at author evenings, she joined Ipswich Electrifiers in order to confront those fears and equip herself with techniques to speak successfully in public.
"The Electrifiers‘ meetings enabled me to practise reading excerpts in front of a supportive and constructive audience," she says. "The members also gave me much-appreciated feedback and practical advice, to help me overcome my nerves and speak with more confidence."

Girl Reading, by Katie Ward, is published by Virago, and is available from all good bookshops.