TMV Summer 2023

TOASTMASTERS’ VOICE

The National Association of Toastmasters

DAVID PETRIE

FIRST HONORARY MEMBER OF THE NAT 13TH MAY 1929 - 28TH MAY 2023

Our association with David goes back very many years to the 1980’s. At that time he was the banqueting manager of the Inn on the Park, in Park Lane (now known as The Four Seasons Hotel).

He was a great fan of toastmasters, as he felt they kept things well organized, and brought a sense of special occasion, and detail, to a function. He ensured that he had a toastmaster for as many functions as possible, and preferably one from the NAT.

For a lot of years he ensured that the NAT was able to hold it’s Christmas Lunch at the hotel, and we had many happy times there with lovely food, great wine and brass bands to assist our Christmas Carols etc etc.

The other side of David was that he had a fascination with plants, and when he retired, he and his lovely wife Daphne moved to the West Country (Trowbridge)

and he became a ‘market gardener’. His passion was dahlias, and he made a name for himself selling them at markets all around the southern part of the UK. He also liked pansies – with their ‘happy faces’ - so we used to tease him by calling him ‘the pansy man’

Barry and I (along with Martin and Sally Nicholls) were privileged to know him well enough that we regularly visited them, had lunch with them, and formed a lifelong friendship between the six of us, taking it in turns to entertain each other.

Time of course moved on, and in 2018 it became obvious that Daphne was finding life very difficult, and so with lots of support from their good friends, Necia and John, they were moved into a care home. Daphne sadly, because of her dementia, had to go into what was called the Memory Care Unit, whilst David was ensconced in a room in The Lodge.

They had no children to support and comfort them, so very much leaned on each other, and being separated from each other made life very difficult, and so sad for them both. Poor David was so distressed when he realized that Daphne no longer knew who he was – life is indeed so very cruel sometimes.

Daphne died during the pandemic, in 2021, and we watched her funeral on Zoom, a very sad and disorientated David, sitting alone in his wheelchair, was a very tough situation for us to watch.

So then David was alone (they had no children) but Necia visited him regularly and tried to keep him cheerful. Sadly, he became stone deaf, which made communication very difficult. Barry and I used to call him on a regular basis, but sadly it then became obvious, that even with hearing aids, he couldn’t hear us, and we were not even sure that he remembered us.

So we just thought about him often and felt a sense of deep sadness that this very special friend of the NAT, and our first honorary

member, was slowly fading away.

He died on Sunday 28th May 2023 – may he rest in peace.

Janice Dorn

David and Daphne

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Colleagues

I hope this finds you all well?

As we approach the quieter time of year for our businesses and the Festive season looms closer, I suppose it is time to reflect on how we have fared?

It is always a constant concern: are we making the right choices for the Association and how is the NAT doing? In the current climate of modern technology ie Social Media, it seems to have changed the way everybody, including Toastmasters, engage with

each other. When I first joined the Association nearly twenty years ago, we had physical annual gatherings such as the Christmas Lunch, a Ball, Summer outing, Quarterly meetings and an AGM. All Executive meetings were held in person and Members were invited to attend. Each of the occasions were golden opportunities to make friends and network. Most of these occasions are not now on our calendar and there does not seem to be an appetite to reintroduce them. I understand that the economic climate may well have had an impact.

Today, through technology, people can contact each other at any given time. But does this build friendships or partnerships? I suppose the question I am posing is, how can we facilitate our members to engage with the Association and each other on a more regular basis? We have asked repeatedly what our Members would like from their membership of the NAT. This is not the musings of an aging Toastmaster (or is it?). It is coming from the position of wanting our Membership to get the most from the Association that you belong to.

The two events currently planned during my next Presidential term are:

• The Christmas Luncheon to be held at the RAF Club, Piccadilly on Monday, 11 December 2023

• The Social Weekend to be held at Dunston Hall & Spa (www. dunstonhallhotel.co.uk) near Norwich on Sunday, 3-5 March 2024

This is particularly a call for you to join us for the Social Weekend (see the letter within this TMV). We need at least 50 guests to make it viable. The weekends are always good fun and a fantastic opportunity to meet with members of your Association. This is not restricted to Toastmasters. Bring partners and friends - you will be guaranteed a brilliant weekend. It is also a golden opportunity to network, build relationships and a photo shoot is provided free of charge.

We have plans to re-introduce the

Training sessions via Zoom which we started during Covid. There are two planned:

1. The first one will cover Wedding Fayres. This will be targeted specifically at our newer members to answer some of the questions they have raised and will cover topics such as: “Best Practice” and “Promoting your Business”.

2. The second one is an update on Data Protection - what you need to do to protect yourself and your business. Again, targeting our newer members but, of course, we all need this refresher even though it may not be a subject we find particularly inspiring, but it is very necessary in this day and age. We do have a couple of experts within our Association!

There is one topic looming on the horizon, if it happens. Changes to the status of Registrar. Watch this space!

Of course, we are open to any suggestions for training and will do our best to make them happen.

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at the Christmas Luncheon.

Best wishes

Tom Reddy President

TMV Contents

10 - NAT Social Event - Tom Reddy

15 - First Imprssions - Christine Akehurst

Welcome to the Summer edition of the TMV, albeit a little late. Thank you, as always to those who have contributed to this issue.

There is plenty to get your teeth into from this edition, including thoughts on DJ’s and magicians doubling up as toastmasters. If you read nothing else, please take time to look at David Tinney’s second article on Cyber Security. I do hope that you have acted upon his advice from his first article.

There was only one entry for this edition’s photo competition and as that came from the previous winner, I am sure he will not mind that I extend the competition to the Winter Edition of the TMV.

This will be the last time I write this but, we are such an eclectic group that I am sure there are many more fascinating articles to be had – please, please send them in. Once again, thank you to all those who continue to contribute and I would like to thank, in particular, Tony Forward who has written at least one article to every TMV I have edited.

If you have any thoughts about what you would like to see in the TMV please contact me at richard@cambridgetoastmaster.com with your suggestions.

Happy reading!

Dates for the diary

Executive Committee Meeting

Monday 6th November 2023

Friday 12th February 2024

Monday 15th April 2024

Monday 10th June 2024

Monday 9th September 2024

NAT Christmas Lunch

RAF Club

Monday 11th December 2023

Social Event – Dunston Hall Hotel

Sunday 3rd to Tuesday 5th March 2024

Questions we are asked, that bring a smile but not necessarily an answer.

At the amazing North Mymms Park, going about my duties on the lawn, what I might describe as a frosty tempered lady approached me. “I seem to have lost my husband, do you know where he is?” (I must admit, my first thought was......probably at the railway station.)

I’m sure that I am not alone in receiving the impossible question. My best this year came last Saturday. Whilst patrolling the lawns of Haseley Manor a guest, mobile ‘phone in hand, approached me with “Excuse me, do you know where to stand for the best 4G signal?”.

Peter Sumner

After the Wedding Breakfast and following a fairly lengthy chat with a delightful ‘Lad’ he asked, “Please don’t take offence or think me rude –but do you always speak like that or is it just for the job?!”

Richard Mitchell

Toastmasters used to get everwhere!

Not the sort of thing we get involved in these days, but it would appear our predecessors would do anything to get some advertising - even making a pot of tea with an Aga!!

(Cutting courtesy of the eagleeyed Barry Dorn)

In light of others encroaching on our territory maybe we should rethink?!

Cyber Security

It has been an interesting and busy year in the Cyber world.

It has recently been announced that last year the electoral register data was all stolen. This means anyone registered to vote, who has not asked to be anonymous, has had their details leaked. This, for many, is not a big deal as there used to be a phone book and a paper electoral register, which was freely available at your local library, but it can be used to direct scams and it shows me, once again, that anyone can be hacked and have our data stolen.

Looking forward

By December 2025 the PSTN, Public Switched Telecom Network, our “Plain Old Telephone System” or POTS for short will be shut down. This means your old telephone will no longer work. Now this may not be a big deal and if you are with BT for your telephone and broadband they will provide you with an inline device so that it will appear nothing has changed. So what is it all about. Well this will mean all calls will be routed as data traffic through broadband called VOIP, Voice over internet protocol. This is the same technology as you getting your emails, you tube or netflix.

The old POTS system has one interesting factor that will disappear. A basic phone can run off the power provided from the exchange. This will go so in case of a power cut there will be no broadband and no telephone to call the emergency services. I am sure we all have mobile phones!

Actions:

Think about whether you need a home phone anymore. It could save you money.

Think carefully about buying a new telephone!

Think about phasing out your old number on promotional material if you may cancel the number at the time of changeover.

Think about intruder alarms that run on POTS. Do they have a mobile or SMS messaging module!?

If you have broadband by a different provider or by fibre there will be some decisions to be made when they reach your area for change over.

Interesting to note many exchanges in rural areas are having the additional electricity capability turned to Electric Car Charging parks.

Security

Current attack vectors

The largest number of cyber attacks are now coming from smart Phishing. This combines different approaches so it may be an email link followed up with a phone call from your bank or service provider.

The key to keep you safer is to set up trusted routes, not to click on links but to go in through your trusted app or through a trusted computer browser.

These days a new approach is gathering momentum. Attackers are now also delivering viruses by attachments, not only clicking on links. So, whatever the document format .docs, pdf etc., if you have not asked for a document don’t open it!

Protection (3 tips this quarter)

1). I am constantly asked do I need antivirus protection on my computers, tablets and phones. The answer is always yes, even telephones. There are so many different phones and some are more secure than others but the cost of anti virus is very cheap.

2). Use a well known brand of telephone and one who will continue to support with patches for the life of your Smartphone.

3). Download the patches regularly or as soon as they are available

This year Apple and Microsoft have both had critical weaknesses found that needed emergency patches.

Action:

Set up an end of month routine to back up your mobile phone first and then run any app updates and patches.

One more piece of advice is to do the backup first. A friend of mine, living in Australia, lost 5 years of photos after downloading a Samsung update which failed on his phone and made him have to do a manufacture reset.

Interesting fact this year the bill for ransomeware was over a billion dollars. It is recognised that many people just pay up!

David Tinney

NAT Social Event 2024

IMPORTANT NEWS!!! For those who remember the very successful Social Event at The Mercure Bristol North earlier this year, we are delighted to announce that we have secured a fantastic rate for our next Social Event, this time at the fabulous Dunston Hall Hotel & Spa, Ipswich Road, Norwich NR14 8PQ, situated close to the City of Norwich and the seaside town of Great Yarmouth.

The Event will cost £430 per couple, £314 for a single person (DBB), to include entertainment and a Dinner/Dance on both evenings with ½ bottle of House Wine per person.

27 Rooms have been reserved and will be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis.

Overnight accommodation is in en-suite bedrooms, with full English Breakfast and a free day on the Monday. Use of the Gym, Pool and Sauna will be available free of charge. Bookings for Golf and the Lilac Spa to be made in advance and are chargeable. Check in is from 15:00 on Sunday the 3rd March. Should you arrive early, luggage can be stored behind reception.

Our Event will incorporate a themed Dinner and Dance on the Sunday evening (3rd March). Our favourite DJ, Ian Haskell, makes a welcome return with his inimitable Apache Disco. Ian will also be available to take photos of everyone as they arrive for Dinner on Sunday night. On Monday night (4th March) will be a Dinner/Dance including ½ bottle wine per person followed by surprise entertainment. A bar will be available on the 3rd and 4th for late night drinks, for those wishing to continue the evening festivities.

Please note, on Monday (4th) after breakfast, there will be a photoshoot for all Toastmasters, so please bring your “reds”. Group shots will be taken for use on the NAT Website. This is all included in the price and will, of course, be tax deductible!

Details of the Hotel can be found at: www.dunstonhallhotel.co.uk

To book your place(s) at this wonderful NAT Event, please contact the Hotel direct and ask for Anita Krupinszki (Event & Group Sales Executive) or Andrea Lincoln (Group Reservations). The deposit for a double room is £137.50 and £113.50 for a single room. Please confirm with Anita or Andrea that you are booking for the NAT Event 3-5 March 2024. Bookings can be made between Monday and Friday, 9am-5pm on Tel: 01508 473 842. The balance of your stay to be paid on arrival at the Hotel.

Additional nights can be booked as follows:

Double Rooms: Sat 2nd (£150 B&B), Tues 5th (£130 B&B)

(Questions? Please contact Tom on 07970 049264 / 01623 882127 or via email: thomasthetoastmaster@virginmedia.com)

Tom & Sue Reddy

5 October 2023

Book the Date now and look forward to a FANTASTIC, FUN weekend.

2024 - Dunston Hall

Dunston Hall Hotel

Spa Pool

Dunston Hall Hotel Bar

The old times are a-changing

A short article for thought and discussion!

As Toastmasters, what makes us different? There are continual discussions about change and I for one am always in favour of looking at how we can change, improve things, but sometimes the whole essence is the world is changing and sometimes its coming back change is coming back. Let me explain with a story.

A few months back my 20-year-old some had an Amazon delivery. Now he is studying aerospace engineering and loves his gadgets…. Like father and son! What did he buy? An audio cassette tape, really!! “Dad this is the latest thing.” In all these days of streaming video and audio content why is HMV making a comeback? The sale of Vinyl to young people as they look for the finer things in life like real quality sound. When you go to the supermarket 30% are now going back to paper bags and now, of course, the recognition that plastic bottles have BPA’s, which leak and can cause cancer, and there is a move back to glass!

People who want ordinary are less likely to employ Toastmasters but those that want something special may well look back to the old traditions so should we be thinking how to continue to promote the old traditions and make them even more “special” rather than try to lower ourselves to the lowest denomination. Anyone can put on a red coat but not anyone can …….. and they are our, in marketing terms, USP’s, Unique Selling Points.

So, what can we add to our clients over and above someone who just puts on a red coat? I believe all of us should carry on learning and adding value and one of the ways we can do this is through our regional meetings and online training sessions. What do you think? Write to the TMV and if you want your name to be withheld, we can say “name supplied”. Add to the discussion.

David Tinney

First Impressions

I worked at the Pan Pacific hotel last week and was led to believe that I was the first NAT member to have worked there, so thought I would give you my impressions. It is a very beautiful hotel with banqueting rooms in the basement.

There is a VIP room on that level which you could change in. Well-appointed as far as mirrors are concerned but nowhere to hang anything. There is a wonderful coffee machine which if you are au fait with IT you could take advantage of!!

The staff are very nice and attentive but trying to get one person to take responsibility for running the room, very difficult.

The sound system is great and the man stays throughout the function which is reassuring.

The only problem was when I asked for the table plans, I was told they would come up on the screens dotted around the reception area, a good plan if they work. needless to say they didn’t! So, that left the committee and me telling all the guests where they were sitting.

The food was great and served promptly and with skill.

All in all, a very good experience.

Christine Akehurst

Guest speaker Peter Jackson

NAT trainee Alexander Murphy

A RELUCTANT

I was booked for a wedding at a Surrey hotel. Both the wedding ceremony and reception were to be held there. Guests arrived and congregated in the bar. I showed the Bridegroom and his Best Man, both dressed in tails, to their seats and then made an announcement for the guests to take their seats in the marriage room.

bridesmaids in order, ready to process to the wedding. I announced the entry of the bride. She walked to the front, stood next to her husband-to-be, told the dog to sit behind them and dropped the lead.

The bride was having her interview with the registrar in an office off the main hall. Outside was a man, too young to be her father, dressed in tails. He was holding the lead of a large dog lying at his feet. I asked him whether he was giving the bride away and he replied, “No, the dog is.”

When the bride left the office, the man handed her the dog’s lead and made his way to the marriage room. While the registrar made her way to the marriage room, I chatted to the bride and help to get the

I stood at the back of the guests while the ceremony took place and after ushering the newly-weds from the room, I went to the front to make some announcements. There were a number of men in tail suits. I noticed that sitting at the front aisle seat, next to the bride’s mother, was a middle-aged man in a plain suit. He was obviously the bride’s father and I wondered why he was not dressed like the others and why he had left the giving-away of his daughter to a dog.

I took the Best Man to one side and asked him what was going on. He told me that the father was deeply religious and wanted his daughter married in church. She had

RELUCTANT FATHER

disagreed and they had fallen out. He had refused to attend her civil wedding but had been persuaded by family members, at the last minute, to attend. It was too late to get fitted with a tail suit. The bride was still at logger heads with her father.

While photographs were being taken in the garden, I spoke to her father and asked him if he would say grace before the wedding breakfast. His eyes lit up. He smiled and said, “I would love to.” He became a different man.

said that it had made all the difference to him and that during the meal, he and his daughter had become reconciled. I felt really proud of myself.

When everyone was in their places and the bride and her husband were at their table, I announced grace to be said by the bride’s father, who was sitting next to his daughter. He gave a simple but religious grace. Both bride and her new husband smiled.

After the meal, the father thanked me and

Tony Forward PPNAT

What’s In Your

A very good question, even if I do say so myself. Just what do we carry in our bags for an event?

I am hoping to use this as a conversation topic on a regional Zoom meeting, but let’s get it started here.

It is an important area and there will be as many variations in the contents of a Toastmaster’s bag as there are Toastmasters. We all carry things that may never be used, or at best once in a blue moon, but they are always carried “just in case”.

The astonishing scale of a Toastmaster’s accoutrements was brought home to me right on my very first encounter with the NAT. It was at a “taster” day for prospective Toastmasters, at an hotel in Yorkshire. I think it was in 2004. It was when Neil Hunt was President. The contents of the case belonging to the wonderful Tom Broughton were on display. I was astonished! Books, tally, shoe kits, sewing kits, pins and needles, reference books, mouthwash, plasters, packs and packs of tissues, gavel, block, clothes brush, the list just goes on.

I genuinely did wonder how big the bag had to be.

Our current President also has a case that is a wonder. No bigger than a standard briefcase, it is not actually a standard briefcase. It is a Tardis. Inside it is compartmentalised and

carries all kinds of what, on the surface, seem to be really bizarre gizmos and gewgaws, knicks and knacks. However, Tom has an explanation for every single piece and after hearing the explanation they all seem so reasonable, and I cannot understand how I have survived as a Toastmaster without them.

I will divulge no more about our President’s bag, I hope he will contribute when we have the Zoom meeting, as indeed I hope many of you will too. What do you carry in your bags that are a really good idea? What is the thing you have carried around for years and never used, until the moment came and it made you the heroic saviour of an event?

I’m not looking for answers on a postcard, but send a line into the TMV, or post it on our WhatsApp page, or tune into the Zoom meeting when it comes and tell us in person.

I am expecting to be amazed and amused.

Geoff Harris

Your Bag Guv’nor?

Are Toastmasters a Thing

Do you want a toastmaster or ????

Following the (not so) recent message from our secretary I thought that I would share a couple of thoughts about the situation that currently exists with other suppliers offering their services as Master of Ceremony for weddings.

We have all seen these and this situation is not new. It has existed for some time. Some years ago I had a DJ arrive to watch the speeches at a wedding because he said that he offers his services as an MC and he wanted to copy what I did! However, more people seem to be jumping on the bandwagon.

Why do couples choose them over us?

Many couples have no idea what a toastmaster is or does and certainly not the very great benefits and value they can add to a wedding day both in terms of planning, style, and the coordination of the day. It is also true that very often toastmasters are further down the ‘food chain’ than other suppliers. Every wedding is likely to have a band or DJ. So when the DJ offers a service as MC, and explains what they might do, couples can be attracted to the idea. The DJ is certainly not going to say ‘of you could get a professional toastmaster’.

I do not know what they charge but it could also be that they are cheaper. I for one will

not be dropping my fees to match a service I do not see to be anything like as full or as professional.

What can we do?

Firstly, I suggest that we need to be able to speak to couple before they find alternative suppliers offering a service as an MC. For me that means attending wedding fayres to speak to couples and explaining what I do. They have to decide two things. Do I want a toastmaster and then, do they want me? Thankfully the answer is often yes. The presentation and delivery of what happens at wedding fayres is very important with getting this message across. Looking really smart can only help achieve the very important favourable first impression.

The same consideration applies to every interaction we have on social media etc.

We also need to remember that we represent not just ourselves when we are working but also the NAT and the profession in general. I was at a wedding last week when a photographer said that at another recent wedding he had seen another toastmaster. He went on to explain that the other toastmaster had not done very much at all during the day. He, the photographer, even had the couple say ‘Where is the toastmaster, he should be doing this’. We all know the effect of that sort of performance is that those attending

Thing of the Past??

the wedding will probably spread the word that there is no point spending money on a toastmaster as they do not do very much.

So the answer is partly in our hands. We should be well prepared, professional, flexible, caring, diligent, and hard working at every function - simple!

Peter Thompson

Religion and Civil

There are times when a Toastmaster must step outside his routine duties and think on his feet, sometimes making decisions or suggestions to put right some events before they go wrong.

We all know that the law precludes religious content in a Civil Ceremony and that it is the responsibility of the Registrar to ensure that the rules are obeyed. As Toastmaster at a hotel for a civil wedding, I was waiting outside the room where the bride was being interviewed before the ceremony.

When she emerged, she had obviously been crying. The Registrar then told me that she had had to refuse permission for a singer to sing ‘Ave Maria’ during the ceremony because it was religious. The singer had been engaged especially for this purpose by the bride’s father.

I went to the marriage room and had a short meeting in the corner with the bride’s father, the bridegroom and Best Man together

Civil Ceremonies

with the lady singer and gave them the news. They were annoyed, upset and I could see that this was going to put a real damper on the proceedings.

My brief included the announcement of Grace at the start of the wedding breakfast and I suggested that, subject to the singer’s agreement, ‘Ave Maria’ could be sung immediately after Grace. They all agreed and I returned to tell the bride. She was happy and relieved at the change of plan.

That is exactly what happened at the start of the meal and it was accepted very well by all present. The bride’s father thanked me afterwards for sorting out what he had seen would be a real problem and something that would have really upset his daughter.

Another job done with satisfaction!

From the 2006 Autumn TMV

Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, and still smelled pretty good by June. They were, however, starting to smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odour. So, the custom came, of carrying a bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the sons and men, then the woman and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence, “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater”.

Houses had thatched roofs, thick straw piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Which gives the saying, “It’s raining cats and dogs”.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, “Dirt poor”. The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh. But, when you opened the door, it would start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance way. That’s how we get a “thresh hold”

Getting quite an education, aren’t you?

The poor mainly ate stews that contain nothing more than vegetables. Sometimes they could afford pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came round, they would hang out their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could ‘bring home the bacon’.

They would cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and ‘chew the fat’.

Those with money had plates, which would be made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the

lead to leach into the food, causing death by lead poisoning. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or ‘the upper crust’.

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whiskey. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. So came the custom of ‘holding a wake’.

Folks started running out of places to bury people. So, they would dig up the coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house and reuse the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realised that they had been burying people

alive. So, they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground at tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell thus, someone could be, ‘saved by the bell’ or was considered ‘a dead ringer’.

And that’s the truth… Now, whoever said History was boring!!

How to be a part of the Winter edition of the TMV

1. So, the summer is over - plenty of family or work occasions for a great photo opportunity. We have a bottle of Champagne for the best photograph in the following catagories:

Garden Games

Champagne

Bikes

Dog wash

Princess wands or pirate swords

Tea party

The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the editor or the NAT. All contributions to be sent to richard@cambridgetoastmaster.com