It was good to have Edvinas (our Youth Exchange student from Lithuania) with me as support as we went across to Stratford Club for me to give a presentation on my year as DG. It was good to be back amongst friends and for us to be made so welcome. Even after a year of speeches and presentations the amazing thing is how nervous I still get before I make a speech. Once up and into it the nerves went and I was able to relax into the talk. The DVD of the tandem dive went down well especially as this was the club that got me into it in the first place.
It is only when I sit down and prepare speeches like this that I realise just how great an opportunity I was given and what an amazing group of people I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the year and in the period leading up to it. It was lovely to be able to thank a group of people who involved me in several of their activities and made the year such a lot of fun.
It was good after the meeting to be able to take Edvinas to see Shakespeare's House and the Butterfly Farm and to get to know him a little better as he will be staying with us for a while. At least coming with me has got him a booking to speak at Stratford Club in November and shown him how not to present!