Plenty to talk about at first meeting

East Kilbride Speakers Club’s president Bob Hunter opened the first meeting of the club’s new season by extending a warm welcome to members and visitors before handing over to Harvey Littlejohn to chair the evening.

The first speaker was Ken Murray. By way of acknowledging the fact that 2017 marked the 100th anniversary of the date the United States of America entered the First World War, he gave a rendition of the speech President Woodrow Wilson delivered to the US Congress to justify his declaration of war on Imperial Germany.

Ross Hammond followed by very cleverly injecting humour into what was a serious matter for him, as he gave an account of being diagnosed with an inherited genetic condition that causes his body to absorb too much iron into his bloodstream.

The means of controlling the condition is the extraction of a pint of blood every three weeks and Ross told of how, at his first visit to the unit where this is done, his fellow patients welcomed him to what they call the ‘Black Pudding Club’.

By comparing the perception senior citizens have of summer weather being much better when they were children than we have today, David Webster presented an amusing comparison of the outdoor games he played as a child to the activities he takes part in during his retirement.

He reached the conclusion that, although different, he enjoys what he does today every bit as much as playing as a child.

A talented exhibition of creativity was given by Isobel Dunlop in delivering a very amusing speech on what seemed the unlikely subject of the shoes she had worn throughout her life from childhood to the present day.

Amazing word pictures were conjured up as she took us through clumpy lace-ups and sandshoes from her schooldays through her first high heel to modern trainers and many more.

The impromptu topics that were presented by George Stevenson had a nostalgic theme and Paul Munday gave very constructive observations in his general evaluation of the first evening’s proceedings.

The next meeting of the club will be tomorrow and details can be obtained from secretary Paul Munday on (01355) 223894.