Light is just right for speakers’ night

At the recent meeting of Renfrew Ladies Speakers Club the theme of light led to three very different speeches.

The evening opened with a poem by Robert Louis Stevenson, which begins:“In winter I get up at night/ And dress by yellow candlelight”.

Una Wilkinson was chairwoman, and everyone heard Marion Henderson speak of sailing on the Sea of Galilee and paddling in the Red Sea.

She spoke of moments when what we know acquires a deeper understanding. Her“light bulb moment”was in the peaceful garden.

In a change of tack, Sheina Ross described the electro-magnetic spectrum. She contrasted radio waves at one end of the spectrum with X-rays and gamma rays at the other end.

After trying to grasp that there are one million microns in a metre, the non-mathematicians relaxed as Sheina spoke about light, the visible spectrum.

The title of Joan Milburn’s talks was From Light into Darkness. She spoke of two childhood friends who went blind.

She described the wartime blackout when Britain went from light to darkness. She told of being alone in an underground tunnel when the lights went out.

“And yet, whatever form it takes, we all manage the darkness”, she concluded.

There were evaluations by Norma Murray and Mary Phillips and a joint evaluation by audience members.

Dorothy Hamilton read from Somewhere over the Rainbow by Gavin Bell, and Evelyn Haughey commented on the choice.

Myra Hunter gave a clear and challenging educational talk on Voice Projection.

She described how to change emphasis by lowering the voice, and changing facial expression.“If you are smiling, you can’t growl”, she said.

The last word came from Cate Donaldson as General Evaluator, who pointed to good practice.

The club says taking part is guaranteed to build confidence, and it welcomes visitors.

It meets fortnightly at the Glynhill Hotel, and the next meeting is on Thursday, November 15.

For information contact enquiries.rlsc@gmail.com or phone 07728 761644 or 0141 3280467.