A SPEAKER FOR YOUR MEETING!
Entertaining
Original
Inspirational
A light-hearted mix of words and music.
I am on the Speakers Lists for both the Dorset and Wiltshire Federations of Women's Institutes. Perfect for social clubs, U3A, Probus, etc.
This is a recording I made for the WI Summertime tWIst festival in June 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m8mq6zN4wQ
Obviously all my dates for the next few months have been cancelled, but I'm looking forward to picking up the pieces and seeing you all again in due course.
Five talks to choose from:
LATE-FLOWERING LYRICIST
How I overcame a life-threatening illness to reinvent myself as a singer/songwriter.
In the summer of 2008, I was quite an ordinary woman in my fifties. I enjoyed listening to music, but it never occurred to me that I might be able to sing, and I certainly didn’t envisage myself performing solo with a guitar, and playing songs that I’d written! Not only that, but that I’d go on to record my own albums, the first one of which was produced by my teenage hero, the musician and entertainer Richard Digance, who became my mentor.
Raunchy, romantic, heartbreaking, humorous, my subjects range from pretentious garden designers to a 16-year-old boy killed at the Battle of the Somme; from the hero on a cereal packet to that awkward situation where you discover your lover's name sewn into the back of his underpants.....
This is a story of how it may never be too late to change direction in life; how I learned the importance of ‘seizing the moment’; and how, with a bit of determination, you might be able to achieve things you never dreamed of!
MUSICAL MUSINGS
If you have enjoyed Late-Flowering Lyricist and would like to hear more!
Shipwrecks, stalkers, spring-cleaning, slogans on camper vans, healthy eating dilemmas, the perils of punting, and the problems of an elderly person whose relatives have decided he's become a nuisance.........
ONE GUN; TWO DEAD - THE HASTINGS MURDER OF 1911
On 13th September 1911, Joseph James, a 56-year-old chemist, walked into the office of Frederick Womersley, manager of the Hastings and East Sussex Building Society, and shot him dead. Edward Chantler, the police officer in charge of the investigation, later used the same revolver to commit suicide.
Joseph was my great-grandfather, and in this talk I tell his bizarre story, and what it’s like to discover you have a murderer in the family.
This musical talk is illustrated by a slideshow, for which I will need a screen or suitable blank wall.
CENSORED! THE INTRIGUING TALE OF NORAH C JAMES
Norah James was my grandfather’s first cousin. She was a prolific and successful author of romantic fiction from the 1930s through to the 1970s, but her first novel, Sleeveless Errand, was banned under the Obscene Publications Act.
I tell the story of how she went from being a well-brought-up young lady from a respectable family, to making headline news in an obscenity trial, and how ideas of what is and is not acceptable have changed over the years.
This musical talk is illustrated by a slideshow, for which I will need a screen or suitable blank wall.
I DIDN'T SEE YOU SAY GOODBYE
My great-uncle, Reginald Alfred Hobbs of the Royal Flying Corps, was killed on 29th August 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He had celebrated his 16th birthday just three months previously.
Reggie was my grandmother's younger brother, and one of her greatest regrets was that she never had the chance to say goodbye to him before he was sent to the front.
This talk tells his story, from his schooldays in north-east London, to the battlefields of northern France. The information was gathered from family photos, letters, and diaries, and offers a fascinating glimpse of day-to-day life in the early years of the 20th century.
The talk is illustrated by a slideshow, which will require a screen or suitable blank wall.
A SPEAKER FOR YOUR MEETING!
Entertaining
Original
Inspirational
A light-hearted mix of words and music.
I am on the Speakers Lists for both the Dorset and Wiltshire Federations of Women's Institutes. Perfect for social clubs, U3A, Probus, etc.
This is a recording I made for the WI Summertime tWIst festival in June 2020:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m8mq6zN4wQ
Obviously all my dates for the next few months have been cancelled, but I'm looking forward to picking up the pieces and seeing you all again in due course.
Five talks to choose from:
LATE-FLOWERING LYRICIST
How I overcame a life-threatening illness to reinvent myself as a singer/songwriter.
In the summer of 2008, I was quite an ordinary woman in my fifties. I enjoyed listening to music, but it never occurred to me that I might be able to sing, and I certainly didn’t envisage myself performing solo with a guitar, and playing songs that I’d written! Not only that, but that I’d go on to record my own albums, the first one of which was produced by my teenage hero, the musician and entertainer Richard Digance, who became my mentor.
Raunchy, romantic, heartbreaking, humorous, my subjects range from pretentious garden designers to a 16-year-old boy killed at the Battle of the Somme; from the hero on a cereal packet to that awkward situation where you discover your lover's name sewn into the back of his underpants.....
This is a story of how it may never be too late to change direction in life; how I learned the importance of ‘seizing the moment’; and how, with a bit of determination, you might be able to achieve things you never dreamed of!
MUSICAL MUSINGS
If you have enjoyed Late-Flowering Lyricist and would like to hear more!
Shipwrecks, stalkers, spring-cleaning, slogans on camper vans, healthy eating dilemmas, the perils of punting, and the problems of an elderly person whose relatives have decided he's become a nuisance.........
ONE GUN; TWO DEAD - THE HASTINGS MURDER OF 1911
On 13th September 1911, Joseph James, a 56-year-old chemist, walked into the office of Frederick Womersley, manager of the Hastings and East Sussex Building Society, and shot him dead. Edward Chantler, the police officer in charge of the investigation, later used the same revolver to commit suicide.
Joseph was my great-grandfather, and in this talk I tell his bizarre story, and what it’s like to discover you have a murderer in the family.
This musical talk is illustrated by a slideshow, for which I will need a screen or suitable blank wall.
CENSORED! THE INTRIGUING TALE OF NORAH C JAMES
Norah James was my grandfather’s first cousin. She was a prolific and successful author of romantic fiction from the 1930s through to the 1970s, but her first novel, Sleeveless Errand, was banned under the Obscene Publications Act.
I tell the story of how she went from being a well-brought-up young lady from a respectable family, to making headline news in an obscenity trial, and how ideas of what is and is not acceptable have changed over the years.
This musical talk is illustrated by a slideshow, for which I will need a screen or suitable blank wall.
I DIDN'T SEE YOU SAY GOODBYE
My great-uncle, Reginald Alfred Hobbs of the Royal Flying Corps, was killed on 29th August 1916 at the Battle of the Somme. He had celebrated his 16th birthday just three months previously.
Reggie was my grandmother's younger brother, and one of her greatest regrets was that she never had the chance to say goodbye to him before he was sent to the front.
This talk tells his story, from his schooldays in north-east London, to the battlefields of northern France. The information was gathered from family photos, letters, and diaries, and offers a fascinating glimpse of day-to-day life in the early years of the 20th century.
The talk is illustrated by a slideshow, which will require a screen or suitable blank wall.
The standard talks are 45 minutes plus time for questions at the end, but I can make minor adjustments to suit your requirements.
Typical comments include: “It was so nice to be able to hear all the words you were singing”, and “We really enjoyed something that was a little bit different”.
Typical comments include: “It was so nice to be able to hear all the words you were singing”, and “We really enjoyed something that was a little bit different”.
My fee for community groups of up to about 40 people is £50 + 25p per mile travelling expenses. For larger audiences and commercial organisations, please contact me to discuss.
I live in Sherborne, Dorset, and am normally prepared to travel throughout Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. Please contact me to discuss the options for bookings further afield.
From March to October I am available mornings, afternoons and evenings; November to February, daytime only. I will always consider a short-notice booking to cover a cancellation.
I play an acoustic guitar, unplugged in small venues, or through an amplifier and with a microphone for larger ones. I can supply all the equipment, which is PAT tested, and I hold Public Liability Insurance.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss any of the above, on 07896 354616, 01935 815497, or email info@mirandapender.com
I live in Sherborne, Dorset, and am normally prepared to travel throughout Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire. Please contact me to discuss the options for bookings further afield.
From March to October I am available mornings, afternoons and evenings; November to February, daytime only. I will always consider a short-notice booking to cover a cancellation.
I play an acoustic guitar, unplugged in small venues, or through an amplifier and with a microphone for larger ones. I can supply all the equipment, which is PAT tested, and I hold Public Liability Insurance.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss any of the above, on 07896 354616, 01935 815497, or email info@mirandapender.com
"Everyone enjoyed it so much because it was very different from our usual talks" |
"Wow did my ladies enjoy your performance today, you were absolutely great. If only all my speakers could be half as good!" |