Chairman’s blog Thursday 8th May 2025

VE Day 80 years on brought a response from all of our members. At Scott Griffiths urgings we themed our 60 second presentations to red white and blue outfits with linked subject matter. Scott managed his Union Jack jacket but the trousers had not survived the test of time. Jane Malyon could have been in a WAAF uniform and Blake Hammond had gone to the trouble of a VE Day celebratory banner. The turnout was not only colourful but numerous. We mustered 26 in all. No wonder the sun also shone on us from the outset.

The Performance League

One week in and Paul Corrigan was out front with 105 points with Paul Dulieu and Leann Reason joint second

Education Presentation

Are you a good referral? Ben Golding posed the question and emphasised the importance of building the trust and confidence necessary to encourage other members to refer you. Turning up at meetings….. And on time is crucial. Make your presentations and pitches for business coherent and generally make yourself as ‘visible’ as possible. Trust and confidence is hard won and easily lost!

The 60 Second Round

Joshua Ayettey was standing in for James Humphreys in awarding the Oscar that James had won the previous week. He started off with the theme of victory that was so present in many of the presentations that followed. Victory with him it is getting your house into good shape. He did make reference to the trenches as did one or two others although his youth perhaps betrayed the awareness of the extent of trench warfare in the Second World War. The reference to trenches was used by Tina to emphasise how she could get you out of them if you needed administrative help.

Toby Acton wore a fetching waistcoat that celebrated the Union Jack.

Paul Corrigan linked VE with VAT exemption which he is offering to cover during the month of May. Other victories were claimed by Ben Golding if you join Utility Warehouse and take advantage of their fantastic offers; Melissa Jackson where the victory can often be a company arising, phoenix like, out of the ashes of Insolvency; Stuart Smallcombe that you engage him and obtain the necessary communication security that we all need.

Matt Berry had a grandparent who was a war hero and the pioneer of graphic design who had been an inspiration for him. Jon Foster told of the heroism of the locksmith of Colditz.

Terry Maylin likened the sense of justice that is in the system that he is seeking to uphold and which was of course what everyone was fighting for back in the day.

It wouldn’t have been a meeting about VE Day if someone had not attempted Winston Churchill like imitation. Up to the plate stepped Vincent Goode. His was a very creditable attempt used in seeking to sell the business card as your Silent Sales Partner.

The Oscar was won by Catherine Foley in describing the victories she had in making her private students work with and hopefully appreciate literature in both dramatic and poetic form.

10-minute presentation by Jane Malyon

A sumptuous presentation by very own scone gnome. She was, as referred to earlier. in full uniform equipped with lots of blown up photographs to help illustrate her life. Her presentations are always exceedingly well delivered. She took us through her early life, jumping between the UK and Canada…. And back again, right up to present. We learned how both to eat and pronounce ‘scone’; how to judge a ‘good looking baby’ and how she would like it to be Christmas all the year round; a particularly striking photograph was of an  uncle astride a horse in full rodeo kit looking like an advert for Marlboro cigarettes.

More importantly she was able to give us an insight into the food that she can produce for weddings and funerals. She presents the food for you at your chosen venue and when it is all over she takes it away. This on top of cream teas is a business model made in heaven….. Uplifting!