I’m available for club lectures, after-dinner speeches, motivational speeches, special events and much more.
After-dinner Speeches
I tailor these to the needs of each situation, lands-folk or sailors, but they are agreed by all to be first-class entertainment with solid material backing up the laughs. I have addressed diverse groups ranging from the august members of The Atheneum to the outstandingly ‘non-PC’ Southwest Shingles Yacht Club.
Generally, I rope together a number of anecdotes from my life at sea, either to follow the theme of the evening, to reinforce some point I’m asked to make, or simply to entertain the diners as they enjoy their port. Send me an enquiry, stating expected audience numbers, to enquire about fees and availability.
Testimonials
Thank you for a tremendous presentation at the Athenaeum. What a tour de force! Witty (verging on the hilarious even), informative and so easily delivered – with no notes. The Athenaeum
A big thank you from all the Mess members for a great night. I have had lots of e-mails to say what a great night it was. You went down a storm. Mess President HMS Victory
A brilliant speech. It was great to see the numbers up again and the crowd avidly listening to your enthralling stories of the Hamble in the 70s. You gave the evening humour, perspective and warmth. Everyone left with a big smile on their faces. Solent Old Gaffers
A fine addition to our evening. Your stories had the desired effect and ended the ‘below decks’ event in style. Sportcell
Everybody really enjoyed the tales of seafaring dare and do. You judged the mood to perfection and we could not have wished for a better finale for our AGM. Westerly Owners Association
A fantastic evening and we really enjoyed your tales of gin bottles and sheds! We have had great feedback which has encouraged club bookings. So a positive sales angle too! The Metropolitan Police Scotland Yard
Just to let you know that folks here are still buzzing about your talk. It almost recalls Henry IV – “And gentlemen in England now abed will think themselves accursed they were not here….” Dublin Bay
Every time you come to Manchester it is better than the last and the feeling is that your visit last week will never be bettered. The temptation is to make it an annual event. Manchester Cruising Association
Thank you for the most memorable of talks. I am sure that you must have picked up the good vibes for the presentation that were in the room by the sailors and non-sailors alike. Torbay and District Medical Society
Just a note to congratulate you on a really funny speech on Saturday. I shall dine out on the ‘shed on your bowsprit’ for years! Royal Lymington Yacht Club
This highly anticipated sold-out event exceeded all expectations. Tom’s after-dinner talk, based around “cock-ups” in his sailing life, was hilarious and for those attending could have gone on for several hours longer. The evening was over in no time and the general buzz in the club afterwards was electric. One of the best-ever evenings at the club. Dell Quay Sailing Club
