Interviews & Introductions

Watching a politician being beseiged by reporters the other day on TV reminded me of Harold MacMillan. He said you arrive at Heathrow after a long flight looking tired, sleeples, jet lagged and exactly like your passport photograph to be met by an army of reporters asking questions and thinking the old man's past it.
I think the usual questions run something like this:
"How did the meeting go, sir?" "Oh I think it went very well." "Did you reach any conclusions?" "Well, not to say conclusions exactly." "Why did the meeting break down?" "Well, I wouldn't say it broke down exactly, it broke up." "What was the result?" "Well, I would say lessons have been learned." So we are not much the wiser. At least the reporters probably knew who he was.
On the Today programme on Radio 4 they often get the name or job description wrong which can be embarrassing. I,myself, have been variously in troduced as Gerry Bowles, Elsie Bowley and when I was named Thirkettle that led to endless mispronunciations. So rule number one -- get the name right.
Rule numbertwo make sure you know your speaker's subject. No good saying "cooking a gooseberry tart" when the speaker has prepared a talk about her trip to Outer Mongolia.
Rule number three Mind how you say thank you. I was at a meeting where a vicar's wife gave a talk on Queen Victoria's underwear and brought samples (not of the Queen's) of the things Victorian ladies wore under their dresses. At the end the Chairman (Ooh, mustn't say that) the Chair said (though I have never hrard a chair speak) Thank you, Mrs. Brown. for telling us about the underwear. Now ladies next month we are going to have a very interesting speaker ------ That is not what you are supposed to say.
Being interviewed can be nerve wracking but if you have a charming, handsome man asking you questions, as I did, it is amazing what you come out with.