The Ient Family: Family History

Philip (Chick) Henderson Tells His Story

Transcript of a talk by Philip Filou Henderson, better known to his RAF colleagues as ‘Chick’ Henderson, given to South Shields Probus Club.

There is a welcome applause as he rises to speak and smiles:

Thank you Mr. Chairman, nice warm welcome, very appreciative. I’m a member of North Shields Probus Club, and they send kind regards to you all. I was Founder Chairman over there about twenty years ago. They’re still going strong. We have about 46 or 47 members but they are better looking over there than what they are over here!

The audience laugh and some jokingly say get him off!

Chick moves on: Anyway ... I was talking to a friend of mine, because I’m not very good at this public speaking bit, and I said, can you give me some advice, I says, on how to approach a talk of this nature? He said, 'Well it’s perfectly simple, all you have to do is remember the alphabet.' Well, I can manage that, I thought. He says, 'It’s A, B, C, can you remember that?' Oh yes, I say. He says, 'A, B, C, which stands for "Always Be Cheerful”'.  I said; I can manage that. He says, 'Or, Always Be Concise.' Thanks, I said, anything else? He says, 'Yes, X, Y, Z, most important, X, Y, Z, particularly if you’re addressing a ladies meeting.' I said, what’s so special about X, Y, Z? He said, 'Remember X, Y, Z, before you start, it means, - Examine Your Zip!'

Again laughter!

Now that’s the only time you’re going to laugh this morning, so put your miserable faces on, because that’s the only time you are going to laugh today.


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