Thank you all. Wayne, if ever I'm near Leeds I'll pop into your club - thank you.

Last night I checked with the man who had been MCing that evening and he said he'd really enjoyed that particular story. It had been a story accompanied by paper tearing and I had made it audience participation - lots of people had had a go. Not a type of story that I do all the time but I think it's good to have a variety of styles.

I DID have quite a bit of criticism when I started as most people had not encountered a storyteller before, but I have gradually won over most of them. Beginner storytellers are not always easy to listen to, any more than beginner singers - beginner storytellers are often a bit slow and halting and not very fluent. However, I am past the beginner stage now. Repertoire is still a bit trial and error - you can't predict accurately what people will enjoy - but gradually you improve.

I don't think this person likes stories. I think that whatever I do he is going to find a fault with it. Even if he doesn't like a particular story there are plenty of positive things that he could approve of - I have excellent diction and tonal quality, for instance. Although I would like every person in an audience to enjoy my performances, I am happpy if the majority do. I don't enjoy all the performers that I hear at clubs, but if they have done their preparation work then I sit back and smile and clap politely. I'll listen to how this person phrases criticism more closely in future. If it is all negative with nothing positive then I will ask him to consider how he gives criticism. If all else fails I will have a quiet word with the club organisers. Unfortunately the club founder is absent at the moment recovering from heart surgery; he is very supportive of me and pleased to have a storyteller at the club.   I will sing at the next singaround probably but am starting to work on my next story.

Thank you all.