Speaking engagement

Talk for an hour they said, have a cup of tea then be prepared to answer questions.
So I did, and I was. The audience of retired knowledge-seekers, U3A- University of the 3rd Age (3rd Age being 'retirement' I'm assuming), absorbed any provocations stoically, even when I told them I was wearing the same tie that Hone wore in the House yesterday (it was!) and when I colourfully criticised the Viewing Platform at Riverton, the bureaucrats who are pestering our driftwood artist Mr Of-the-Hill, and the bullish behaviour of ex-chairman Collie, in fact, they seemed to enjoy my revelations. I talked council-wrangling, Rod Donald, heritage apples, white-elephant hunting and silver-winged terns til cup o' tea time. Afterwards the questions revolved mainly around gardening, orcharding and how I developed my environmental awareness. I very much enjoyed the morning.
My afternoon was spent at Environment Southland HQ (I call it The Crouching Squirrel for reasons only someone looking askance at the logo can understand) embroiled in a farm dairy effluent hearing that had our brows knitted and occasionally, knuckles whitened. A request that I be excluded from the deliberations and voting, by the chair and deputy chair, because I 'hadn't been present for the morning' was ruled 'out of order' by the lawyer present and I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon and contributed all I could to the final shape of the plan.
A most rewarding day all round :-)