If like many people you’d prefer a lengthy root canal sans anaesthesia to the prospect of giving a speech in front of a room full of people there’s a way to learn this incredibly useful skill without humiliating yourself. Toastmasters International has been helping people gain confidence in public speaking since 1924 and as of 2012 a Riga club has also taken on the challenge in the Latvian capital. The club meets at 18:30 every first, third and fifth Wednesday of the month and anyone can join a meeting to see if the Toastmasters can help them evolve from a stuttering fool into a silver-tongued pro. Attendees often include local Riga members, expats and visiting business people.