Catherine Broughton's creative log - novels, paintings and poems

More words you don’t learn in evening class

As I am pottering about, doing this and that, I often think of words that are unusual or odd in French, or difficult to translate … but, of course, as soon as I sit down to write, they just disappear out of my head ! These are the ones that have, against all odds, stayed […]

Posted 6 days ago

French words I rather like

depayse* – (*acute accent on e) : de-countrified, in other words homesick vachement – cowlike or cowishly … such a funny word ! It means very much so, e.g c’est vachement joli = it is very pretty indeed dans la foulee* – from foule, meaning crowd, in the crowdiness but to mean during the course […]

Posted 1 month ago

The history of slavery in a nutshell

When talking about slavery so many people seem to think of the cross-Atlantic slave trade to the Americas in the 17th and 18h centuries. We think of films like “Twelve Years a Slave” or “Gone with the Wind”. But that is only a tiny fraction of the story. . This is the Code of Hammurabi, […]

Posted 5 years ago

Hawkmead

As it happened, he survived. He didn’t think he would. As the men carried him up the cliff, every iota of his body screaming in pain, he truly thought he was a gonner. He could hear the grunts as the men heaved over the stones, sometimes slipping on loose gravel, and the heavy sound of […]

Posted 5 years ago

The story of Madame Tussaud.

I recently gave a talk about Mme Tussaud to the U3A. Here it is, in a nutshell. . Marie aged 24 Anna Maria Grossholtz, called Marie, was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1761. Her father, Joseph Grossholtz, was killed in the Seven Years’ War just a few months before she was born. While Marie was […]

Posted 5 years ago

Occupying myself during Covid19 lock down ! March 2020

oak tree, Sussex. Lovely, lovely England. abandoned mill, Sussex last of the bluebells Rio – Donya’s horse www.turquoisemoon.co.uk Patchwork cot quilt for baby boy

Posted 5 years ago

The British Empire was a force for good, not evil.

Never was the British Empire evil … Everything I am, everything I have, and everything that my children and grandchildren will ever be is because of Great Britain. I am an American. Great Britain has done more positive good, spread more hope and wealth and prosperity, and been a part of more […]

Posted 5 years ago

Painted furniture and murals by Catherine Broughton

mural in a WC room The charity shop receives a lot of donations that have to be binned because they have limited space and need to be sure any donations will sell. These candle holders were off-white, stained, unattractive and heading for the bin. I painted them red and then put a Christmas design […]

Posted 5 years ago

the Gambia and Senegal

eating something dear little girl. Her brother was in the picture too, aged about three, and he just wouldn’t sit still. So eventually I tore off “his” half of the sketch and gave it to him. He was delighted and ran off, leaving his big sister to sit for me, as good as gold. I gave […]

Posted 6 years ago