Blog

Vermeer – one of my favourite things.

Somebody suggested I blog about my favourite things.  The trouble is I have so many things I really REALLY like, and even more that I really REALLY love,  it is difficult to choose!  So I thought I’d mention Vermeer, one of my favourite artists. A lot of people don’t realize that he was not well-known […]

Posted 12 years ago

A Tall Boy in Australia, extract from a book.

Many years ago, in the days of yore, my husband, Bruce, was a young man Doing His Thing in Australia.  He travelled out there supposedly to emigrate, as was the way in the 1960s.  Because he was under 19 the passage was free, and because he was over 18 he could go by himself.   […]

Posted 12 years ago

Trip reports, holiday reviews, being responsible.

Boy oh boy, I am getting such a big response to my tweets about holiday reviews and trip reports!! The responses have come from two sides: – the people who write reviews (and they are usually also the ones who read them) – owners of properties, ie people who have been victims of a nasty […]

Posted 12 years ago

Litter-bugs are a big problem.

Once upon a time I was a teacher.  I taught in several schools, and one was a dreadful place in Erith – I suppose it was called Erith Comprehensive.  Funny to think that some of the staff are probably still there.  The staff used to take it in turns (those that were able to, for […]

Posted 12 years ago

You are beautiful even when getting old.

You are beautiful and you can prove it. OK, I do formally acknowledge that I am never going to lose weight, I just can’t be bothered.  As all us middle-aged girls know, you go to a heck of a lot of effort to lose weight, it is very difficult, you are delighted when it falls […]

Posted 12 years ago

Positive people never see themselves as victims.

–      Positive people know that there is a difference between being positive and being happy.  The one tends to trigger the other, but there is a difference. –      Positive people know that there is a difference between giving up and letting go. Sometimes we need to just abandon something. Somebody contacted me fairly recently about […]

Posted 12 years ago

Child with a deformed foot in Central America

“Travels with a Biro” Emmanuel lives in Belize, not far from the little town of Hattieville. He is four years old and he has a deformed foot. The rest of him is perfect. Well, all of him is perfect, even his deformed foot. He is a dear little chap, good looking the way kiddies are, […]

Posted 12 years ago

Child – a sweet little poem. Anonymous.

It’s good to be running free It’s good to be running wild, It’s good to be by yourself, alone, Or with another child. And whether that child’s grown up, Or whether that child is small, As long as it really is a child It doesn’t matter at all. Catherine Broughton is a novelist, a poet […]

Posted 12 years ago

How well do you speak French ? How fluent are you really ?

How good is your French ? From Catherine Broughton, author living in France Le French call them “les faux amis”. We just call them misunderstandings! Here are a few off the top of my head:- The English word ABUSIVE, in French would be INJURIEUX. The French word ABUSIF means excessive or improper The English word […]

Posted 12 years ago

Difficult discussions, talking to staff, handling the problem

Difficult discussions, talking to staff, handling the problem. There was an item on Life Hack recently about how to approach a difficult talk you need to give somebody who works for or under you. I read it with interest and thought how touchy it can indeed be when you need to “tick off” somebody, yet […]

Posted 12 years ago

Books now available on Amazon:

A Call From France
French Sand
Kefani: An African Childhood
The Man With Green Fingers
Saying Nothing