About fortewinks
A secretary at 19 and self employed at 26, Giovanna has become a British healthcare entrepreneur. She is also a bon vivant and mother of two clever and accomplished daughters. Youngest-of-All is a talented Patisserie Chef living and working in Melbourne Australia (if you are there, visit All Are Welcome in Northcote). FirstBorn is an Aromatherapy Practitioner (with distinction), a published author and documentary journalist who lives wherever her mood or investigations require. Happily she is currently in the UK.
This gallery contains 1 photo.
We’ll be near Soho said a business colleague. Where can we meet for coffee? Reader, there is only one place for coffee in the streets of Soho: Bar Bruno. Meeting over, I wandered my former stamping ground and behind the … Continue reading →
The last 12 months have been melancholy with the loss of a dear friend, one whom I celebrate here. In so doing, it is timely to remember others who passed away in years gone by, but of whom I have … Continue reading →
“Over the past year, NHS staff have worked tirelessly to cope with the challenge of the Covid19 global pandemic,” says artist C.A Halpin. “We the public have marched, we have clapped, we’ve cried, we’ve mourned, we have all been humbled by the … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged acute, cleaner, Cook, gp, hospital, mortician, NHS, nurse, pay risr, physiotherapist, porters, primary care, public health, receptionist, workers
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I publish this blog on the day I am due to speak with Sistr, The Professional Woman’s Network about my career trajectory; I woke up thinking about the day that FirstBorn and I reminisced about her childhood and my role … Continue reading →
A hen party nailed it. Enforced listening to fifteen twenty-something women singing Bohemian Rhapsody at un-rhapsodic volume just fifty yards from our bedroom was not making us happy; the fifth rendition at 5am broke our will to live … there. … Continue reading →
Posted in AirB&B, architecture, Buildings, Design and architecture, Health, holiday, Home, Life and romance, London, property, Travel, Uncategorized
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Tagged Bicycle, birds, bridges, bushes, canals, countryside, East London, fish, grass, greenery, Hackney, Hackney wick, heron, holiday, lockdown, magpie, parkland, riding, skies, wetland
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“Not too bad for an Old Bird?” my question to BB was rhetorical: I felt fabulous. Older, better? Not quite better, but different – fabulous is allowed. The necessary mindshift for women of a certain age has to be in … Continue reading →
Posted in Family, Feminism, Friends, Health, Life and romance, Uncategorized
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Tagged 50, aging, beauty, Body, face, Feminism, Fun, happy, humour, life, middle age, midlife, mrs robinson, Women
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Writing about business on Fortewinks is unusual … but SMEs are the lifeblood of British economy and COVID is not their friend. Many of mine run their own businesses and this is important right now. As Forte Medical approaches reopening … Continue reading →
Posted in Business, design, Economy, Health, Uncategorized
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Tagged Angels, business, enterprise, Entrepreneur, finance, fundraise, investment, sme, VC
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I write from a noisy LA Airport Departures Lounge Bar; the muzak is ok, my Lady Bar Attendants funny, witty, sassy. They seem to like entertaining a female barfly; the flirtations of my lascivious male neighbour elicited polite tolerance and … Continue reading →
Posted in Art, Consumer rights, Entertaining, Export, Family, Feminism, Food and wine, Friends, Life and romance, Uncategorized
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Tagged airport, BA, British Airways, businesswoman, female, Feminism, flying, hotel, LAX, life, middle age, restaurant, solo, travel, VirginAtlantic, work
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I have a window fetish. There, I’ve said it. Mullions or muntins* of different widths make my hair stand on end; they let the building down, its facade a jumble. Simply put, both God and the Devil are in the detail … Continue reading →
Posted in architecture, Buildings, Craft, design, Design and architecture, Life and romance, London, property, Uncategorized
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Tagged architecture, Art, balconies, brick, building design, Buildings, cities, Craft, design, finials, glass, history, life, modernism, sculpture, sculture, steel, streetscape, towns, urban design
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I feel a caption competition coming on. Framed by my open thighs, the two women’s faces looked up and laughed. This check-up Down There was another reminder that internal female furniture requires all manner of routine maintenance to keeps things … Continue reading →
Posted in Family, Feminism, Friends, Health, Hospital, Life and romance, Motherhood, Uncategorized
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Tagged clinic, colo-rectal, female, gynaecologist, Health, health check, menopause, nurse
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