Mature Women Boudoir -Peta

Introducing one of our lovely ladies from the  40 over 40 project!

 WHAT IS YOUR OCCUPATION? I’m a project manager for a district council. I work part-time

HOW OLD ARE YOU – AND WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING YOUR AGE? I’m 68. And the best thing is having enough money to only work part-time and enjoy a four day weekend every week!

WHAT HARDSHIPS HAVE YOU ENDURED THAT YOU FEEL HAVE MADE YOU FEEL STRONGER? Being faced with divorce and being made redundant in the same week in my early 50s. However, it enabled me to go to Kenya for six weeks to support a school for street children in Naivasha and then go on safari.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT? Not sure of this one. Probably going to Kenya on my own. That was really scary!! Bringing up two children when I sometimes didn’t know how I was going to feed us all and pay bills

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS? A glass of red wine and a good book

WHAT DO YOU TREASURE MOST? Time with my friends. I am incredibly lucky in that I have made a few really good friends since moving to Newark a couple of years ago and still have friends that I went to school with

WHAT’S LEFT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST? Travel, travel, travel. I’m off to China in 2026. This year I have two holidays booked for Europe. I would also like to go to Cambodia and/or Vietnam – fabric hunting and watching/participating in workshops. I dressmake and knit and have done since I was a child.

WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE? Collecting art by living artists- I have work by Christian Hook (a previous portrait artist of the year) and by Simon Bull to name but two. I also have pieces created by by ceramicists and an artist that works with recycled metals

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WOULD CHANGE ABOUT YOURSELF? To be more tolerant of other people’s idiosyncrasies. I have very little patience nowadays!

WHAT IS A TRAIT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF? I don’t give up. If I want something I go for it. If I need to do something I do it. I

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST FEAR? Being poor. Been there. Don’t want to go through it again.

WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS? Loyalty and compassion. They are very tolerant and me and my foibles

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF? Stay in the present more. I must have missed a lot when worrying about the future.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR FAVOURITE QUOTE? There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in. (Leonard Cohen) with the Japanese craft of kintsugi – repairing with gold

AND FINALLY…..HOW DID YOU FEEL AFTER YOUR 40 OVER 40 BOUDOIR SHOOT? Energised. I had a fun day. I was frankly amazed by how good you made me look!