Marlene’s Meadow

Marlene Cassidy of West Bridgford in Nottingham passed away on the 27th April 2021. Marlene was first diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2005, this metastasised into bone cancer in 2011 and brain cancer in 2016. Marlene received wonderful treatment from the City Hospitals throughout the disease progression. Marlene’s courage and fortitude were evident throughout her life. Her selflessness was evident in the many women she supported with breast cancer and other issues despite her own ill health, giving them both hope and guidance. She volunteered on a patient advisory group run by the Nottingham hospitals - she was always so keen to make sure that other women had an even better experience than she did.

Marlene was kind and true, honest and loyal, funny and intelligent a friend to many, making lifelong friends wherever she went: from her secondary school in Todmorden, her University in Manchester where she studied Geography, her PGCE course in Leeds and from her work in education and in the local community.

She was a diligent and hardworking teacher doing a job which she loved. She was passionate about supporting the girls she taught to take advantage of the opportunities they had and, as Head of Sixth Form, took great pride in helping students to take the next steps that were right for them. Those who knew Marlene and were taught and guided by her are full of praise for her knowledge, sense of fun, warmth, common sense and wisdom.

Even when Marlene was ill, she was always so positive and pragmatic about her treatments and so grateful for the support she received from everyone. She was very determined, so much so that when she broke her hip while planting yellow rattle on the Hook Local Nature Reserve near where she lived, she carried on despite the pain (this was how Marlene’s bone cancer was discovered}.

When Marlene retired in 2011 because of her ill health she was keen to keep busy and so Dusty the dog joined the family. Her twice daily dog walks around the Hook were a source of such joy for them both - seeing the changes of the seasons and taking the time to appreciate being outside whatever the weather. The natural environment was a source of huge pleasure for Marlene which fed into her instinctive need to protect it. Her environmentalist values were reflected in everything she did. To this end, the friends and family of Marlene hope to establish a meadow in her beloved Hook in her memory.

The Hook Local Nature Reserve is located off Holme Road in Lady Bay, West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire. It consists of a mix of habitats including river and embankment, mature hedgerow,grassland, ditches and scrub. It lies alongside the River Trent, providing an extension to what is already a significant ecological resource and wildlife corridor. A copy of the management plan can be found here (https://www.friendsofthehook.org.uk/plan/). The management of the Reserve has meant that there has been a huge increase in biodiversity with some rare bird observations.

There is also a strong Friends group (https://www.friendsofthehook.org.uk/) who have produced a management plan and Marlene was a founder/member of the Friends group. The meadow area we hope to enhance in memory of Marlene is at the centre of the reserve. Work here will include the preparation of the soil for a native wildflower mix and the planting of plug plants. We would also like to erect an interpretation board which will inform visitors of the value of such schemes by describing some of the flora and fauna present and how these change with the seasons. We know that Marlene would have approved. Please give as little or as much as you feel able. There will be days when Marlene’s friends and family will be carrying out the work to which all will be invited and in due course there will be a celebration of her life and work at the Hook.