Pauline Marion Williamson Death

A popular nature lover who inspired droves of children and adults to enjoy the great outdoors has died.

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Known as the 'honorable tree warden of Costessey', Pauline Williamson, 72, was involved in a huge number of projects across the city.

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This included creating a nature spot at the former Costessey High School to help struggling students, reviving bluebell glades in woods off Longwater Lane, planting 1,000 new trees in the suburb and setting up a gardening club.

 

Her son, Wing Commander Martin Williamson, 40, who is stationed at RAF Marham, said: "Her legacy will be continued through nature and the groups she created.

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"She loved Costessey and was well-known by a lot of people. Her garden was beautiful and became a nursery for all her projects."

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She died at home in Longwater Lane on August 3 overlooking her garden after being diagnosed with cancer in June this year.

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Mrs Williamson, nee Hatcher, grew up in Epsom where she developed a fascination with botany and zoology, as well as a love of horse riding and the great outdoors.

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After completing three science A-levels she worked as a lab technician for a pharmaceutical firm before getting married in 1978 to her late husband, Peter Williamson, who was in the RAF and died in 2018.

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The couple had two children and moved to Norfolk in 1983 to run Felthorpe Post Office where "they put in a lot of hard graft".

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They moved to Costessey 36 years ago and for the first 10 years the couple ran a successful horticultural business.

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Mrs Williamson designed "incredible gardens", her son said.

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The grandmother then became a lab technician at Costessey High and developed the nature area with a pond dipping platform and bird hide.

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She then became a Forest School teacher and transformed Greenhills Woods in Townhouse Road where she planted 1,000 trees and started the Costessey Community Gardening Club.

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Her son added: "She was passionate children did not watch television all day but went outside and got their hands dirty.

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"When she got the bit between her teeth she was focussed to deliver it. She n

ever stopped working."

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Her funeral is on August 31 at Colney Wood at 3PM

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