Arrangements for the funeral of Nicola Taylor
Friday 10th June 2022 11am
Westall Park Natural Burial Ground, Holberrow Green, Nr Redditch
Worcestershire, B96 6JY
You are invited to attend a ceremony for Nicola Taylor at Westall Park Natural Burial Ground to celebrate her life and to say goodbye to her.
Dress Code
Informal, and please dress for the weather! Westall Park is essentially a field, so sturdy footwear is also a good idea.
RSVP
In order to help plan for catering, please confirm your attendance using the form below.
Memories
Please feel welcome to leave stories and messages in the comments section below.
You will also find directions for the funeral venues in the sections below.
Westall Park Natural Burial Ground
Address:
Westall Park Natural Burial Ground, Holberrow Green
Nr Redditch
Worcestershire
B96 6JY
There is a map here
Their website is https://www.natural-burials.co.uk
The Old Bull
Address:
The Old Bull, Village Green, Inkberrow, Worcs, WR7 4DZ
Messages / Comments
Nicola’s family welcome any tributes, words of remembrance and stories about her so do feel free to leave any messages at the bottom of this webpage. (Please note comments are moderated so do not go live immediately)
23 Comments
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Nicola was such a fun and wonderful person. I will really miss her! She was amazing and I feel very lucky to have known her. Keep up the dancing Nicola!
Nicola – you are a bright shining star with all your kindness and fun-loving nature.
You will always be a fond memory in my heart.
x
I wish cherish my memories of Nicola always. She was such a bright, kind, graceful presence, and she did so much for so many students at UoB, including our postgrads at the Shakespeare Institute. I will dearly miss seeing her on campus and in the theatre in Stratford, and my heart goes out to Paul and all her loved ones. Thank you Nicola for all you did for us.
I first met Nicola in 1982 in Mexico City, where we were both teachers at Greengates School. As a foursome with our respective partners we had some great adventures in Mexico, travelling in our Volkswagen Beetles along many a potholed road towards speculative destinations. I think the last time I saw her was in 2017 in Alvechurch, with Paul. She was a great friend, always smiling, always ready to laugh and joke and have fun. She had the gift of making you feel special every time you saw her. She will be greatly missed by me and everyone who knew her well.
How privileged we are to have known Nicola. She was wonderful friend – a truly unique and beautiful person both inside and out. She will be missed by so many. Our thoughts and love are with her family at this incredibly sad time. We will be honoured to join you on the 10th June to celebrate her wit and sparkle with you 💖 Annette and Paul xx
Such a gentle, sensitive and kind soul Nicola. I know you will create as much fun, love & joy in your new destination but until I see you there I will miss you terribly! See you at The Real Ale Bar in the Sky one day xxx
Such shocking news. It was a privilege and a pleasure to work with Nicola over many years, because it was always both a stimulating, thoroughly enjoyable experience. I can’t believe she is gone and I am talking and writing about her in the past tense. She lived life to the full and embraced it wholeheartedly. Celebrate her life. I am sorry I am unable to join you.
Nicola’s work with DTA over the years was appreciated very much by staff and students. I always enjoyed meeting and working with her and found her inspirational in her tutoring work and a lovely colleague. I will miss her bright presence.
Nicola was a lovely person in every way. She was everything one could wish for in a colleague and in a teacher: warm, kind, calm but also lively, perceptive and full of common-sense. I unfailingly valued her judgement on her teaching and on her students. She will be mourned by all who knew her and whose lives she enriched, and Paul has our deepest sympathy in his shocking loss.
Nicola was such a lively and kind member of our local real ale group, full of joy of life and care for people. I can hardly believe she is no longer with us, but have happy memories of company, friendship and fun.
I have really fond memories of our gatherings at the pub on campus after our ELR seminars, where I remember having fun and interesting conversations with Nicola. I’ve lost count of the times I referred our students to her invaluable academic writing support service. Her passing has been a huge shock to all of us in the Department. You will be dearly missed, Nicola, by all of us, staff and students alike.
I wished I had known her better but I will always miss her warmth, open-armed helpfulness and embracing laughter.
Nicola, you always made me feel special from the first day I met you as an academic mentor. I always felt comfortable speaking to you, especially when I doubted myself. Your ready smile and words of encouragement made me forge ahead. I will forever remember you.
Such shocking news. I first met Nicola when I was trying to enter the EFL profession. She instantly took me under her wing and helped and guided me. I will never forget her kindness during those days. I will also never forget the fabulous belly dancing classes she put on at Reading University and also her sensual representation of the Bee Dance at the theatre. A True Creative. She wasn’t scared to rise to the challenge. Kind, calm, gentle, and wise. The world needs more Nicolas. My heart goes out to Paul and Nicola’s family.
I first met Nicola when we worked together at Uni of Reading and Nicola brought such fun and colour to all our work – she had such vitality and was so passionate about all that she did. She was a joy to be around. Her loss has come as such a shock – and all our deepest sympathy and love goes to Paul
Nicola was one of the first people on the distance learning MA English Language Teaching at Reading Uni , so I first got to know her as a thoughtful, questioning student. She then became a respected colleague and much-loved friend. At one point she was my teacher too – we had wonderful Raqs Sharqi classes in a Uni classroom; I was useless but Nicola never gave up and always delighted in any small improvement. That warmth and encouragement were some of her gifts to all her students – I know how much they adored her. Nicola’s passion for all things creative and her desire to share that joy with everyone meant she contributed beauty and grace to many lives. Her loss is such a shock to us all. The world feels a greyer place without her. My thoughts are with Paul and everyone who loved Nicola at this sad, sad time.
I remember staying with Nicola in Barcelona and an amazing trip with her to Montserrat. She was a very special person and a wonderful cousin, and we will miss her hugely Xxx
Nicola was a great walking companion. Together with Paul and others, we walked the Kennet and Avon Canal and parts of the Oxford Canal, Nicola often drawing attention to some of the flora and fauna along the way. She was also a great caterer: I’ll never forget her fabulous potato salad and open sandwiches.
Nicola and Paul have always been the best neighbours one could hope for. Nicola’s joyous nature will always be remembered.
So sad and shocked to hear of Nicola’s passing. I had the privilege to meet her once when Paul brought her to my sister Tilly’s 50th birthday party in Harborough Magna, not long after they got together. You don’t forget someone like Nicola! Apart from being radiant and beautiful, she was so warm and friendly to everyone at that party. She had a kind of magnetic aura.. she shone! Feel sad I didn’t have a chance to see her again, and heart broken to hear the news, snatched from life far too soon. All my love to Paul and the family; will be thinking of you on Friday and thinking of her..
Nicola and I formed our Raqs Sharqi dance partnership in the late nineties. Over more than a decade we choreographed pieces and performed first in other peoples’ shows and then in our own productions. We met every Friday afternoon and danced – to rehearse but also challenging ourselves as dancers and friends. We laughed and talked and danced. We went on dance weekends together and stayed in pubs and static caravans. We went to Morocco together twice and whatever we were doing we laughed and talked and danced. I lost my dance partner when she moved to Alvechurch to be with Paul but now I have lost my dear friend. It is such an unbelievable shock. We last talked on the Friday before she went into hospital and my only comfort is to know that the last words I said to her were “lots of love”. I miss her and send all my thoughts to Paul for whom her loss must be unbearable.
Nicola, thanks for some lovely times on campus and in Alvechurch. Thanks so much to you and Paul for showing us around the village when we were thinking of moving there, and visiting us when we moved to Finstall instead. It was always wonderful to spend time with you – you had a way of making people talk, because you asked questions and were genuinely interested and made everyone want to talk to you. I’ll never forget the time you spent chatting to my 9-year-old niece about the trials and tribulations of her life when you visited us on our narrowboat – just one small example but it stuck with me! It was a privilege to know you and I will always remember you.
I only met Nicola a few times in the context of visiting Paul whom I’ve known for a long time, but it was clear they were made for each other and I remember well her hospitality and kindness. I feel I am getting to know her more now from all the warm tributes that people who knew her better have given. She has left a lasting legacy of love, encouragement, support and respect. Paul’s loss is devastating as this came without warning and we hold him and all the wider family in our thoughts and prayers.