Month: April 2018

Cutting down illicit entry after hours!

 

Interesting to learn from local people that this grit bin was being used as an after hours form of entry to the cemetery ! It has now been moved!! One step….two step…and over! We also understand that the dark area adjacent to the gates is playing host to a collection of undesirables after hours so we have asked for the light nearby be repaired and operational. Fingers crossed. Our thanks to our neighbouring site, Woodthorpe Allotments, for pointing this out!

     

Annual BOSF(Birmingham Open Spaces ) Conference

This years BOSF Conference took on a different look as the two afternoon sessions meant that members had the chance to learn more about, and take part in, different activities carried out in Parks. The morning session involved speakers from several organisations  and also gave delegates the chance of having ‘just a minute’ to champion their own group. The venue this year was also a change from the norm and being held at The Mac in Cannon Hill made it easy for our Chairman and Secretary to attend!

                                  

Afternoon practical sessions varied from learning about the technical equipment that the Tree Officers use to determine the health/stability of a tree to learning about green wood working. Also available were workshops to help with event organisation and health and safety assessment.

BOSF Conferences offer individual Friends groups the chance to get together and network…..as well as offering a hearty lunch and cake !!

Barrie Simpson

At the AGM today we were able to remind ourselves of the time we had all spent with the late Barrie Simpson.

Barrie was a larger than life character and had such a profound effect on Brandwood End Cemetery and every member of our committee. He will be missed by many and we are all so proud to have worked alongside him.  We do have some information concerning funeral arrangements:-

Wednesday 2nd May.    12.15pm Service at All Saints Church, Vicarage Rd, Kings Heath

2.00pm- Redditch Crematorium, Bordesley Lane B97 6RR

 

Successful AGM and election of a new Chairman.

Our thanks to those members who came to our AGM today as the weather was really miserable!  As well as giving us the opportunity to bring members up to date with finances and events it also gave us the chance  to give some thought to the time we had all spent with the late Barrie Simpson.

At today’s AGM we were able to ask members to vote in Officers and a Committee to serve till next year. Our existing Chairman, who had also retained her role as Secretary, was able to pass control to a new Chairman and go back to concentrating on just one job as Secretary!!(Welcome Julia!) Here are the details of the next years Officers and Committee.

Chairman– Julia Griffin      Vice Chairman- Coral Howard   Secretary- Jane Edwards Treasurer and Membership Secretary- Julian Pritchard.

Committee members- Carola Klein, Philip Brown, Brian Rai, Adrian Harris, Sarah Courbet, Nicola Clarke (Idverde)

 

 

 

Annual AGM.

Annual AGM

Those with an interest in Brandwood End Cemetery are cordially invited to a ‘Coffee and Cake’ morning to be held in the conference room of St Dunstan’s Church, Kingsfield Rd, Kings Heath. (Opposite All Saints Village Square) on the morning of Thursday 12th April at 10.30.

We will be holding a short AGM at the start of this meeting when we will present our annual accounts and report on our work in Brandwood End Cemetery.

R I P Barrie Simpson.

It is with regret that we have to announce the sudden passing of our deeply respected long term friend and colleague, Barrie Simpson, whom we all held in great regard.  

He was such an integral member of FBEC that his loss will be very keenly felt, but he will continue to live on in our thoughts especially when working in the cemetery.

Of late we have observed Barrie’s decline, but his ability to find ways of communicating at committee meetings revealed his continuing perseverance and determination to be engaged in what he held dear. The photograph above is how we will all remember Barrie !

As this wonderful man passes from our lives to being indelibly marked on our minds and in our hearts, we are all reminded of the massive hole he leaves in FBEC.