Grave Gardeners/Shrubbery clearance events.
Author: Jane Edwards
HERITAGE WEEK BEGINS IN BRANDWOOD END
Take part in some of the Heritage Open events in Brandwood End Cemetery. Add them to your diary now…
- WEDNESDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2024- 2PM Join Ian Binnie as he takes you on a Tour of the memorials to those killed in 1944. (The 80th anniversary of D Day and other crucial battles). Ian will present biographies of several men and women who served and died and are buried in Brandwood End. There is no need to book this event. (THE TOUR WILL LAST APPROX. ONE HOUR. MEET BY THE LODGE, ON THE MAIN DRIVE. )
- THURSDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER AT 7.30PM ‘Over by Christmas 1944’ A ZOOM event. To receive a ZOOM link please e mail Ian Binnie on warwickfus@btinternet.com
- SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 11AM TILL 2 PM Who Lies Beneath? Join the Friends for an open event in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance (in Section 33) to learn more about those bombing victims buried in this communal peaceful space and see our recently installed Memorial stone carrying their names. We will be joined by local WW2 Air Raid and BARRA Historian, Matt Felkin, who will happily share his records and knowledge with visitors.
friendsofbec@gmail.com
Access to graves improved in Section 7
Bereavements and the Friends have received requests from visiting families for low hanging branches to be lifted, in Section 7, as they are making access to graves difficult.
Both Bereavements staff and ourselves had a look and agreed that something needed to be done. The Cemetery Superintendent, knowing we had a Grave Gardeners session, asked if we would be happy to tackle the problem so 4 of our team set to and removed the lower 8 feet of hanging branches. All looking good for now. Maybe further action needed in 2025?
First time for NIQ Volunteers in the cemetery.
Well done to the team from NIQ who made unbelievable inroads into shrubbery that has been obscuring graves for the last 10 to 15 years.
Well done to them all and we hope to welcome them again to assist us in this never ending task.
Damaged Sunflowers.
Spotted today, flowers having their heads removed by a squirrel! BUT either squirrels or Magpies have sunk to an all time low…..
They have ripped a crochet sunflower head off Valerie Smith’s lovely Lodge path screen. As well as the head, a whole Sunflower has been removed. We are pretty sure it’s animal/bird interference but as a result Valerie has removed the whole display. So much time and work goes into these displays and they make visitors smile. Hopefully it hasn’t put Valerie off forever but it must feel ‘personal’ …. even if the villains are not human !
Our Litter Pickers never let us down!
Despite the rain first thing we still had 15 supporters turn up to litter pick. Well done to them. We are afraid lots of the items collected were old artificial flowers- blown about as left unsecured. Lots of smashed glass vases and we have warned that this happens as Magpies, Ravens and Squirrels try and move them. Glass is too sparkly and tempting…….and too fragile.
Who Lies Beneath?
‘WHO LIES BENEATH? If you recognise any of the unusual surnames below then just maybe one of your family relatives was a victim of the bombing in WW2 and buried within our Civilian Garden of Remembrance. Come along to the Garden between 11am and 2pm on Saturday 14th September to find out more.
Battista, Bramham, Courtnell, Everitt, Granner, Hollyoake, Lovedee, Shamsudi and many more. There are over 50 whose names we know but sadly- quite a few we don’t.
If you know you have family buried in this beautiful Civilian Garden we would love to know more about them if you feel you can share.
Lots of events ahead in Brandwood End Cemetery.
UP AND COMING DATES IN THE FBEC DIARY WHERE WE WELCOME YOUR SUPPORT
- SATURDAY 7TH SEPTEMBER. Litter Pick 10am-11.30am Meet opposite the Lodge on the main Drive.
- WEDNESDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER As part of Heritage Open Week, Ian Binnie will lead a free walk around 8 graves of those killed in 1944 and from the Kings Heath area. Meet by the Lodge at 2pm
- SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER ‘Who lies beneath? The Friends Open Day. As part of Heritage Open Week we will be giving visitors an insight into who is buried in the Civilian Garden and how they came to be there. See Notice boards and Social Media.11am-2pm in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance
- SATURDAY 12TH OCTOBER, Grave Gardeners Session 11am-2pm, Meet by the Lodge. It is also the start of the Poppy Placing Project prior to Remembrance. If you want to be involved in the Poppy Placing then please e mail us at friendsofbec@gmail.com
- SATURDAY 9TH NOVEMBER Grave Gardeners Session 11am-2pm meet by the Cross of Sacrifice
- SUNDAY 10TH NOVEMBER 45AM Annual Service of Remembrance at the Cross of Sacrifice.
- SUNDAY 1ST DECEMBER Litter Pick 10am-11.30am meet opposite the Lodge on the main drive.
- SATURDAY 14TH DECEMBER Grave Gardeners Session 11am-2pm Meet by the Lodge
The Friends will have been working in the cemetery for 20 years on the 21stJuly 2025. We will be organising all the above events but also undertaking many other cemetery projects alongside. If you would like to get involved in helping with our research or keeping the cemetery to look cared for then contact us at friendsofbec@gmail.com or come along to one of our sessions.
Heritage Open Week 6-14th September.
The FRIENDS will again be taking part in Heritage Open Week with a couple of events this year.
On Wednesday the 11th September at 2pm, Ian Binnie will be leading a walk around 8 graves of those who died during the conflicts of 1944. Ian has researched these individuals and will give you an insight into what was happening at the time and how these Kings Heath residents played a part. No need to book. This is a free event so just meet Ian at the Lodge on the main drive at 2pm prompt, as he will then move to other areas of this 53 acre site. Ian frequently does walks around Gallipoli Graves so this will be a new experience.
Saturday 14th September 11am till 2pm. Come and meet the Friends in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance to discover ‘Who lies beneath’. There are over 60 civilian bomb victims buried in the Civilian Garden area. Most people have no idea that is the case so the Friends will be able to tell you more about some of them and how they came to be buried in Brandwood End.
Volunteers support gardening project.
Eleven volunteers turned out on August 10th to help FBEC committee members continue their Grave Gardeners project. Lots done again but always plenty to do. Several graves can now be seen where previously all you could see was shrubbery. The pile to the left was removed to uncover these graves. You can see that there are more to reveal further along.
Our thanks again to Ray and Sue Howell for continuing their work in the Civilian Garden. They give a lot of their time to keep it looking as beautiful as it does.
