Our thanks to Julia Griffin and Val Hart for leading a walk for fellow society members to visit the graves of several interesting former Balsall Heath residents. It was well received, as were the refreshments. Watch out as this walk is repeated for the general public on Friday 16th September at 2pm as part of our Heritage events.
Our next Litter Pick will take place in Brandwood End Cemetery on Saturday 3rd September commencing at 10.00 a.m. Meet by the Lodge on the main drive. We provide the bags and pickers but we do advise stout footwear and gloves. Children must be accompanied by an adult, but are welcome.
The Friends will be taking part in Heritage Open Week and here are a few dates for your diary.
Saturday September 10th– Join us in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance to find out more about this area and why it was built by BCC 70 years ago and refurbished by the Friends. Learn more about who is buried there and why.
We will also have self guided grave tour maps and a trail of painted stones for the younger visitors.
Wednesday 14th September-join volunteers to help record the inscriptions on memorials for posterity, as well as giving you an insight to those buried beneath and the etiquette at that time. This event will be led by Caring for God’s Acre and booking will be available via Eventbrite nearer the time or by e mail to friendsofbec@gmail.com
Friday 16th September– Take a stroll with our Chairman, Julia Griffin and Val Hart from the Balsall Heath Society to visit a number of graves with a connection to Balsall Heath. You dont have to have lived in that area to find the lives of those buried within are of real interest. Please e mail us direct to book a place as we have limited space. friendsofbec@gmail.com
Such a lovely site… maybe in the countryside, but these photos were taken in a garden backing into the Cemetery and the Badgers arrived via the Cemetery.
We have suspected they were around foraging for a while but this is the first photographic evidence.(taken by Will Steer)
Lovely to see but worrying for the Cemetery managers.
Just a timely reminder that, as was recently seen in a cemetery down south, cemeteries are not immune to raging fires in this heat. Brandwood End is tinder dry. Broken glass and shiny objects can concentrate the sun and start fires in this heat. Please take care what you leave near/on your family grave. An empty/broken glass object can be enough to start a fire .
We have noticed the occasional candle in a jar- please dont do this! Animals knock them over. Normally just a broken jar ensues, but at the moment this could cause a serious fire threatening not just the beautiful cemetery but nearby properties.
Please think before you leave any reflective item at this time. Take care and Thankyou.
Bereavements Services Offices have moved over to a centralised telephone and email system.
All calls should now be directed to 0121 216 2000 and emails to bereavement.services@birmingham.gov.uk
FBEC would suggest that, if you are sending an email enquiry, you should include BRANDWOOD END in the subject line.
There are several options when you ring, opening times, genealogy/finding a grave will be directed to www.birminghamburialrecords.co.uk (The grave records service is a chargeable service. This is for burials up to 2015 if after that date it will advise which option to go to. )
We thought members may be interested in these 2 maps. One shows the area of Brandwood End Cemetery as it was before the cemetery existed, but with the cemetery boundaries superimposed. The second shows the existing cemetery with the original 1838 map superimposed. Interesting to see the area of water marked originally on the bottom left of the map near Broad Lane.
I am sorry to say that the Bat Walk that was due to be held on August the 9th has had to be cancelled. We will be trying to get it rescheduled but at the present time Parks are not able to support it. Hopefully Brum Bats can find another acceptable slot. Watch this space and Facebook for updates.
Those of you that follow a series on Chanel 5 called ‘Planes that won the War’ will have seen, in the episode screened on the 1st of July, the story of 8 Air man who lost their lives when their Lancaster crashed into ‘Ben Eighe’, a mountain in Scotland. The crash site was very remote, and still is.
One of those lost, their Navigator, lived very locally and is buried in Brandwood End. We hope to feature his story in the near future, so watch this space.
Should any of his relatives read this, please contact us at friendsofbec@gmail.com as we would love to know more.