The Friends are members of the Heritage Forum and often our meetings are at member organisation sites.
- Today we met at New Hall Mill in Sutton Coldfield. Their volunteers made us all very welcome and we were treated to a private tour of this amazing site. Watch out for their open days as it is certainly worth visiting.
Alan Holmes – Brandwood End Cemetery Operative
FBEC only ever had to ask ….. whether it was – tidying the inside of the chapels July 2019 and Sept 20219 so we could finally go inside, clearing holly from special graves for us Oct 2019 or jet washing the Lodge railings May 2022 for us for the Jubilee planting and celebration. FBEC send you every good wish Alan on your retirement – Good Luck and Thank you – June 2022.
Alan, on the left below, with colleagues and Jane from FBEC after he had been clearing the interior of the chapels to allow access to the Friends to view the recently installed windows.
Well not exactly. We had a great welcome at Stirchley History Group as we gave a talk in the former ‘baths’ building…. Now a community hub. We look forward to seeing everyone again, maybe at one of our events.
5 June 1922 – 5 June 2022
Over 100 years the Poppy has evolved but remains an enduring symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.
The Royal British Legion wanted to buy Remembrance poppies made in Britain and George Howson proposed that the poppies should be made by disabled war veterans in the United Kingdom. The Legion agreed and in May 1922 it gave Howson £2,000 to establish a poppy making factory.
The first poppy factory opened on 5th June 1922 in two rooms at Mitchell’s collar factory near Old Kent Road, South London.
In a normal year, 40,000 collectors with tins sell more than 35million poppies and raise around £50million for the British Legion charity.
Our thanks to all those supporters that turned out today for our litter pick….even though it was pouring with rain.
We managed 13 bags but everyone remarked on how smart and generally litter free the cemetery looked.
We ended with a Loyal Toast and cake in the dry! Thank you to all.
Today’s litter pick WILL GO Ahead as we promised to follow it with a Loyal Toast. The length of the litter pick may be shortened dramatically and the Loyal Toast lengthened dependent on the severity of the rain! Please meet by/in the lodge.
2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Children’s
Emigration Homes in Highgate, founded by John Middlemore.
Between the years 1873 and 1954 they emigrated over 5000
deprived children chiefly to Canada but also to Australia aiming to
give them children the opportunity of a better life. For many years
the children went to farming families in the remote backwoods of
Canada and then later to Fairbridge Farm Schools in both Canada
and Australia.
The Friends recommend these amazing displays researched by Balsall Heath History Society
Follow this link to check up on the venues……..
It was lovely to visit ‘Array4hogs’ Hedgehog rescue at their open day this morning. They are a very local Hedgehog rescue and a not for profit organisation run from the garden of a local house. Things are quiet so far this year, but as times get busier they expect an average of 80-120 Hedghogs through their doors by the end of the year! They have a facebook site for those of you that are facebook members.
https://www.facebook.com/Array4Hogs/
The Friends hope that we can devise a mutually beneficial project to work with Array4hogs and raise awareness of the plight of Hedgehogs.
Please come and join us for our litter pick this Sunday 5th June. Meet at 10 am by the Lodge. We have pickers and bags we just need volunteers!
On this special Jubilee day we are rounding off with a Loyal Toast and cake before we leave. 
The Friends were pleased to welcome members of the ‘Brighten up Brandwood” team for a morning of Geranium planting and the creation of wild flower meadow tubs. 
The highlight of the event was the installation of a crochet flower mesh to brighten the lodge railings. Our thanks to Valerie and her team. This art work is on loan to us till after the Queens Jubilee celebrations. Thank you everyone!
