All these fantastic flowers are creating their own display in the cemetery today!
Author: Jane Edwards
How eagle eyed are you?
Were you an avid watcher of ‘Line of Duty’? How close did you watch it? Did you spot Brandwood End’s key role?
I bet the answer to that last question was…..No. Well here you can see what you missed. Series 1 episode 4. (Funeral scene)
9 Volunteers and 9 bags, not a bad haul.
We managed to do the bulk of our litter pick before the rain started but a good job was done by all !!
It is noticeable that we now find mainly wind blown flower paper and nowhere as much real ‘litter’ A reminder to everyone to please remove the cellophane/ paper if leaving flowers!
I am afraid we are still spotting residents, backing on to the cemetery, tossing their garden rubbish over their fences into the grounds. Please stop it!!
Quarterly Litter Pick time!
Our late Spring Litter Pick takes place this Sunday 2nd June. Please come along and support the Friends as we check all the hidden nooks and crannies of the Cemetery for wind blown litter. After an exceptionally windy Winter we find areas where litter collects, often out of view but this is our last chance to remove it before the foliage hides it for another season. Gloves and suitably stout footwear recommended but we provide the pickers and bags. (Children under 16 welcome but they must be with an adult)
Meet on the main drive by the lodge at 10am. We finish at 11.30 but any time you can spare is appreciated.
D Day- The Longest Day
The Friends have produced a short article about D Day, a link to which is included below. It will be 75 years ago on June 5th that this momentous event took place. We do hope you take the time to read it.
A taster of what lies within……
These are just a couple of photos, taken by our committee member Kerry Tinkler. They show a little of the interior of the chapels and give an insight into the work that would be involved if we were able to find a viable future use and obtain permissions and funding.
New Interpretation Board
The eagle eyed amongst you, who read our article headed ‘Chapel news gets better and better’ will have spotted that everyone was standing in front of a new display board!
We were overjoyed when we were asked to provide content for a new ‘Interpretation Board’, to be installed in front of the chapel buildings. This has given everyone involved the opportunity to pass information about the chapels and their future to the public in general- especially those who do not use the internet and therefore are unable to view this web site or our facebook page.
Chapel news gets better and better!
The Friends were delighted to be invited, by Bereavement Service staff, to join them on a rare opportunity to actually get inside the chapels !
They were joined by City Council officials, eager to view the newly fitted temporary roof and inspect the work already done. Everyone agreed that the visit had been well worth while and it stirred enthusiasm all round, that these magnificent buildings should not be allowed to deteriorate further. This is the present stance of BCC . Those present included- Alison Fumagalli (BCC Registrar / South) Bev Nash (BCC Registrar North) Andy King (BCC Principal Building Surveyor Building Consultancy Acivico) Coral Howard FBEC Vice Chair, Kerry Tinkler FBEC Committee Member, Steve Hollingworth (BCC Assistant Director/Regulation and Enforcement) and Dawn Harding (BCC Bereavement Officer responsible for Brandwood End and Kings Norton Cemeteries)
Chapels get spruced up!!
If you happen to visit the cemetery this week, you will spot the major change in the appearance of the area around the chapel buildings!
Following the recent re-roofing of one chapel, the Friends have been pressing for a general clearance of shrubbery etc. Was it our nagging that encouraged this clean up……….or the impending visit of the Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods ????? Either way, it looks so much better!!
Heritage Forum
The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery send representatives along to Birmingham Heritage Forum as it gives us the opportunity to learn about the activities of other members- all of whom have links to heritage buildings or collections.
This link will take you to a ‘flip book’ version of their brochure showing all the member sites throughout Birmingham.