Author: Jane Edwards

What a wet, wet, wet Tree Planting.

Year 6 pupils from St Albans R C Primary took part in a fantastic tree plant in the Cemetery today and despite the rain….a good time was enjoyed by all. Our thanks to Birmingham Trees for Life for organising this planting event, to replace some of the aged ‘Poplars’ felled recently.

Birmingham Trees for Life had lots of assistance today as they were joined by the Lord-Lieutenant of the West Midlands- John Crabtree and his wife, who came well prepared to plant alongside the pupils.

Our local Councillor, Mike Leddy, popped along and  a gaggle of Tree Officers also made an appearance!!

Our thanks to everyone at BTFL for continuing with this tree replacement project and the Tree Officers, local Ranger Dean and BCC Woodland Team for making this all possible. Following the event everyone enjoyed a ‘warm up’ in the Lodge with drinks and biscuits.

As they made their way back to school, Ranger Dean led a short Tree Walk for pupils with lots of interesting information. Despite the miserable weather we all had a lovely morning and the cemetery now has 10 more interesting standard trees along its boundary.

Our thanks to Bereavement Services staff and the ‘Friends’ who also supported this event.

 

Tree Planting with Birmingham Trees for Life

Lets hope the weather is dry for us this Wednesday 27th as we will be welcoming Birmingham Trees for Life and pupils from St Albans R C Primary School to plant yet another 10 trees in Brandwood End Cemetery.

Last year we sadly lost a number of large Poplar Trees from one of our boundary areas but with the help of Birmingham Trees for Life we are slowly replacing them with more suitable species.

 

 

Dry and sunny for 2019 Remembrance Event

Today’s Remembrance event was very well attended. Representatives of West Midlands Police, West Midlands Fire Service, Local Councillors, The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB), the Catholic Women’s League, FBEC and members of the local Beaver Pack all laid Wreaths at the Cross of Sacrifice.

Deacon David Fairbotham gave a short thought provoking Service of Remembrance and the Wreath Laying was preceded by a Bugler and 2 minutes silence.

 

Everyone then processed down the main Drive to the WW1 Memorial, where further wreaths were laid.

Our thanks to everyone that attended this event. We have collected a few photographs via this link should you wish to see more.

 

 

Wet, but colourful Tree Walk !

Ranger, Dean Paul, led a Tree Walk through the cemetery today despite the heavy rain.

Considering how cold and wet it was there was a good turn out of 11 hardy individuals, but the weather didn’t detract from the glorious colours displayed by the trees and the knowledge imparted by Dean.

We also spotted some amazing fairy rings of fungi.

2019 marks the Centenary of Remembrance.

The annual tradition that first took place in 1919 to pay tribute to the war dead.

Although the First World War was brought to a close by a ceasefire – the Armistice – on 11 November 1918 – the final peace treaty was signed more than seven months later, on 28 June 1919.

As that moment approached, the Government’s thoughts turned to how to commemorate both an international victory and the impact of so many lives lost on foreign soil. More than 1.1 million soldiers who had been born in Britain and elsewhere in the Empire died in the ‘Great War’. Half of these have no known grave and few were buried on home soil.

A Peace Committee chaired by Lord Curzon, Foreign Secretary, declared Saturday 19th July 1919 a Bank Holiday and outlined a celebration running over four days, including a Victory March through London, a day of Thanksgiving services, a river pageant, and a day of popular festivities.

Numerous representatives of the allied nations were in attendance and the Peace March was one of the most impressive spectacles ever witnessed by Londoners and the world. Nearly 15,000 troops took part in the march, led by the victorious Allied commanders.

The Cenotaph – July 1919

The idea was conceived to erect a temporary memorial structure in Whitehall to be the end point of the great procession where the march would pause to honour the dead.  Edwin Lutyens, at the request of the then Prime Minister Lloyd George, designed and built the Cenotaph (literally ‘Empty Tomb’ in Greek) which was a wood and plaster construction.

At its unveiling by King George V, the base of the monument was spontaneously covered in wreaths to the dead and missing from The Great War and such was the extent of public enthusiasm for the construction it was decided that The Cenotaph should become a permanent and lasting memorial.   Re-made from Portland stone, its inscription reading simply “The Glorious Dead” and unveiled by King George V on 11th November 1920 just as the ‘Unknown Warrior’ was borne past en route to burial in Westminster Abbey, the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, has since played host to the Remembrance Service for the past nine decades.

Inspirational staff at Brandwood End.

The Army made a start on the clearance of the Holly but the baton has been taken up by the Ground Staff !

This has been such a daunting task to undertake but spurred on by the inroads that ‘202’ made on one section Tony, Alan and John have now attacked the remaining Holly setters along the main drive. The result is amazing! Watch this site for updated ‘clearance’ photographs.

 

Annual Catholic Blessing of the Graves.

A number of visitors to the cemetery have contacted us about the notices on the trees concerning the event below. Can we emphasise that this has nothing to do with the Annual Remembrance Service which will happen on Sunday 10th November at 10.50am. The ‘Blessing’  does also occur every November as part of ‘All Souls’ events.

On Sunday the 3rd November (2pm), Brandwood End Cemetery will be crowded with people attending the Blessing of the Graves. PLEASE WALK INTO THE CEMETERY if at all possible as the number of cars mean that there is nowhere to park. Please keep the main drive free of parked cars (as far as the chapels) for safety reasons and also to allow access to Clergy.

Please don’t be one of the people that argue with any staff present and demand that ‘you’ are the exception!