Dear Friends….If you will be Christmas shopping on Amazon this year please consider using the Icon for their site at the top of this web page. It costs you no more and takes just a second longer but for every purchase you make, FBEC receive a small donation.
It’s possibly a bit early- but Seasons Greetings to all our members and followers on the web from the Committee of FBEC.
Those of you that visit the cemetery often will have noticed the sudden appearance of ‘give way’ white road markings at the end of avenues and especially surrounding the Chapel Island.
Speeding inside the cemetery has long been an issue but on a number of occasions recently cars have pulled out of avenues at speed or onto the island area without considering traffic already on that island or main drive. This has resulted in a number of near accidents with cars and pedestrians, so the roads have now been marked to remind people to ‘give way’
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Please remember that there is a 5 mph speed limit within the cemetery and that there are often pedestrians who may be tending graves close to the edge of roads or walking through the cemetery.
Please reduce your speed and remain vigilant as we would hate to have someone injured whilst visiting their loved one’s grave.
The sun shone down today on the one hundred people who attended the annual Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery Service of Remembrance. Our thanks go to Deacon David Fairbotham for his very thought provoking address.
This year wreaths were laid on behalf of six local organisations and we would like to thank the Royal British Legion who attended with their Standard Bearer before rushing back for their own Service at midday.
The numbers at this annual event continue to grow and we hope that those that attended felt something of the atmosphere created by Deacon David’s address, the young trumpeters playing of the Last Post and Reveille, the time for reflection and the participation of all the local organisations wishing to show their respects on this special day.
It was an early start for Bereavement Services staff at Brandwood End today as they worked to keep the cemetery looking at its best for this mornings Service of Remembrance.
We are blessed with many beautiful trees in Brandwood End but that also means that staff have a major job clearing leaves at this time of year.
An 8.30 start meant that the area around the Cross of Sacrifice was free from leaves and pine needles and barriers were in place to stop traffic during the Remembrance Service. Thank you to the staff that gave up their Sunday morning to help Brandwood End appear at its best for this annual event.
Every year Barrie Simpson goes beyond the call of duty and as well as organising the placing of a poppy cross on every war grave within Brandwood End he also creates a ‘poppy cross cemetery’. Every War Grave is represented by a cross in a grid pattern laid out on the grass of the Public Grave area adjacent to the Cross of Sacrifice.
Every year we encourage pupils from the two schools that lie on either side of the cemetery to come and read the information that is posted nearby and it hopefully becomes a discussion point- especially in this significant year.
Our thanks go to the staff of Wates Construction for helping with the placing of crosses on graves and S. Gascoigne and Sons for their kind donation to the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal on our behalf.
Nicola Clarke, Horticultural Development Manager for Quadron Services, helped replant an area of hedge in the Commonwealth War Graves area after it was accidentally damaged. Luckily there had been some of the hawthorn hedging remaining after the recent planting and it had been ‘growing on’ in nearby Broad Lane Allotments.
The Friends are always in need of Volunteers to help with weeding in this area and our Civilian Garden of Remembrance. If you think you can spare some time, please contact us at friendsofbec@gmail.com.
Sunday the 19th of October will see lots of activity at our local Nature Reserve of Jasmin Fields. Following the fire and destruction of the bridge walkway to the canal, the Friends and local Ranger will be relaying a pathway across this area. There will be litter picking, ‘Balsam Bashing’ , bulb planting and general tidying so they need as much help as possible.
Please meet at the Farm gate entrance in Jasmin Croft at 10am. There will be people on site from 10am-4pm so if you can drop in any time, they will welcome your help.
Please wear suitable clothing and footwear. Children under 16 must be supervised by an adult.
Not many people will have heard of Edward Davison, however, he played a large part in King’s Heath life and his obituary was reported in the Birmingham Daily news in July 1908. He had died on 27th June 1908 at his residence Tenbury House at the age of 73. 
He was a native of Wakefield, Yorkshire where he was born in 1835. Mr. Davison came to Birmingham in 1851 to learn the trade of his uncle, whose business Joseph Nichols and Son, Cheapside became one of the largest wireworks in the kingdom. He was elected President of the Birmingham branch of the Federated Wireworkers and Weavers. In 1883 he became a sleeping partner in the Midland Wire Cordage Company, Vincent Street, Balsall Heath, formerly carried on at Sheffield, and some years later became sole proprietor. His son W H Davison soon took over the running of the business which allowed Edward more time to devote himself to public work. He was a staunch Liberal of the old school, and had not been in the city long before he became a member of the Birmingham Liberal Association. He had the honour of being a seconder of the nomination of the Right Hon. Joseph Chamberlain at the Town Hall meeting which selected that statesman as one of the Liberal candidates for Birmingham.
Edward became early associated with the work of All Saints Church, Kings Heath, in the vicariate of Rev. H J Coachafer, was elected a sidesman, and for some years served as parish warden, with Mr. Tom Pickernell as his co-warden. This post he resigned in 1897. His interest in local affairs led to his being elected a member of Kings Norton Parish Council, on its formation in 1894.
During the obituary it mentions that Midland Wire Cordage manufactured lightning conductors. Tenbury House (3 Tenbury Road) has its own lightning conductor. The clips that hold it to the wall have the words “Davison Safety” and the initials “MWCO” stamped onto them. Davison clearly had this lightning conductor installed there. There is another building on the corner of Tenbury Road and Alcester Road South, now a Doctor’s surgery. This too has a lightning conductor made by “MWCO”. Davison was quick to promote his lightning conductors to his neighbours. All Saints Church in Kings Heath also has a lightning conductor made by “MWCO” which is not surprising as Edward was church warden there. So next time you pass by these buildings or see any others with a lightning conductor attached to them. Go and have a look more closely as it may just be a “Davison Safety”. The chapels at Brandwood End also have a lightning conductor, but are inaccessible to the public. It would be interesting to find out if it too was made by the Midland Wire Cordage Company.
Edward was buried at Brandwood End Cemetery. His grave is situated by the large roundabout where the chapels are sited. As you walk from the lodge his is on the right as you go half way round the roundabout. His memorial is photographed above.
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Information provided by Andy Bishop – Chair of Kings Heath Local History Society.
The sun shone through the trees during our Heritage Open Event held on Sunday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first world war and to remember all those involved.
This was the first time that Brandwood End Cemetery had featured in an Heritage Open Day event and we all agreed it had been a worthwhile experience. Dawn and her team from Birmingham Bereavement Services worked with the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery to provide lots of interesting displays of memorabilia – and perhaps more importantly, tea and cakes!
Doug Smith, ably assisted by his team, read short monologues of soldiers experiences and members of ‘Troop Aid’ raised over £100 for their very worthwhile cause.
The Friends lead three successful walks covering a small number of graves significant in ww1, as well as chatting to members of the public who took the opportunity to come along and ‘show and tell’ their family items of ww1 memorabilia.
Our thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this a success 
and especially the members of the public who fitted our event in with so many others in the area today.
We met many new friends in the cemetery today and hope they will keep in touch with us via this web site.
A reminder that our Remembrance Service will take place at the Cross of Sacrifice on Sunday November 9th starting at 10.50am.
http://brumbats.wordpress.com/
A great bat event this evening starting at Jasmin Fields and heading through the cemetery to finish at Brandwood Pool.
Our thanks to Brum Bats, who yet again manage to tell us so many fascinating ‘bat facts’ and our special thanks to all the bats who made an appearance this evening. Well over 30 adults and 4 young supporters enjoyed a really mild evening at this annual Ranger organised event.