The Friends were pleased to see that the Cemetery was looking very clean, tidy and welcoming over the Christmas period. A number of local people have also commented on this and we have received similar praise on our Facebook page. Thank you Bereavement Services staff for that little bit of extra effort….it was noticed!!
The snowdrops have made their appearance again!!
Christmas is almost upon us and the committee of Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery would like to wish all our supporters ‘Seasons Greetings’. Although we seem to have made no progress with the Chapels in 2014, due to the financial constraints being experienced by Birmingham City Council, we have never the less been busy on other projects in the cemetery. Can we thank Bereavement Services staff for their co operation, our project sponsors and all of the volunteers who have worked alongside us. Thank you all again and we look forward, hopefully, to more progress in 2015.
Our thanks to the committee members and volunteers who turned out to help remove the Ivy from some 0f the historic graves near the Chapels last weekend. We are only able to do this at certain prescribed times each year as the Ivy provides nesting areas for some of our beautiful birds from the spring onwards. A special thank you to the volunteers from Alvechurch who gave up their time to help committee members.
Transformed……from the overgrown view on the left to the cleared area on the right!!
The sad news is that this needs to be done often and it only seems like yesterday that it was cleared before! Our thanks again for everyone’s efforts.
Great to see 6 keen volunteers at our final litter pick this year. We have to say that we have experienced much worse weather for this final clean up in Brandwood End, but 2014 weather has been unusual all year round!
Yet again the bulk of the litter appears to have been ‘flower papers’.
Can we remind anyone leaving flowers at family graves to remove the paper before doing so, and place it in one of the bins. Also if you are leaving silk flowers can you make sure they are thoroughly secured on the grave are as they often blow out on to grass areas and then are shredded by the ride on mowers, creating lots of multicoloured pieces of litter.
This will be the last weekend in 2014 that the Friends will be holding a Litter Pick and clean up in the Cemetery. The details are as follows:-
Meet by the Lodge on the main drive. 10am (Usually finished by 11.30am)
Sunday 7th December. Litter pickers and sacks provided but suitable shoes and gloves advisable.
If Litter Picking is not up your street, we always have plenty of weeding to do under the hedges in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance. You will have to bring your own tools for this task.
If you would like to see more photographs taken in Brandwood End Cemetery, why not try using this link.
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’
.
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.