The Civilian Garden is looking particularly fine at the moment with all the recent rain and the efforts of the Friends to keep it tidy. We are also delighted that the recently planted hawthorn hedge is thriving.
If you have an hour or two to spare and would like to help us with a weeding project there please contact us via our e mail.
At the most recent litter pick in June Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery were delighted to have a group of local Scouts join in and by helping us out they will be able to gain their Community Badge.
We were out in force to clear up a considerable amount of litter and filled several bags full of rubbish. With the rain and wind it is usually flower wrappings, old plant containers and artificial flowers that become scattered around the Cemetery.
It would be lovely if people used degradable items, like flowers, so the Cemetery grounds don’t become clogged up with non-degradable grave decorations.
In early January snowdrops made an appearance in the cemetery and the hawthorn hedge still hadn’t dropped its leaves! The squirrels are dashing about and the birds are ignoring the berries in favour of worms in the still soft soil. Where will it end?
Our thanks to those members who joined us for our final litter pick of 2011. Despite the cold weather we managed to spend and hour and a half in various areas of the cemetery collecting mainly wind blown flower wrappings and artificial flowers. Can we remind everyone again to remove wrapping paper from flowers and secure artificial flowers, as the wind scatters them and we are not able to identify the graves they originated from. Unfortunately some fly tipping had occurred in Broad Lane and a lot of this had blown into the lower end of the cemetery but one of our members worked hard to remove as much as was possible. Our next litter pick will be in March 2012 and we look forward to welcoming you then. Detailed information will appear on this site and our notice boards at either entrance to the cemetery.
Several hundred local residents turned out to hear the choir of St Albans Primary school and welcome Santa in his sleigh to a Christmas community event. The event was organised by New Vision Community Team supported by FBEC, Friends of Jasmin Fields,Friends of the Brandwood Pool, Broad Lane Allotments,Cocks Moors Leisure Centre, The Brandwood Centre, BCC and the local Neighbourhood Policing Team ! Everyone worked together to provide a spectacular evening of entertainment including music from Moonlighting and an outdoor art display by a local community artist. Santa provided gifts for all the children and the Brandwood Centre cooked lots of hot dogs and burgers for the crowd. Children also enjoyed cake decorating and face painting whilst they waited for Santa to arrive.
The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery joined with members of other local community organisations to support an experimental night time event at Brandwood Pool. Close to 80 people joined a small community choir and musicians around Brandwood Pool which was illuminated by 300 lanterns. Volunteers had decorated most of the jars that held the candles with bright drawings and inspirational words. The event was lead by the Park Ranger service.
Members of FBEC Committee manned a stall at the recent monthly Kings Norton Farmers Market to promote much needed membership of The Friends.
Surrounded by scrumptious food of all descriptions it was great to meet people who were interested in Brandwood Cemetery and those that weren’t even aware of this incredibly beautiful open space.
The weather was kind and the event really helped the Friends raise awareness of this beautiful Cemetery.
Brandwood End Cemetery made the news this week as the grand daughter of P J Evans searched the country for his grave…..and guess where she found it? Brandwood End Cemetery!
The P J Evans name was well known to Brummies and associated with the motor trade but did you know that Percy J Evans won the Isle of Man TT Race? In 1911 two races were held on the Mountain course. The Junior was won by P J Evans on a Humber at 41.45 mph and the Senior by Oliver Godfrey on an Indian at 47.63 mph. Evans set the fastest lap in his race at 42.00 mph and Frank Phillips (Scott) the fastest Senior at 50.11 mph.
A replica of the TT trophy originally adorned his memorial stone but over the years this has gone missing. Does anyone out there have any idea where it went?
Carvings on an old tree at Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve taken from designs by children from St Albans School.
On April 14th we held our annual AGM which was attended by a number of our local members. After the formal meeting Jim Thomson,Director of Teleshore (UK Ltd), gave a short talk about memorial safety and he was accompanied by Richard Smith of Memsafe.
The Elected Officers for the coming year are:
Chairman: Anne Courbet
Vice Chairman: Barrie Simpson
Treasurer: Julian Pritchard
Secretary: Jane Edwards
A copy of our annual report will follow soon. Why not subscribe to this page to get automatic updates?