Great to see the main drive has been cut and most areas now on schedule. The Cemetery is looking good !
Our thanks again to the BCC grass cutting crews and also to Tony and his ground staff for trying their best, under financial constraints and the unusual conditions at this time, to keep Brandwood looking as if someone cares!
It is only a week or two since we mentioned our neighbouring site at Jasmin Fields. On a recent visit we were met with a number of trail bikes indiscriminately tearing up the grass.
This nature reserve is rich in wild life and now one of the main paths through the woodland has been turned into a quagmire and the area adjacent to the canal , crisscrossed by bike tracks.
The bikes appear to have travelled along the tow path from the Yardley Wood area. Lets hope they don’t become frequent visitors as they damage they do is extensive.
Please join the Friends for their first Litter Pick of 2020.
10am, meet at the Lodge. We have the bags and the pickers, but please do wear suitable footwear and clothing. Gloves are advisable.
This may look as if someone has just wedged a rake into this tree and gone off for their cup of tea…..
The truth is a little stranger. This rake was undoubtedly propped here many years ago by a member of staff but for whatever reason it was never retrieved. It is in a not often visited area of the Cemetery and over many seasons the tree grew, absorbing the rake within its growth! The wooden stale has long ago rotted away. Recently Birmingham Trees for Life published a similar item but instead of a rake it was……a bike. Check it out on their site.
Locally in Kings Heath there was a fair amount of damage caused by the recent storm, so it was with some trepidation that Ground Staff in the cemetery made their Monday morning site inspection.
Lots of small branches littering the site were removed, but the larger tree shown above will take a little more time! Luckily it is in an area away from roads and pathways but until it is removed it is difficult to see if grave stones have been damaged.
Just prior to Remembrance Sunday, the Friends placed Polish flags on 2 adjacent War Graves in Brandwood End. We were especially pleased to tell members that the flags had come all the way from Poland , brought back for us by a Polish National.
You can imagine how heartened we were when we visited those graves earlier this week and found that both now had ribbons encircling them.
We would love to get in touch with the Polish community and those involved in this act of Remembrance. If anyone knows who we can contact, please can you e mail us on friendsofbec@gmail.com
For those who would like to know more, please read on and
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.
On Sunday 1st December we will be holding our last litter pick of 2019.
Please come along and support us. We have the litter pickers and the bags- we just need the volunteers. Meet at the Lodge on the main drive at 10am. Remember you will need stout footwear !
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.
