Category: Community

HERITAGE OPEN EVENTS- BRANDWOOD END 2023

This year the Friends will be hosting several events at Brandwood End Cemetery. If you would like to reserve a place at any event or have any queries then please contact us by e mail on friendsofbec@gmail.com or phone 07811393259. All events are also listed on the National Heritage Open site and the Birmingham Heritage Open event site.

8th SEPTEMBER – FRIDAY – ZOOM TALK  Ian Binnie – 7.30pm-8.30pm – Gallipoli and Brandwood End (Ian is the Education Officer for the Gallipoli Association) He will also be on site Tuesday.

 12th SEPTEMBER – TUESDAY – GRAVES WALK  Ian Binnie – 11am-12pm – Gallipoli and Brandwood End – Start at the Lodge

 13th SEPTEMBER – WEDNESDAY – STORIES FROM THE STONES  FBEC Memorial / Headstone Inscription Recording – 1000am-1200pm –Assemble at The Lodge. Be part of this larger project to record inscriptions and condition of memorials on to a digital map, for future generations.

 15th SEPTEMBER – FRIDAY – LICHEN STROLL SESSIONS X 2   Shirley Hancock – 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-1500pm – Start at the Lodge. Learn more about the secret world of Lichen. It is everywhere but do we really know anything about it? (A magnifying device would be helpful but not essential)

 16th SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY – MEET THE FRIENDS (FBEC)1100am-1400pm – The Lodge –Maps of measured routes in the cemetery, children’s painted stones trail – colouring competition etc. Find out what the Friends have been doing and our future plans. Enjoy a chance to look through some of our extensive research. No need to book for this event just come along  and partake in a chat and tea/coffee- provided by ‘Chatty Chatty Brum Brum’.

 

Pollinators and Fungi!

Thank you Lukas Large for such a pleasant and informative couple of hours in Brandwood End. Bits on Pollinators, but a strong breeze made it hard as most Pollinators had gone to ground ! We did spot a few – but with his usual breadth of knowledge Lukas jumped at the chance to highlight the amazing Fungi to be found in the cemetery. There were 16 of us in all and everyone really enjoyed it. Nice to see Park Ranger Jan who added her knowledge.

As usual FBEC members were called in to help with grave searches along the route for visiting members of the public. This area of interest is becoming very busy.

Collaboration is the key to success.

It was great for members of the Friends to meet Chloe, Fran and Simon today in the cemetery. Its rare the team that manage Brandwood End get chance to leave Kings Norton and spend time discussing projects in Brandwood, as overseeing 5 cemeteries takes up most of their time.
We were meeting them to discuss a project suggested by a member of the public that we all agreed was very worthwhile so watch this space for more details.

Looking back

In 2021, as part of our Heritage Open Week, we ran a session that enabled members of the public with any sort of camera, from professional to phone, to join a group to learn more about photographic composition. It was well received and we thought you may like to have access to the group results from the album we kept. Please follow the link below.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9Qz1gRAJ5cxKADNg9

If this is something you would like to be involved in in future, then please e mail us at:

friendsofbec@gmail.com

Stories from the Stones.

I am afraid that, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to suspend our Stories from the Stones project for a short period.  The original organisers and sponsors of the project were ‘Caring for Gods Acre’ but their support was limited to 2 years and that expired at the end of last year.

We have managed to hold some recording events since but need to reorganise our team as we want to make every effort to continue with the valuable recording of grave inscriptions for posterity.

Please watch this page for details of when these events will re-commence and we hope to include some weekend opportunities as requested !

Our thanks to Valley Contractors

Pre-Covid the two flower beds adjacent to the Lodge ramp were planted twice a year with Geraniums and Pansies by Birmingham Parks and Nurseries staff, but in the last round of financial cuts this service was discontinued. FBEC had been planting the area since but we found it beyond our manpower capacity and finances. After discussion with the Cemetery Managers it was agreed that these two beds would be turfed, when BCC  funding and man power allowed.

Greg and Sarah from Valley Contractors to the Rescue ! They heard about our plight and popped in and did the one side and now they have done it all.  We will diligently water this half and it will soon be gloriously green, as the other side now is.

 

Section Markers

On the same day that Nat West staff were busy gardening, two members of our committee were busy with their shovels and cement, placing section markers back where they should be!  A number had been displaced either by tree removal or collision with vehicles (Usually trucks!)

Over 10 years ago the Friends, with the financial support of Co op Funeral Care, managed to install new black marble section markers throughout the cemetery to aid those searching for graves. Occasionally these become displaced so we are checking and reinstalling where we can.

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