Category: Community

December 24, 2016

Merry Christmas Everyone

The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery would like to wish all their supporters a very Merry Christmas and hope that you all enjoy a healthy 2017.

We have called on our supporters a lot in 2016 to help with lots of projects and they have not let us down. We know that many of you are unable to come along and help physically with projects as your distance to travel, time available, physical capabilities etc all vary dramatically. All we ask is that you continue to renew your memberships each April and/or keep an interest in what we are doing via this site and our facebook page as the day will come when numbers of supporters count when important decisions are made!

Just a reminder of some of the busy work we have undertaken with your support in 2016.

We have enjoyed working with Woodthorpe Primary and St Albans RC Primary, and continue to do so as part of our community filming of our ongoing Hedgehog Project

We ‘Cleaned for the Queen’ earlier in the year and litter picked once a quarter as usual

We have won a Silver Gilt Medal in the Heart of England in Bloom, organised the refurbishment of the Civilian Garden of Remembrance, held lots of Hedgehog events (thanks to funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund)and held our usual annual Remembrance Service. None of this would have been possible without your support.

As Chairman can I also give special thank you and Seasonal Greetings to all our committee, present and past, for their efforts. Many of our past committee still continue to work on our behalf and I would like to give a special thank you to Pat Franklin who tirelessly takes people on historic Grave Walks on our behalf. Working with you all is a joy!

In 2017 we will continue our work to try and raise the profile of Brandwood End Cemetery and especially the plight of our magnificent chapels. We believe the more people who visit via events etc……the more support we will have when the time comes for some serious lobbying! Thank you all again.

December 24, 2016

Tree work underway.

It is good to see that trees are being kept in good order by a reputable Tree Surgeon! Can I remind you that you may be seeing quite a lot of tree work in Brandwood End over the Winter. This is good for the public, for obvious safety reasons, but also good for the trees as they need a ‘haircut’ now and then, just like we do .

If you look carefully you can just see them at work, on the right in the tree in orange high viz!

Just a reminder that if you ever need work done on your own trees try and use a reputable company as an enthusiastic amateur can cause damage to the tree (and your view) that may take years to correct.

December 11, 2016

Young film makers show their skills.

Our final ‘Hedgehog’ related event for 2016 !. Pupils from St Albans RC Primary have been training with our Community Film Maker and spent time at Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve putting their knowledge into practice. They will be making a short film for FBEC about our whole Hedgehog project. Don’t they look professional?

Pupils proudly display their bug hotel. They had been set the task of making some pallets into an appealing hotel for ‘bugs and beasties’ to become a larder for visiting hedgehogs.

I think we can call their efforts a success? They have also placed their own Hedgehog house in the school grounds.

November 21, 2016

Second Lieutenant F C Alabaster, commemorated at this years Remembrance Service

FBEC felt they would like to share with you an article prepared by Edwina Rees, for the Moseley History Society newsletter. It sums up our recent Remembrance Day Event. Thank you Edwina.

The centenary year of the Battle of the Somme was very much in everyone’s thoughts, in this year’s commemorative service held at the Cross of Sacrifice at Brandwood End Cemetery. Before the laying of wreaths, the last post rang out and during the two minutes silence, instead of poppies, the last golden leaves of autumn fell on the heads of those reflecting on the loss of the many young men who fell that fell during the course of the war in 1916.

Second Lieutenant F C Alabaster was one of those who lost their lives that year. Clifford, as he preferred to be known, was wounded in the head by shrapnel, just before the Battle of the Somme, but the protection afforded by the new ‘Brodie’ helmets lessened the impact and he was expected to survive. Unfortunately, this was not the case and he died in the Empire Hospital for Officers, London just over a month later. His great niece Wendy Alabaster represented the family on the day

His grave and those of others buried here who served in WW1, are now recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission thanks to the campaigning endeavors of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery. He is also commemorated at St Mary’s Church, Moseley on their WW1 memorial.

Second Lieutenant F C Alabaster was highlighted at the request of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission as part of their ‘Living Memories’ project, but in remembering him we must also remember all those who are buried here or on foreign soil who gave their lives for their country and those killed locally as a result of enemy air raids.

November 20, 2016

U3A, Local History Group Members enjoy Brandwood End.

FBEC member, Pat Franklin, gave up her time to lead a group of U3A (Local History Group) members on a walk through Brandwood End Cemetery. During Heritage Open Week, in September 2014, the Friends devised a Grave Walk highlighting a small number of War Graves in the cemetery and providing a short background to each of them.

Our thanks to Alison Gove-Humphries for taking some lovely photographs at the event.

The tour itself consisted of an introduction and overview, the formation and role of the Friends and then to the CWGC, their policy and philosophy. Next came a brief summary of the First World War, the burials elsewhere [unless stated] and the commemoration on family headstones on the walk. Then on to the Cross of Sacrifice and the recent Commemoration. Thence, the Screen Walls and a walk to the more recent Tree Island Memorial, with tablet and benches. The group were particularly taken with the Poppy Cross Field and its significance.

Our thanks again to Pat for leading this walk. We do occasionally get requests from individuals to attend a walk but unless Pat can get a group of 8 to 12 together it isn’t really worth while. With this in mind, if you would like to take our Grave Walk (Probably not until Spring 2017) can you e mail us on friendsofbec@gmail.com and we will add you to this list then contact you with proposed dates when we have enough prospective participants.

November 14, 2016

Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries struggle on with their campaign

You may think we have ‘issues’ with the City Council, Bereavements Department in Birmingham but they pale into insignificance with those of the Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries in London.

Follow the links to find out what is happening there and the reuse of grave areas.

We must stress that, as far as we are aware, Birmingham has no plans to adopt this method of creating burial areas, and locally we are lucky that we have a fairly recently established Cemetery at Kings Norton, with a large amount of ground available there.

www.savesouthwarkwoods.org.uk/soldiers-graves-mounded-over

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=1cLb1krd3Cc

Our thoughts are with The Friends of Camberwell Cemeteries and their allied struggle for Southwark Woods.

November 13, 2016

Remembrance Day record turnout.

Our thanks to everyone that turned out today to our Annual Remembrance Service in Brandwood End. This year saw close to 100 participants come to hear a short thought provoking address by Deacon David Fairbotham of St Dunstans Church prior to the laying of wreaths by Kings Heath and Selly Oak Royal British Legions, Local Councillors (on behalf of BCC), The Freemasons, The Royal Order of Buffaloes and the Friends.

Yet again we must thank our magnificent buglers, Ludo and Oliver, for helping to create such a poignant atmosphere with their amazing rendition of the Last Post and Reveille. If they desert us for University next year they will be sadly missed!

‘Alabaster’ Grave.

As part of the CWGC ‘Living Memory’ project we agreed to highlight the grave of one Service Member who lost his life as a result of the actions at the Battle of the Somme. Our choice was Frederic Clifford Alabaster, and we were pleased to welcome one of his relatives, Wendy Alabaster, to the Remembrance Service.

Wendy also joined many people who took the time to view the information on display and visit ‘Clifford’s’ grave. Information about this grave will remain on display for the next two weeks, at the grave site and also on the main drive near the poppy cross grid and Cross of Sacrifice.

November 12, 2016

CWGC- Living Memory Project

As part of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Living Memory Project, the Friends have researched and recorded information relating to Frederic Clifford Alabaster, who died of this injuries in the preparations for the Battle of the Somme.

More details will be available after our Remembrance Day Service (10.45 November 13th), where we will have a small display with further information about ‘Clifford’ and the part he played in the Great War prior to his death.

Our thanks must go to Alison Wheatley, King Edwards School Archivist and Edwina Reece, researcher at Moseley History Group for sharing their information with us. We must also thank, FBEC member, Pat Franklin for putting the information together and FBEC member Julia Griffin for providing a contact to the ‘Alabaster’ family enabling us to seek their approval of this project.

Please call in to the cemetery and visit the Friends notice board on the main drive near the entrance, where you will find displayed some interesting information and photographs relating to Frederic Clifford Alabaster.

November 12, 2016

Poppy Crosses in place.

Every year, in the run up to Armistice Day, the Friends place over 300 poppy crosses on graves of those lost to conflicts. Many are members of the armed forces but many are also civilians killed in air raids locally, as shown in the grave below where 3 members of a family all lost their lives.

We also create a ‘Poppy Cross Cemetery’ grid, near the Cross of Sacrifice on the main drive, to show the vastness of the numbers involved just within Brandwood End Cemetery.

Please walk through the cemetery if you are passing and give a moment of your time to remember those who lost their lives either at home or abroad.

SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE- SUNDAY 13th NOVEMBER 10.45am .

ALL WELCOME

November 2, 2016

Woodthorpe Primary pupils make Hedgehogs welcome!

Pupils at Woodthorpe Primary School learn how to welcome Hedgehogs to their Forest School area and pitched in, creating Hedgehog houses and log piles. After instructions from Emma from the Wildlife Trust and Ranger Jan, pupils collected leaves to line the house and cut branches to cover it, (after carefully surveying their site to find the best location).The next job was to build a ‘bug hotel’ so visiting Hedgehogs would have plenty of food available before bedding down for the winter.I am sure you agree, that if I was a local Hedgehog I would be hot footing it to their welcoming Forest School Hedgehog home!!