Yet another day with a fantastic team. AVOVE staff went above and beyond to clear a huge area of the cemetery that had been under shrubbery for many years.
Bit by bit graves were uncovered. Some of them had been buried under dense shrubbery for a long time but when dug out, they were remarkably intact and had been protected by years of pine needles.
Those of you that follow FBEC and the cemetery will know that we have been waging war on the advancing areas of Holly, Ivy and general shrubbery that got a strong hold in the cemetery during Covid. Last months tidy up was very successful so we are trying to squeeze a final assault before Winter sets in. Most of this clearance must be done now as the Spring heralds the nesting season and we want to leave shrubbery, especially Ivy, undisturbed. Pop in for as long as you like and give a hand. Stout footwear and gloves if possible. Bring your own tools if you wish but we have loppers and other items.
A few weeks ago Josie Wall, and the Friends, put a shout out for help to remove acres of Holly that were taking over many areas of the cemetery- especially the main drive. Little did we know that 20+ people would turn up and spent hours clearing such a mountain of Holly and some Ivy !. Josie is showing the scale of one of the two piles volunteers removed.
The effect was obvious after 30 minutes, but 3 hours later it was amazing. The photograph above is a before. The one below is the same space afterwards.
Thank you all, The community stands up and shows its commitment yet again. We hope to do this again in November, which will probably be our last chance this side of Christmas. Watch this space.
If you can spare even an hour on the 15th please come along and help- anytime between 11am and 2pm. Stout footwear and gardening gloves if you have them, but we do have tools and some heavy-duty gloves. Many of the graves have no living relatives to visit and help clear self-set shrubs and trees, so we are hoping to be able to make a difference. This is always a rewarding experience as you can see the impact you make as graves ‘appear’ from the shrubbery. Brandwood End is a 53 acre site and has been used for burials since 1899. The days of 20+ on site Gardeners (as there used to be) have gone so we need to encourage community help with this never ending battle.
No words needed……(Thank you Julia Griffin for these lovely photos.)
Despite short notice there were 18 keen attendees at our wonderful Fungi Walk led by Lukas Large. We even have a waiting list for our next venture into the world of fungi. The weather was with us but unfortunately there was very little fungi, as despite the previous day’s heavy showers the ground was still very dry.
Luckily, Lukas had also bought some interesting specimens along with him so we all had a very interesting and informative couple of hours. Thank you for your time Lukas and Josie, for arranging this.
Our next Litter Pick will take place in Brandwood End Cemetery on Saturday 3rd September commencing at 10.00 a.m. Meet by the Lodge on the main drive. We provide the bags and pickers but we do advise stout footwear and gloves. Children must be accompanied by an adult, but are welcome.
Just a timely reminder that, as was recently seen in a cemetery down south, cemeteries are not immune to raging fires in this heat. Brandwood End is tinder dry. Broken glass and shiny objects can concentrate the sun and start fires in this heat. Please take care what you leave near/on your family grave. An empty/broken glass object can be enough to start a fire .
We have noticed the occasional candle in a jar- please dont do this! Animals knock them over. Normally just a broken jar ensues, but at the moment this could cause a serious fire threatening not just the beautiful cemetery but nearby properties.
Please think before you leave any reflective item at this time. Take care and Thankyou.
We thought members may be interested in these 2 maps. One shows the area of Brandwood End Cemetery as it was before the cemetery existed, but with the cemetery boundaries superimposed. The second shows the existing cemetery with the original 1838 map superimposed. Interesting to see the area of water marked originally on the bottom left of the map near Broad Lane.
