Category: Environment

Rest and Reflect Trail.

If you visit the cemetery and look at the Friends notice board, on the left as you enter, you will see a poster for the Rest and Reflect Trail and a QR code that enables you to download it on to your phone. If you prefer you can download it here and print your own version.

Today was the launch of this trail which invites you to stroll and rest a while ion one of the benches in the beautiful surroundings of the cemetery. Why not download it and pop in on a sunny day? This is a new project planned by Suze Carter but if people are interested then the Friends intend to expand the choice of routes and the reasons to walk/stroll/run/cycle around this 53 acre site. Brandwood End is a wonderful calm, quiet, green site which is packed with trees, wildlife and views but has the added benefit of over 100 benches.

Nat West staff work hard in the cemetery.

We were lucky enough to be approached by Nat West staff to do some volunteer work in the cemetery for us. Our thanks to one of their team who also happens to be a supporter! Shout out to Tracy Egan….

A really busy day of weeding, bramble removal and section marker cleaning. What’s even better is that they want to come back and do it again !  Thank you all for your marvellous work.

     

Special thank you to Piers for taking time to try out the Rest and Reflect Trail, due to be launched on Thursday. Special mention to Tony. who helped us move all the bramble back to the yard. It will mean a reduced Blackberry crop this year but the Brambles were strangling the other shrubs.

Mobility ‘Rest and Reflect’ Trail.

For some months now the Friends have been working on a large project to highlight benches within the cemetery that might offer a peaceful setting and an interesting outlook. Suze and her team at ‘Our Scene’ have taken this idea and created a small trail within the cemetery but specifically one that is suitable for the less able who may use a wheelchair or a mobility scooter. Come along to the launch and try it out. We hope you like it as it will become part of something much bigger. Thank you ‘Our Scene’ for spurring us on with our idea.

Join together with the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery for the launch of a ‘Rest & Reflect’ trail between benches in a small area of the cemetery. (Meet by the Lodge just off Woodthorpe Road B14 6EQ). The perfect way to start exploring if you are new to the cemetery. The trail is designed with accessibility at its heart. Chatty Chatty Brum Brum will be serving some free refreshments at our little early evening launch party. Come and have a go (paper versions available at the event). All welcome!

Lodge Ramp- flower beds.

Those of you that visit the cemetery often may have noticed that the 2 flower beds adjacent to the Lodge were historically refreshed twice a year by Birmingham Parks and Nursery with plants. Pre-covid this practice stopped as part of funding cuts and the Friends have tried to take on planting in this area, but manpower and cost has made it impossible for us, so with help from Greg and Sarah of Valley Contractors,  who kindly donated some turf, we will be able to extend the grass area and get rid of this weed ridden patch.

We have also recently installed 3 planters and we are lucky to have ‘screen wall curtains’  that change with the seasons and are crocheted by a lovely local team. They both require less maintenance by the Friends !

Great gardening day.

Despite the heat, the Friends were joined by 6 extra volunteers to tidy up the Civilian Garden of Remembrance and replenish the 3 planters by the Lodge.

Our special thanks to Brian from ‘Friends of Lifford Reservoir’ for sparing time from the work they do at the Reservoir.

Lots of rain in May and sun in June had made everything, especially in the flower beds, burst into life. Our thanks to Josie and Bren for taming the growth !

Extra thanks to our Chairman Julia for visiting the Birmingham Parks and Nursery site at Cofton and filling her car with Geraniums. They are now all deployed in planters and around the Rose beds in the Civilian Garden.

There is still a lot to do but we hope to have a team from Nat West Bank on site helping soon, so watch out for news of that.

  

Drainage work continues.

Work is continuing at the lower end of the cemetery site, adjacent to Broad Lane. Today contractors from the Gas Board and Water Board were working outside the cemetery fence but extensive work continues inside. This is all part of a flood alleviation scheme but became extended when contractors damaged a gas main. Looks like it is all back on track now.

Sad loss of Heritage Oak

Unfortunately one of our Heritage Oaks has had to be removed as its roots were causing a major issue in an area of flooding by obstructing  pipes. A large flood alleviation project has been happening in the area and has involved a large woodland area of Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve and the lowest section of the Cemetery, adjacent to Broad Lane.

This area was previously an overgrown bramble patch so we are trusting that there will be some effort made to improve the look of this corner. We hope we have managed to keep a large section and a decision as to what to do with it will be made in the near future but we will be working with the Ranger to try and create a ‘slice’ indicating a time line for this ancient tree.