This first picture popped up in our ‘facebook’ memories. The second picture was taken last week, 11 years on, by our Chairman, Julia. This year is a special anniversary for this garden area…….but more of that later!
Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery
The Lost Children. (A project that touched Brandwood End.)
Armed Forces Day
Today is a chance to value the work our Armed Forces do. Fighting and peace keeping, emergency aid and pushing back the frontiers of medical science. Remember as well that many of those engaged in all of the above are Reservists.
Above is a photograph of 202 Field Hospital members on one of their annual visits to the cemetery to help the Friends with removed of trees and shrubs making some military graves inaccessible. Our thought today are focused on them and their various deployments around the world.
Civilian War Dead
We have over 120 civilians buried in Brandwood End who lost their lives in bombing raids. The incident below highlights just one such raid
.
Nesting birds are our first concern.
Its the time of year when our Civilian Garden hedge starts to look a lot like no one cares for it ! We do care for this very successful Hawthorn hedge and normally it is kept trim, but during nesting season every year DEFRA outlaw the cutting of hedges that may disturb nesting birds. Our hedge is full of small nests and ‘little brown birds’ and if you sit quietly on one of our benches you will see them scurrying in and out.
The Garden is still cared for and some of our supporters have been busy elsewhere in the garden weeding beds and paths and planting Geraniums in our Rose beds. Our thanks to all concerned.
So sad to see Alan go !
Alan Holmes – Brandwood End Cemetery Operative
FBEC only ever had to ask ….. whether it was – tidying the inside of the chapels July 2019 and Sept 20219 so we could finally go inside, clearing holly from special graves for us Oct 2019 or jet washing the Lodge railings May 2022 for us for the Jubilee planting and celebration. FBEC send you every good wish Alan on your retirement – Good Luck and Thank you – June 2022.
Alan, on the left below, with colleagues and Jane from FBEC after he had been clearing the interior of the chapels to allow access to the Friends to view the recently installed windows.
!00 years of the Poppy
5 June 1922 – 5 June 2022
Over 100 years the Poppy has evolved but remains an enduring symbol of Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future.
Red poppies have been worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community since the formation of The Poppy Factory in 1922. The Charity was founded by Major George Howson MC, a British Army officer who was awarded the Military Cross in 1917. George Howson’s vision was to provide employment for veterans injured during the First World War.:
The Royal British Legion wanted to buy Remembrance poppies made in Britain and George Howson proposed that the poppies should be made by disabled war veterans in the United Kingdom. The Legion agreed and in May 1922 it gave Howson £2,000 to establish a poppy making factory.
The first poppy factory opened on 5th June 1922 in two rooms at Mitchell’s collar factory near Old Kent Road, South London.
In a normal year, 40,000 collectors with tins sell more than 35million poppies and raise around £50million for the British Legion charity.
A great turnout despite the rain!
Our thanks to all those supporters that turned out today for our litter pick….even though it was pouring with rain.
We managed 13 bags but everyone remarked on how smart and generally litter free the cemetery looked.
We ended with a Loyal Toast and cake in the dry! Thank you to all.
Wet weather litter pick.
Today’s litter pick WILL GO Ahead as we promised to follow it with a Loyal Toast. The length of the litter pick may be shortened dramatically and the Loyal Toast lengthened dependent on the severity of the rain! Please meet by/in the lodge.
Balsall Heath History Society Exhibitions
2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Children’s
Emigration Homes in Highgate, founded by John Middlemore.
Between the years 1873 and 1954 they emigrated over 5000
deprived children chiefly to Canada but also to Australia aiming to
give them children the opportunity of a better life. For many years
the children went to farming families in the remote backwoods of
Canada and then later to Fairbridge Farm Schools in both Canada
and Australia.
The Friends recommend these amazing displays researched by Balsall Heath History Society
Follow this link to check up on the venues……..