Join our Grave Gardening team, along with Fruit and Nut Village, to plant some new trees in the cemetery. We are making a start on replacing the trees lost in last years storms. Meet opposite the Lodge at 11am on the 6th April.
Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery
FBEC Annual AGM 10th April
PLEASE JOIN THE FRIENDS AT THEIR ANNUAL AGM ON APRIL 10TH AT 10.30AM, AT ST DUNSTANS CONFERENCE ROOM AT THE END OF KINGSFIELD RD, KINGS HEATH. STAY AND CHAT OVER A CUP OF TEA AND SOME CAKE!
Operation Varsity
The 80th Anniversary of ‘Operation Varsity’ took place earlier this week. Over 3000 planes and gliders dropping troops around the Rhine area. One in five troops taking part were killed. Look it up. A forgotten battle.
Lots of our followers wanted to know more about the Glider Pilot Regiment so here are some links to their facebook site that you can access if you use facebook or their web site.
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https://www.facebook.com/groups/gprpublicgroup
You can also find more information on their web site
Fruit and Nut Village planting.
Most of you know that we lost a lot of trees in the recent storms and have started a campaign to try and slowly replace them. ‘Fruit and Nut Village’, who have been planting orchards in Druids Heath, have kindly agreed to plant some lovely nut trees in the cemetery and we will be holding a small event on April 6th at 11am. Everyone welcome. Boots and gloves advisable.
Protecting our last tree planting.
Before Covid we worked with Birmingham Trees for Life to plant 15 standard size trees on the boundary with Broad Lane and Sunderton Road. A few years on these trees needed their tree ‘guards’ and stakes removing so this morning seven volunteers from our Grave Gardening group set about that task and also made a start clearing brambles around the. Our thanks to all of them for their efforts as brambles are especially unpleasant to deal with !
Grave Gardeners
The Friends are continuing with their monthly sessions to clear shrubbery from graves and also around some perimeter areas. We welcome help at each of these events and whilst we do have our own group tools we always welcome supporters bringing their own tools with them. Can we suggest that you bring your own gardening gloves, if you have them, and wear suitable footwear.
We will be meeting by the Lodge at 11am but then moving to another area of the cemetery.
Brightening up the cemetery
A few years ago the Friends were lucky to receive a donation of 3 planters as part of the ‘Brightening Brandwood’ project. They were initially stocked with wild flowers that unfortunately have now reached the end of their life. The Friends made the decision that, if we could find some sponsors for the planters, we would like to continue to keep them as a welcoming splash of colour as you enter the cemetery.
FBEC funded last year’s display of Geraniums and filled the planters with bulbs but we are pleased to say that we have found two companies and a supporter who have sponsored the planters for the year 2025/6 so they are now looking Spring bright! As soon as its warmer they will also get a lick of paint. Thank you to everyone concerned.
Litter Pick 1st March
This is our last chance to get the flower papers and litter out from under bushes and hedges before it disappears into the greenery till next Autumn. Come along and help us with this final push.
Deutsche Bank pitch in to clear shrubbery.
We can always rely on the staff from Deutsche Bank to go above and beyond. They powered through the brambles and weeds to uncover more than 15 graves and complete the larger shrub clearance on this area. Well done Deutsche Bank!!
Damp Tree Walk- but enjoyed by all.
Despite the damp and miserable weather we were joined by 23 people who all spent close to an hour and a half learning a little bit more about the trees of Brandwood End in Winter. Our thanks to Malcolm who had spent time planning and leading a great Tree Walk. Lots of interesting facts and questions and so many different trees still remaining to cover at another time.
Hopefully the next Tree Walk will be a ‘Summer’ one with better weather. Thanks again to Malcolm for all his time and effort, and to those that attended and make it all worth while.
If you enjoyed todays walk and want to help us replant some new trees for those you saw that were lost recently then watch this space for details on how you can donate/sponsor new trees.