Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery

Tantalising information.

Those of you that follow a series on Chanel 5 called ‘Planes that won the War’ will have seen, in the episode screened on the 1st of July, the story of 8 Air man who lost their lives when their Lancaster  crashed into ‘Ben Eighe’, a mountain in Scotland. The crash site was very remote, and still is.

One of those lost, their Navigator, lived very locally and is  buried in Brandwood End. We hope to feature his story in the near future, so watch this space.

Should any of his relatives read this, please contact us at friendsofbec@gmail.com as we would love to know more.

 

Civilian Garden looks glorious in the sunshine today.

We thought we would share with you these photos taken today on a warm summer morning in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance created in 1952 by Birmingham City Council as a memorial to the civilian dead of the 1939-45 war.

The newly restored benches, the mini rose trees and flourishing geranium plants in the four path beds are all examples of the contribution the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery make to this special place.   We can indeed be proud of our efforts.

‘At the going down of the sun, and in the morning;

we will remember them.’

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.

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.

 

100 years of history – The Poppy Factory it