Took my daily exercise in the cemetery today and thought I would take a few photos of the extent of graves failing a stress test. These stones are in danger of toppling under minor pressure, so have been marked with blue tape and staked, to allow time for next of kin to have them correctly fixed by a Stonemason, and to warn the public to keep clear of them. In the older sections there are quite a few large stones needing action.
Safety tests have been undertaken on monuments in B8 and B10. Some headstones tested are deemed unsafe so Bereavements may be trying to contact grave owners. DO THEY HAVE YOUR CORRECT ADDRESS? Please try and visit to check your relatives grave if it is in those areas and make sure Bereavement Services at Kings Norton are aware if you have moved. These are quite old burial sections so some grave sites may have no living relatives. Graves that have been deemed in need of action have been ‘blue’ taped and attached to posts. Ultimately these headstones will be laid flat to avoid damage to them and unsuspecting passers- by unless grave owners rectify the situation. If you think your details are out of date you can e mail your present address to : brandwood.endcem@birmingham.gov.uk
Remember to include the grave number off your deeds!
We have received information today that a number of items were stolen from an unlocked car in Brandwood End on New Years Day. The car was very close to its owners as they visited a grave but a thief managed to steal a handbag and items without being seen at all. Please do not leave your car unlocked at any time, even if you think you will be ‘just a minute’ or’ close by’. There was a spate of similar thefts some years ago but nothing of late, but opportunist thieves are always about.
Just remember that the cemetery is a large 53 acre site and you do need to be aware of where you are and who is around you, the same as you would in a local park or open space. Please don’t leave valuables on display in your vehicle as it will take an opportunist just seconds to remove them. ALWAYS LOCK YOUR CAR.
Can we stress that the cemetery is a lovely safe space and thefts from vehicles are very rare – far rarer than on any suburban street or supermarket car park, but if we all take care…..they will become even rarer.
If anyone has any information about the theft that happened on New Years Day, around lunch time, please contact the local Brandwood Policing Team at Bournville Police Station. The handbag was later disposed of. Did you see anyone doing that and thought it looked a bit odd?
Take care. Stay safe.
A final reminder of opening hours over the Christmas period.
Christmas Eve Thursday 24th December – 8.30am – 4.00pm
Christmas Day Friday 25th December – 10am – 4pm
Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th December – 10am – 4pm
Monday 28th December 10am – 4pm
New Year’s Day Friday 1st January – 10am to 4.00pm
Otherwise opening hours are as usual.
There was no one more surprised that Julia, (our Chairman), and myself when 11 people turned up to our litter pick in the pouring rain! Our thanks to them for braving the cold and the rain and collecting lots of bags of rubbish. We are pleased to say that most of the litter was wind blown flower paper and not rubbish discarded by the public.
Can we remind visitors to remove flower paper when placing flower tributes on graves and secure artificial flowers in pots, to avoid them being blown around the area by the wind.
Thank you again to those that came to this, the last Litter Pick of 2020. This year will forever rank as a strange one! Our next litter pick will be Saturday the 6th March 2021.
If anyone was wondering whether or not to come to this mornings litter Pick….in the rain, Julia and I will be there in case anyone really feels the need to get out and about. We totally understand that most of you may decide to give it a miss. Early Seasons Greetings to those of you we may not see before the 25th. Stay safe over the Christmas period.
Just a reminder that we will be holding our quarterly Litter Pick on Sunday the 6th December.
10-11.30am Meet at the Lodge. We will provide litter bags and we do have some spare pickers, but under Covid restrictions we do ask that you wear gloves and bring your own litter pickers if you have them. Stout footwear will also be required. We have a limited number of High Viz vests as well, so if you have your own, please wear it.
Can we remind everyone that the cemetery falls within a Tier 3 Covid area so please adhere to any of the restrictions which are applicable. As we are a 53 acre site there will be no reason for anyone to be close to anyone else, all though we will ask people to remain in sight line of at least one other person, for safety reasons.
This will be our last litter pick in 2020 and our December event always finds litter exposed by the bare appearance of shrubbery !
All the photos in the album link below were taken within a few days of each other, yet the weather is so different! (Can I give e mention to Gary Staples who took the drone shots)
Can we just remind everyone that the cemetery opening times are subject to change at short notice, so please consult the Birmingham City Council web site below to confirm that your information is up to date.
Brandwood End cemetery | Birmingham City Council
To confirm, as we write (21.11.20), the times below are in operation.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday- 10-4pm
Wednesday 8.30- 4pm
Saturday and Sunday 10-4pm
After losing the Battle of Britain the Luftwaffe pounded England’s industrial cities almost nightly on an eight-month-long bombing campaign. In Brandwood End we have many civilian graves as a result of bombing raids that attest to the devastating loss of life that Birmingham suffered.
Eighty years ago (Tuesday 19th November 1940) the first major aerial raid was launched on Birmingham as part of a campaign by the German Luftwaffe designed to break the Brummie spirit. Coming five days after the destruction of Coventry Birmingham fell prey to the most severe attack during the course of the Second World War. Lasting nearly all night the nine hours’ of intense bombing by 440 bombers killed 450 people and badly injured 540 others. Around 400 tonnes of high explosives were dropped during the raid – Hitler’s retaliation for British raids on Hamburg, Bremen and Kiel.
Factories damaged in the raid included Lucas Industries and GEC works and the Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) factory was also badly damaged – 53 employees were killed as they took shelter behind blast walls, 89 were injured, 30 of them seriously, and rifle production was said to have been halted for three months as a result.
Including lighter attacks on other nights, the casualties for the period from 19th to 28th November 1940 was 796 dead and 2345 injured. About 20,000 people were made homeless. A fearsome new weapon, the landmine, was being used. It was virtually a sea mine on a parachute and it was extremely powerful. But this was to be just the start. The Birmingham Blitz spanned 3 years.
The longest raid lasting 13 hours came on 11 December 1940 when 278 bombers targeted the city once more killing 263 people and badly wounding 243 after explosives and 25,000 incendiaries were dropped.
In total 1,852 tons of bombs were dropped on Birmingham making it the third most heavily bombed city in the United Kingdom behind only London and Liverpool. 2,241 Brummies were killed, 3,010 were seriously injured and 3,682 harmed.
Prolonged and powerful attacks destroyed 12,391 houses, 303 factories, 34 churches, halls and cinemas, 205 other buildings and thousands of other properties were damaged. A graphic illustration of sacrifices made at home, as well as abroad.
The last air raid siren sounded in Birmingham on 15th May 1944.