Category: Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery

Annual clearance of Ivy underway…..

Every year  Friends of Brandwood End Committee turn out to try and keep the Ivy under control that takes over some of the most historic monuments in the cemetery.

 Following advice from the Conservation Officer and also the Wildlife Trust, who are working closely with us on our Hedgehog Project,  we try and restrict our activities to the month of February when the impact on insects and birds is at its lowest. Whilst removing the Ivy we did find one or two frogs and toads enjoying the sunshine in the damp undergrowth but we made sure they remained undisturbed (Apart from their photo call!)

 

I think you will agree that the improvement is quite striking and has exposed some of our most interesting and beautiful monuments.

 

 

Half Term….and it’s Hedgehog Time again !

Schools out, so its about time we made sure our Brandwood End Hedgehogs have plenty of food when they finally emerge.  Not too long to wait now!!

Join us on Wednesday 22nd February at 10am for a couple of hours of making log piles and bug houses to ensure plenty of juicy food for our prickly friends!

(Unless you are over 16 I am afraid you will have to bring an adult!)

Meet at the Lodge on the main drive of Brandwood End Cemetery 10am.

Tree husbandry underway!

Those of you that walk through or visit Brandwood End Cemetery will see some tree work happening in the next week or so. There will be some ‘crown lifting’ (taking off of lower branches) at various locations on the site and also the removal of some self set trees near the Diamond Woodland/yard fence.

 

 

 

 

Great to see so much tree husbandry happening in Brandwood End. More tree work to follow later in the year so watch this blog for details. All this work is being undertaken following consultation between Bereavement Services and the  BCC Tree Officer for the area.

 

New Year? New Resolution?

Brandwood End Cemetery Chapels

Not yet a Friend of Brandwood End Cemetery?  We really do need you!  Why not join the Friends, and even if you can’t get to help us out physically your membership fees really do help us make the Cemetery a better place.

Why not start 2017 by supporting the Friends and become a Friend yourself?

The forms are below (if you are a taxpayer please complete the Gift Aid form too – it costs you nothing but we get more from your donation). Thank you!

Membership Form Gift Aid Form

Merry Christmas Everyone

The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery would like to wish all their supporters a very Merry Christmas and hope that you all enjoy a healthy 2017.

We have called on our supporters a lot in 2016 to help with lots of projects and they have not let us down. We know that many of you are unable to come along and help physically with projects as your distance to travel, time available, physical capabilities etc all vary dramatically. All we ask is that you continue to renew your memberships each April and/or keep an interest in what we are doing via this site and our facebook page as the day will come when numbers of supporters count when important decisions are made!

Just a reminder of some of the busy work we have undertaken with your support in 2016.

unspecified-2We have enjoyed working with Woodthorpe Primary and St Albans RC Primary, and continue to do so as part of our community filming of our ongoing Hedgehog Project

We ‘Cleaned for the Queen’ earlier in the year and litter picked once a quarter as usual

img_8415img_8465-copyimg_4282u3aimg_8460img_848020161025_151654img_8448award-115IMG_032920161025_13590020161025_144233img_1857

We have won a Silver Gilt Medal in the Heart of England in Bloom, organised the refurbishment of the Civilian Garden of Remembrance, held lots of Hedgehog events (thanks to funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund)and held our usual annual Remembrance Service. None of this would have been possible without your support.

As Chairman can I also give special thank you and Seasonal Greetings to all our committee, present and past, for their efforts. Many of our past committee still continue to work on our behalf and I would like to give a special thank you to Pat Franklin who tirelessly takes people on historic Grave Walks on our behalf.  Working with you all is a joy!

In 2017 we will continue our work to try and raise the profile of Brandwood End Cemetery and especially the plight of our magnificent chapels. We believe the more people who visit via events etc……the more support we will have when the time comes for some serious lobbying! Thank you all again.

Tree work underway.

It is good to see that trees are being kept in good order by a reputable Tree Surgeon!  Can I remind you that you may be seeing quite a lot of tree work in Brandwood End over the Winter. This is good for the public, for obvious safety reasons, but also good for the trees as they need a ‘haircut’ now and then, just like we do .20161222_111741

 

If you look carefully you can just see them at work, on the right in the tree in orange high viz!

 

Just a reminder that if you ever need work done on your own trees try and use a reputable company as an enthusiastic amateur can cause damage to the tree (and your view) that may take years to correct.

 

 

 

 

Young film makers show their skills.

Our final ‘Hedgehog’ related event for 2016 !. Pupils from St Albans RC Primary have been training with our Community Film Maker and spent time at Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve putting their knowledge into practice. They will be making a short film for FBEC about our whole Hedgehog project. Don’t they look professional?

unspecified-2img_9030

unspecifiedPupils proudly display their bug hotel.  They had been set the task of making some pallets into an appealing hotel for ‘bugs and beasties’ to become a larder for visiting hedgehogs.

I think we can call their efforts a success? They have also placed their own Hedgehog house in the school grounds.

Second Lieutenant F C Alabaster, commemorated at this years Remembrance Service

FBEC felt they would like to share with you an article prepared by Edwina Rees, for the Moseley History Society newsletter. It sums up our recent Remembrance Day Event. Thank you Edwina.

img_8460

The centenary year of the Battle of the Somme was very much in everyone’s thoughts, in this year’s commemorative service held at the Cross of Sacrifice at Brandwood End Cemetery.  Before the laying of wreaths, the last post rang out and during the two minutes silence, instead of poppies, the last golden leaves of autumn fell on the heads of those reflecting on the loss of the many young men who fell that fell during the course of the war in 1916.

Second Lieutenant F C Alabaster was one of those who lost their lives that year. Clifford, as he preferred to be known, was wounded in the head by shrapnel, just before the Battle of the Somme, but the protection afforded by the new ‘Brodie’ helmets lessened the impact and he was expected to survive. Unfortunately, this was not the case and he died in the Empire Hospital for Officers, London just over a month later. His great niece Wendy Alabaster represented the family on the day

His grave and those of others buried here who served in WW1, are now recognised by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission thanks to the campaigning endeavors of the Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery. He is also commemorated at St Mary’s Church, Moseley on their WW1 memorial.

img_8488

 

Second Lieutenant F C Alabaster was highlighted at the request of the Commonwealth War Grave Commission as part of their ‘Living  Memories’ project, but in remembering him we must also remember all those who are buried here or on foreign soil who gave their lives for their country and those killed locally as a result of enemy air raids.