Tomorrow, Sunday 6th December, sees the last litter pick of 2015 in Brandwood End. Please come along and support us if you can. 
The windy weather means that there will be plenty of litter blowing about! Meet at the Lodge at 10am. Pickers etc will be provided but stout footwear and gloves are recommended.
Our thanks to everyone that supported this annual event organised by FBEC. This year close to 70 people turned out in windy and damp conditions to remember those that have given their lives in battle.
Our thanks to Rev David Fairbotham, local Councillors and all the organisations that laid wreaths but our special thanks to the Standard Bearer from The British Legion (Kings Heath Branch), our brilliant Buglers (Ludo and Oliver) who always do us proud, and of course local residents and supporters. This year our numbers were close to 70 !
Our thanks as well to Bereavement Services staff who come along on their day off to make sure cars don’t drive through the event !
This years SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE will take place on SUNDAY 8TH NOVEMBER at the Cross of Sacrifice on the Main Drive (10.50am for 11.00am start)
Please try and support this annual event to remember those that have been lost in the name of Peace. We will be supported by the Flag Bearer and Chairman of the West Midlands British Legion, Local Councillors and local Organisations.
If you happen to pass through Brandwood End Cemetery this week, you may well see members of the Friends and volunteers placing some 350 + poppy crosses. Each War Grave in Brandwood End is marked every year by the placing of a poppy cross on it. A large grid ‘poppy cross cemetery’ is also formed on the grassland adjacent to the Cross of Sacrifice on the Main Drive- to give an impression of the large numbers of those buried within Brandwood End who have lost their lives in wars around the globe.
Please pause for a moment after Remembrance Sunday to read the information placed near the ‘poppy cemetery’.
Remembrance Sunday information is to follow this article.
FBEC joined with Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and the Park Rangers to organise a family event based around Hedgehogs. Despite on and off rain, nothing distracted all the mums and dads and children from enjoying the activities. Watch this space for news of further events centred around Hedgehogs and Brandwood End Cemetery. Well done Rachel and Jan for keeping the 25+ children and 12+ adults occupied!! The children spent a lovely afternoon bug hunting and hedgehog habitat spotting as well as drawing or making their own hedgehogs.
Half term is nearly here and the Friends of Brandwood End, supported by Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and the Park Ranger Service and holding a Hedgehog Day during Wild About Gardens week at Brandwood Pool on Tuesday the 27th October from 2-4pm (The pool lies at the bottom of the cemetery site or access via Whittington Close B14 6JW)
Come and discover more about these favourite creatures and how to make your garden Hedgehog friendly. Fun for all the family with bug hunting,crafts and lots more!
We also want your views on our proposed project to survey the Cemetery and create improved habitats for Hedgehogs.
Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
One of our members pointed out that the hedge surrounding the Civilian Garden of Remembrance had suddenly shot up….despite being cut well back in June so three of the Friends took the shears to the top on Saturday morning! It looks a little better now. We hope to do its final cut just before the Remembrance Day event, so it looks spick and span that day so we will be appealing for assistance nearer that time.
Whilst on site we gave the new hedge, surrounding the adjacent War Graves, a quick cut as well but it hasn’t started to thicken up yet. We are still always looking for people who visit the cemetery and have spare time to weed under the hedge on both sites. What needs doing is fairly obvious!
We are afraid that the Friends and Brandwood End Cemetery will not be holding an event during this years Heritage Open Week as we currently lack the capacity to deliver an event to the standard of the one you may have experienced last year- but fear not! We hope to be able to participate on site next year and instead, in celebration of our 10th year as a Friends Group,
we have installed displays in Kings Heath and Druids Heath Libraries that we hope you will enjoy.
Can we thank the staff at both libraries who have helped us in this venture and seem happy for our displays to stay in place for several weeks.
At Kings Heath Library we were able to add some historic photographs from the early 1900’s provided by the staff (from library archives.)
Quick reminder. Come along and enjoy a stroll around our magnificent cemetery-hopefully in the sunshine- whilst collecting litter as you walk! We hold our litter picks every quarter and they offer a chance for you to observe wildlife, especially the extensive bird population, whilst helping to keep this beautiful open space litter free.
Meet by the Lodge on the main drive- 10am on Saturday the 5th September. We advise suitable clothing , footwear and gloves, but we will provide litter pickers and rubbish bags. Litter Pick events usually last till approx 11.30am
‘Heritage Stone Access’ began work this week to clear shrubbery and re-fix loose and fallen masonry on the chapels, in an effort to slow deterioration pending funding being available to undertake renovation work.
As we all know, money is tight in Birmingham City Council and therefore renovation of the chapels remains some way off. (The majority of grant applications would demand match funding as a minimum from the site/building owners- BCC)
Bereavements Department are keen, along with the Friends, to try and keep the Chapels from deteriorating further during this lean period so have engaged a reputable company, with a good history of work on heritage buildings, to carry out various works. This includes making the building ‘pigeon proof’. (Large amounts of pigeon poo have already been professionally removed!) Shrubbery has also been sprayed with weed killers and partially removed.
Those eagled eyed visitors to the cemetery will have noticed that since the pigeons have been denied access to the buildings they have taken to roosting on the tower and creating quite a mess! Whilst on site the contractors will also be re-fixing masonry that has fallen (as seen across). We all watch with interest.