Category: Heritage

Deutsche Bank visit again to help clear shrubbery

Staff from Deutsche Bank turned out again on the 9th to help clear a huge coppice of Holly and Ivy that had overtaken a number of graves making it impossible for family to locate or visit.

The photograph below shows the effort it takes to clear Ivy once it has got hold. Great care has to be taken to prevent damage to lead lettering. Follow this link as it shows the events of the day and a sequence of photographs detailing the progress to reveal this memorial. There were many more as well but this one took almost an hour of two peoples time and determination.

 

Welcome back Deutsche Bank.

We welcomed Deutsche Bank staff back to the Cemetery today to continue helping us to clear some of the more overgrown areas . Luckily the weather was relatively settled so we were all able to clear a large section in the time they were on site.

FBEC rely on the help of volunteers and corporate groups to be able to continue uncovering graves buried under shrubs and Ivy and clearing self set trees.

We are pleased to say that we still have several groups booked in for the remainder of this year so should be able to make inroads in other sections of the cemetery.

Our thanks to all our volunteers for giving up their time.

New Memorial unveiled by Dr Carl Chinn.

All our work came good today as Dr Carl Chinn unveiled our Memorial in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance. Now the names of those buried in this area can be read by visitors. We were also pleased to welcome Councillors John Cotton and David Barker as well as Brian Wright and Matt Felkin representing BARRA accompanied by 4 Standard Bearers. Several of our volunteers joined us, as well as representatives of local history groups and FBEC committee members.

       

 

The Memorial is now on view in The Civilian Garden of Remembrance and on Saturday the 14th we will be there to give visitors more information about the people whose names are displayed.

 

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HERITAGE WEEK BEGINS IN BRANDWOOD END

Take part in some of the Heritage Open  events in Brandwood End Cemetery. Add them to your diary now…

  • WEDNESDAY 11TH SEPTEMBER 2024- 2PM Join Ian Binnie as he takes you on a Tour of the memorials to those killed in 1944. (The 80th anniversary of D Day and other crucial battles). Ian will present biographies of several men and women who served and died and are buried in Brandwood End. There is no need to book this event. (THE TOUR WILL LAST APPROX. ONE HOUR. MEET BY THE LODGE, ON THE MAIN DRIVE. )
  • THURSDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER AT 7.30PM ‘Over by Christmas 1944’ A ZOOM event. To receive a ZOOM link please e mail Ian Binnie on warwickfus@btinternet.com
  • SATURDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER 11AM TILL 2 PM Who Lies Beneath? Join the Friends for an open event in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance (in Section 33) to learn more about those bombing victims buried in this communal peaceful space and see our recently installed Memorial stone carrying their names. We will be joined by local WW2 Air Raid and BARRA Historian, Matt Felkin, who will happily share his records and knowledge with visitors.

friendsofbec@gmail.com

Who Lies Beneath?

‘WHO LIES BENEATH? If you recognise any of the unusual surnames below then just maybe one of your family relatives was a victim of the bombing in WW2 and buried within our Civilian Garden of Remembrance. Come along to the Garden between 11am and 2pm on Saturday 14th September to find out more.
Battista, Bramham, Courtnell, Everitt, Granner, Hollyoake, Lovedee, Shamsudi and many more. There are over 50 whose names we know but sadly- quite a few we don’t.
If you know you have family buried in this beautiful Civilian Garden we would love to know more about them if you feel you can share.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRANDWOOD END !

Saturday 13th April 2024 will be the 125th anniversary of the opening of Brandwood End Cemetery.

The Cemetery

A Brief History

On 13 April 1899 George Tallis, Chairman of the Cemetery Committee, opened Brandwood End Cemetery, which was administered by Kings Norton Rural District Council. With the extension of Birmingham’s boundaries in 1911, the cemetery came under the administration of the Birmingham City Corporation. The cemetery was gradually extended over the years and is now some 53 acres, 2 of which were sold in 1919 to the Jewish Community. A portion of this small fenced area is now a burial area for Muslim members of the local community.

The grounds are a fine example of a Victorian landscaped cemetery with avenues of Scots Pine, Cypress and Wellingtonia. This magnificent planting earned the cemetery a Grade II listing in the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England in 2001.

The cemetery has Gothic style mortuary chapels, which were added to the statutory list of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest in 1997.

Happy Birthday Brandwood End !

Hedgehog population boost.

Our thanks to Array4Hogs as they are working with the Friends to help boost the Hedgehog population in the rewilded areas of the cemetery.

Array4hogs, run by Sharon and her team of volunteers, is a local rescue centre who have had to cope with over 170 rescued Hedgehogs this year. The cemetery offers 53 acres of relatively safe environment in which to release Hedgehogs. They may pop up in your garden if you are within a couple of miles of the cemetery as they can travel several miles at night.

Soon they will be settling down for the Winter but on warmer nights they may still pop out! Thank you to Sharon and Alan for agreeing to use the cemetery as a release site and their time today.

HERITAGE OPEN EVENTS- BRANDWOOD END 2023

This year the Friends will be hosting several events at Brandwood End Cemetery. If you would like to reserve a place at any event or have any queries then please contact us by e mail on friendsofbec@gmail.com or phone 07811393259. All events are also listed on the National Heritage Open site and the Birmingham Heritage Open event site.

8th SEPTEMBER – FRIDAY – ZOOM TALK  Ian Binnie – 7.30pm-8.30pm – Gallipoli and Brandwood End (Ian is the Education Officer for the Gallipoli Association) He will also be on site Tuesday.

 12th SEPTEMBER – TUESDAY – GRAVES WALK  Ian Binnie – 11am-12pm – Gallipoli and Brandwood End – Start at the Lodge

 13th SEPTEMBER – WEDNESDAY – STORIES FROM THE STONES  FBEC Memorial / Headstone Inscription Recording – 1000am-1200pm –Assemble at The Lodge. Be part of this larger project to record inscriptions and condition of memorials on to a digital map, for future generations.

 15th SEPTEMBER – FRIDAY – LICHEN STROLL SESSIONS X 2   Shirley Hancock – 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-1500pm – Start at the Lodge. Learn more about the secret world of Lichen. It is everywhere but do we really know anything about it? (A magnifying device would be helpful but not essential)

 16th SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY – MEET THE FRIENDS (FBEC)1100am-1400pm – The Lodge –Maps of measured routes in the cemetery, children’s painted stones trail – colouring competition etc. Find out what the Friends have been doing and our future plans. Enjoy a chance to look through some of our extensive research. No need to book for this event just come along  and partake in a chat and tea/coffee- provided by ‘Chatty Chatty Brum Brum’.