The February Spurtle is printed and batched and already beautifying parts of Broughton as you read this.
The bulk of the copies will start appearing tomorrow, with news and views on the last month’s events, and some crystal-ball-gazing for what’s coming up in these parts between now and June.
Planning dominates, with controversy surrounding rejection of the old Royal High School hotel proposal, the public’s exclusion from Calton Hill at Hogmanay, and a certain basement development in Gayfield where objectors have failed to find grounds to block what will probably become a hostel.
We have items on maps, poetry, robots and the BBC, ducks, beer-sellers, a successful dachshund-whisper and the self-contradictory morass that is St Andrew Square. Throw in some cinema, Fray Bentos, a missing cat and some reflexology, a sprinkling of zombie mass destruction, railway news and a side-order of sexy sounds and you have nearly all the ingredients needed for a useful and attractive A4 paper rain hat which will make you the envy of your friends in tomorrow’s weather.
If you already have a black-and-white paper rain hat, why not download a colourful snow-resistant version from our Homepage here: www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk? (Available from midnight tonight.)
We rely on our readers for news and photos, tips, whispers and expertise. So, if you have something to say about Broughton, or would like to respond to anything we’ve published online or in print already, please e-mail us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk or drop us a letter in our post-box c/o Narcissus Flowers at 87 Broughton Street. Alternatively, you can call us on 07455 770474.
We look forward to hearing from you.