The rather charming quote currently featured on Curiouser and Curiouser’s Broughton Street A-board is taken from Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (see foot of page).
The original continues, ‘… and things pushing up and working under the earth’, which sounds as though it was written with Leith Street in mind, but wasn't.
Sadly, Burnett’s description is not particularly accurate this spring, where Auld Reekie rain has been in short supply.
Met Office figures give the average rainfall in the capital (from 1981 to 2010) as 51.7mm in March and 40.5mm in April.
But this year instead, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh weather station has recorded rainfall of 47.4mm and just 4mm respectively. No wonder there are already a few back-greens in Broughton that are distinctly back-yellows.
So, if ‘March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers’ doesn't quite cut the mustard these days, what are we to do?
Perhaps we should abandon past expectations and settle for something more topical.
Still drenched in politics, we suggest: ‘April showers and May reflections lead to flaming June elections’. Your alternative suggestions are welcome.
Get in touch at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk or @theSpurtle or Facebook
