A couple of weeks ago, writes David Jackson Young, Spurtle encouraged readers unhappy with the post-festive state of St Andrew Square to contact Essential Edinburgh and copy the paper in on any correspondence (Breaking news, 18.1.15).
On 19 January I wrote to Essential Edinburgh via their website as follows:
Re: St Andrew Square Garden
Is the current state of this once beautiful space intended as a kind of centenary tribute to the soldiers of the First World War? If so, congratulations on a vivid recreation of the mud and chaos of the Western Front. If that isn't the idea, can Essential Edinburgh please advise when the area is going to be cleaned up and restored? And can you also please advise when the next 'event' is scheduled for the Garden? I look forward to your response.
Their bland interim (?) response, dated 21 January, is reproduced below.
Dear David
Thank you for your e-mail comments, I have passed this onto the relevant person for you.
Please bear with us while we reinstate the Gardens following the Christmas activities.
All events in St Andrew Square Garden that affect the grass or plants are required, as part of their terms, to reinstate the Garden to its previous condition at the expense of the event organisers. This process can only begin once the event has been cleared and the damage to the Garden assessed. Reinstatement timescales vary depending on the time of year; rest assured, the Garden will be re-turfed and reinstated as quickly as possible.
Please see the timeline below for completion:
30th January: A tender has been sent out and contract will be awarded by 30th January.
9th February: Work Begins – dependent on soil temperatures and general weather conditions (two week frost free period is required).
27th February: Work completed and site cleared.6th March: Final sign off of work by Essential Edinburgh.
Best Regards
Cassandra Ritchie
Bid Liaison Officer
Essential Edinburgh
I've heard nothing since, but on the same day the Edinburgh Evening News published an article on St Andrew Square which contains an extraordinary quote from Essential Edinburgh boss Andy Neal.
You may have seen it, but I think it's worth sharing with any Spurtle readers who missed it.
Commenting on the ravaged condition of the grounds, Neal undertakes to give the garden 'breathing space' by building in 'more fallow periods going forward'.
Elegantly put. But here's the good bit: 'It is also important to remember that … the events help to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of the garden ...'.
So: the money that comes in from the events that damage the Garden pays for the repair of the damage caused by those events.
You would be hard put to find a better example of a (viciously) circular argument. It's like the desperate plea of the drug addict who's planning to give it up, but needs 'just another fix' to help him cope with the prospect.
Oh dear.
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk and @theSpurtle and Facebook
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Round and round in circles ... local resident and Spurtle reader is unimpressed by Essential Edinburgh's dizzying logic on St Andrew Square use. Read on here: http://www.broughtonspurtle.org.uk/…/fallacies-fall-fallow-…
Fergus Smith I'm not sure logic is quite the right word ...
@theSpurtle so even if restoration is completed within the time frame, that will be 14 weeks the garden will have been affected by @edxmas
#StAndrewSquare: How about keeping grass clear of tents/stalls/funfair etc. for a period of time each year equal to … [1/2] @EssentialEdin
Broughton Spurtle @theSpurtle
period of time it had tents/stalls/funfairs etc. (+ was recovering from them) in the previous year? Seems fair. [2/2] @EssentialEdin
@theSpurtle surely @EssentialEdin can see the use of the garden needs a rethink? Edinburgh is beautiful city. Folks come here to enjoy that
@theSpurtle other cities compete on terms of excitement(so we up the ante all the time) but they cannot compete on aesthetics @EssentialEdin
Broughton Spurtle In a spirit of amity, fairness and cooperation, how about we encourage people to write in to Essential Edinburgh advocating the following compromise? St Andrew Square should be left uncovered and undisturbed by events of any sort for a period of time each year equal to the period of time in the previous year when it was covered or partially covered or disturbed by events of any sort or was recovering from the same. That way, the pristine and tranquil purpose for which the square was intended would be ring-fenced, but other purposes and enjoyments would get a fair look-in. Hell ... chance ... snowball?
Fergus Smith I suspect a wager on a snowball surviving in hell would be a safer bet ...
Broughton Spurtle Beauty of the Spurtle scheme is that, following Essential Edinburgh logic, having fewer events would cause less damage, and so require fewer events to pay for repairs.
Fergus Smith Ooh, I like your thinking, a virtuous circle.