Πρωτομαγιά

It is May Day and in Greece on 1st May it is traditional to attach either a posy or a wreath of wild flowers to the front door of your house. Some people also put flowers on the bonnets of their cars.

This is not Greece and these are not wild flowers. This is the squirrel-feeding house and its garden has a colourful year-round display of hardy perennial non-biodegradeable plastic flowers. No scent, no insects, no birds, but squirrels a-plenty, a water bowl beside the gate for any passing creature in need of a drink and a little sign by the door which reads “Love grows in the garden”.

I suspect that the people in the larger wisteria-fronted houses up the road probably look down their noses at this house and its brightly cheerful if somewhat unnatural display. While I was growing up here the larger wisteria-fronted houses up the road had, on average, four bedrooms, one bathroom, one downstairs loo, one front garden, one back garden, one garage and one car. These days more bathrooms have been added, the garage has been converted into another reception room and the front garden turned into a driveway containing the three essential vehicles; the 4-wheel drive “gumboots” car with the rugged tyres for trips out to the countryside, the 2-seater “loafer” car for evening social functions, and the wife's everyday runabout shopping car which can be anything from a micra to a station-wagon. It's just a shame really that there aren't enough flowers for all three bonnets.