Ash before oak?

With summer weather predicted for this weekend and into next week, and a 'barbecue' summer being predicted by the met office, what about the folklore? Does it agree with this prediction?

Does the old saying
"Ash before oak, we’re in for a soak, oak before ash, we'll get by with a splash",
(suggesting that, if the leaves on the ash tree appear first, it will be a wet summer and if the oak comes first, a mainly dry summer) still hold good?

This year it certainly appears that oak leaves are appearing before ash - most of the mature ash trees around here still have their black sooty buds tightly shut while the oaks are bursting into leaf.

There is of course, very conveniently, a contrary version of the old saying in case the first version proves inaccurate!

"If the ash before the oak, choke, choke, choke, (ie choking heat)
If the oak before the ash, splash, splash, splash" (ie a wet summer)


I leave it up to you.........