33 years ago

[Wowbagger]

I think the outstanding statistic from 1976 was the number of days in which, somewhere in Britain, the shade temperature reached 90°F. From memory, it was 32 days.

For 1976 was to become the hottest and driest summer on record. On no fewer than 15 consecutive days in late June and early July, the temperature exceeded 30C (90F) in many places.

[Woofage]

I remember that summer. We went swimming in an outdoor pool nearly every day .

I also remember my mum diverting the waste pipe from the bath into a water butt to water what was left of the garden. Despite her efforts, the grass completely died.

[Ian H]

I've cycling for longer.

But Englishing for less. 

Weird. My typing's always less accurate than my writing, but this missing word thing is quite new.

[Regulator]

Although the hottest summer (June July and August) recorded was in 1976:

• The hottest June was in 1846 with a mean of 18.2°C
• The hottest July was in 2006 with a mean of 19.7°C
• The hottest August was in 1995 with a mean of 19.2°C

The hottest month ever recorded was July 2006.

[David Martin]

I was running around Stavanger for the summer. Missed most of the drought and stuff.

The 'way out in the countryside' house we stayed in is now immersed in a suburb.


..d

[border-rider]

The hottest day was in Aug 2003.  I was trying to ride a 300.

[nicknack]

Can't remember that summer. I was probably working in Wimbledon and living in Earls Court. Commuting either by cycle or a BSA C15. Living with girlfriend and drinking a lot.

[Really Ancien]

Indicators of hot summers are the production of viable seed in Beech and Lime trees. Viable Beech mast became a problem for woodland management in the Lake District after 1976. Lime is a special case as it requires a continuous period of over 70 degrees Fahrenheit for the pollen tube to grow, this occured in parts of the country in 1983. Pollen analysis has shown Lime to be the dominant forest tree prior to large scale clearance, a hangover from the warm Atlantic period of 10,000 years ago.
The most significant recent weather episode was the prolonged drought of the early to mid 1990s which culminated in 1995 with water being trucked from Kielder to Scammonden in Yorkshire.

            Yorkshire Water to hold open inquiry into drought crisis  -
            News - The Independent

Damon.

[hellymedic]

...and I realise I've been driving for 40 years.

I would have thought you'd need a break by now.

I've cycling for longer.

He's a randonneur; randonneurs don't take breaks.. 

[hellymedic]

I didn't have a pregnant wife or mother and I didn't pass my driving test.

My abiding memory:

School exams in the temporary buildings ('demountables') with the sun pounding down over the school yard. All the windows open but not the hint of a breeze.  ‘OK – you can put your pens down now’ led to a scrummage to the sink at the back of the room and a fight to get your head under the cold tap.  And you that to the kids today...

The weather forecasts were a bit 'samey' for several months.

And Dennis Howells (?) - minister for rain/drought - I remember him.

I did my A-Levels in the summer of 76.
I cycled 5 miles to school most days.
We  were served iced squash in our Chemistry practical.

My mother got pregnant the next year.

[fred the great]

I don't remember that year even though it's almost at 90 degrees at the moment and at 11.30 at night

Phew.

Just had the aircon serviced which helps

[border-rider]

I did my A-Levels in the summer of 76.

...


My mother got pregnant the next year.

That's quite an age difference.  There's 14 years between my brother and me and I thought that was quite a lot...

[Wowbagger]

I remember when I was in the upper VI a girl I particularly fancied (also 18) was knitting some baby clothes. I enquired, innuendo-laden, as you do, and was told it was her mother, well past 40, that was pregnant. Even though I was a Modern Man before the expression was invented and went all gooey (oo-er missus) it didn't do me any good. I never made any headway with her.

[Basil]

Summer of '76
I spent most of it in Italy and France.  The GF of the time and I had travelled to Venice by train and we then spent several weeks meandering back to Paris to stay with mates.  I didn't really notice the heatwave/draught thing - just assumed it was hot 'cos we was abroad, innit?
I do remember my shock on arriving back in the UK though.  Looking out of the train windows at a parched brown countryside.


Hoorah for Denis Howell.   

[hellymedic]

I did my A-Levels in the summer of 76.
...
My mother got pregnant the next year.

That's quite an age difference.  There's 14 years between my brother and me and I thought that was quite a lot...

My brother had classmates whose mothers had been my classmates...

Still, it was fun having a child I could teach to ride a bicycle, take on bike rides and other fun trips without having any real resonsibility.

[border-rider]

Still, it was fun having a child I could teach to ride a bicycle, take on bike rides and other fun trips without having any real resonsibility.

My sister is 11 years older than me, and we remain close

[meddyg]

I'm already feeling hot!
I had to resit a physiology exam in Cambridge;
every hour
a tourist guide would arrive under my window to relate the history of the college
to their charges. . .

Evenings I cycled to the river for a swim.

And then in the autumn it rained and washed away all the drought/care! notices....

[Cudzoziemiec]

I remember that later in the summer the field at the bottom of Doverow Hill looked like the "artist's impression of the surface of Mercury" in a book which I only remember as being big and orange and a present from my grandparents. I also remember that the rowan tree at the bottom of the garden died because we'd been watering it with bathwater. And I remember being convinced there were insects crawling down my back at night, of course they sweat drops! We then received "permission" to sleep on top of our duvets instead of under them 

Now and here I'd regard an average of 19C as pleasantly cool.

[Mr Larrington]

The hottest day was in Aug 2003.  I was trying to ride a 300.

ISTR thinking the air-con in my motorcar had stopped working that afternoon.

Then I saw the outside temperature display...

The following weekend I was in Friedrichshafen and it tipped down practically all the time

[alan]

...and I realise I've been driving for 40 years.

 same here