Summer of 1976

Oh yes, living 10 minutes from the beach, 19 years old it was a fabulous summer ??

Very well. I was expecting my second baby in August.

Whenever pregnant women nowadays moan about the heat, I always say “Well, it’s not as hot as 1976!”

Yes I do remember. We used to take in foreign students through the summer months which made it even more difficult.

My second child,my daughter was born in July 1976 and I had a two year old (son) at the time. I used to sit in a cool bath on an afternoon while he had a nap. I used to go to the shops early and try and stay cool for the rest of the day/night. Then on the bank holiday weekend the weather broke and it rained and rained. A thankful relief.

I was 19 and went on a camping holiday with my boyfriend to Cornwall ( remember a company called Rent a Tent?) in August. While the heatwave continued in the rest of the country, we had rain and drizzle for several days! Typical of my luck!

We lived in Devon in the edge of Dartmoor.

The children were 5 and 3 and we spent the summer on Bantham beach or swimming in the river Avon.

Lovely lovely times

We had just moved to London and were staying in a small, very hot flat. I remember sitting outside at Alexandra Palace, one of the highest spots in London, where it was very breezy and drinking delicious cold lager.

I also remember smoking dope on sunny afternoons in Finsbury Park and thinking London was the most groovy, exciting place in the world.

We went to the 100 Club and ate a kebab at a Greek place in Soho. I’d never eaten a kebab before.
I had my first pizza in a Pizzeria in Islington.

My, that’s a long time ago and life seemed a whole lot simpler then...

That was a really memorable summer for so many of us. The heat was incredible - on the Herts/Cambs border we had 3 weeks of temperatures in the 90's (old figures!). One evening in the huge queue which marked the rush hour traffic going into a neighbouring town, there were lots of cars without drivers. In the pea fields where there were those huge "arms" which irrigate the crops, there were circles of people dancing in the spray, mostly wearing shirts and trousers and smart "business" dresses.

If you threw a cigarette end out of your car window, you would start a terrible fire. We couldn't bear evenings indoors so used to go to the pub' and fetch jugs of cold beer and then sit in friends' gardens, eating and drinking until bedtime. Tried to sleep in our garden a couple of times, but have you tried to sleep next to cows?! They just won't stop making a noise - coughing and snorting, munching and puffing and peeing. We were sure it was deliberate!

Trips to the beach, bbq's, garden parties, anything outside - all with guaranteed wonderful weather. First time I can remember that ever happening in the UK.

My boyfriend (now my husband) we’re on a road trip round Wales. No map just driving and staying where we pleased. Magical.

It was the year that I had my first baby and it was my mums last summer. The three of us spent a the whole summer together. Doing our best to keep the plagues of ladybirds off our precious baby.

We got married on the 3 rd July 1976. So hot and then the fashion in wedding dresses was high neck and long sleeves. Everyone was fanning themselves with the order of service sheets. Saved a fortune on drinks though as everyone wanted cold long drinks.

Yup - sure do!

Had second baby in August - I remember watching Wimbledon naked as I was too hot for words.

Dead ladybirds in massive c. 10 foot swathes along the tideline on nearby beach.

Had second son in March that year. He wore nothing but nappies all Summer and had to sleep in the shade. Other son was two and had very bad eczema. That wasn't much fun for him!

Got married in September of that year; we had had months of gorgeous really hot weather and on the day of our wedding I woke up to rain! Couldn't believe it. But all was well, as by the afternoon the sun was back out and we had a lovely day.

I had to spend it in the company of a very grumpy DH because he'd fallen off my horse and broken his collar bone!

He was strapped up in a figure of eight thingy which resulted in a painful rash because he was so hot and sweaty.

When the rain finally came, the fields of stubble surrounding us produced some huge Fen mushrooms. We bartered them at our local Chinese restaurant who couldn't get enough of them.

Got married in august 1976 husband and best man probably sweltering In kilts.

My now ex husband and I took a children's club on holiday to the south coast that summer. When the weather broke and we had rain, we found that few children had brought anything waterproof. Previously unheard of for a UK holiday.

I am currently reading a rather sweet book set in the summer of 1976 about two little girls searching for a missing neighbour, and God. It is called 'The Trouble With Goats and Sheep' by Joanna Cannon

Hot summer and had to work in a prefabricated office but we had permission not to wear tights/ stockings. Suffered the heat the whole summer only to have my holiday at the end of September in lukewarm damp Holland and France.

I was doing my A levels that summer. It was stifling and hard to revise let alone sit 3 hour papers with occasionally 2 exams in one day.

I was working in a shop in 1976. That year Carlisle council decided to put on the "Great Fair". We all were asked to dress up in old fashioned costumes.
Imagine working in a long black skirt, high neck blouse, apron and mob cap! Then having to travel home on the bus in the same clothes, as there was no place to change at the shop.
Phew, it was hot!

We moved house in the August of that year. The house was filthy and had to be redecorated before we moved the furniture in. Our dining and lounge furniture was sat on the back lawn for over 3 weeks whilst the work was carried out. It was hot work doing all that decorating, though!

I was pregnant with my second child due in September 76. I slept away the afternoons with DD and we went to Greenwich Park once OH got in from work. The grass was all dry and burnt and the park really busy until it got really dark.

Resting on afternoon I heard cheering from outside. I looked out to see great big raindrops. People were so excited to see the rain after the water shortages.

I began a short term work contract with the local water authority. My job was to collect data on the water levels at various sites around the county. They, of course, dropped considerably over the summer. My start date was April 1st!

My son was born 13th July 1976 so I remember it very well. I used to sit on a plastic chair in the shower in my bra and pants to keep cool it was horrendous and I had to walk to the maternity hospital for my appointments every week for the last month pushing a 3 yr old in the pushchair my mil with whom we lived never once offered to mind her so I could go on my own.