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Win a Kindle Paperwhite worth over £100 plus a copy of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep **NOW CLOSED**

(602 Posts)
SorchaGransnet (GNHQ) Mon 16-Jan-17 15:23:26

To celebrate the publication of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, a charming coming-of-age debut novel by Joanna Cannon, we're giving you the chance to win a Kindle Paperwhite.

Mrs Creasy is missing and The Avenue is alive with whispers. The neighbours blame the disappearance on the heatwave, but ten-year-olds Grace and Tilly aren't so sure.

As the summer shimmers endlessly on, the girls decide to start their own investigation. And as the cul-de-sac starts giving up its secrets, the amateur detectives find more than they imagined.

Joanna Cannon graduated from Leicester Medical School and worked as a hospital doctor, before specialising in psychiatry. She lives in the Peak District with her family and her dog.

To be in with a chance of winning a Kindle Paperwhite worth over £100 & a copy of the book, tell us - do you remember the heatwave of '76? If so, what are your memories of it?

Post your entry below by midday Monday 13 February.

Usual T&Cs apply.

This discussion is sponsored by HarperCollins

kilbytecla Sun 05-Feb-17 20:56:07

I remember the heat wave of 1976 and everyone was having barbecues that year.

georgepow Sun 05-Feb-17 19:53:02

I was living on a Small Borders Sheep Farm, it's one of the few years Farmers were able to get Hay & Cereal Crops Harvested without any Problems. The Local Agricultural Show was a BIG HIT as everyone could relax knowing a good Harvest had been Stored.

mazann55 Sun 05-Feb-17 19:21:41

We had just moved into our 1st home, a flat with very large floor to ceiling windows which were north facing. The temp never dropped below a 100 degrees at night and there were constant fires on the horizon from tinder dry fields and parks.

elamic Sun 05-Feb-17 16:30:47

the weather was hot, hot, hot and the music was even hotter. Lazy summer days laying in cool grass or idly playing ball games as I was 13 and just getting into music, I seem to remember Abba had hits and dreaming about falling in love `under the moon of love` with Showaddywaddy. Standpipes & water rationing were in the news, a great halcyon year.

MMMMMEEEEE Sun 05-Feb-17 16:21:53

Having to wash in the sink to save water and people with buckets going to the stand pipes in the street. Also lovely picnics with the family.

ngc4725 Sun 05-Feb-17 16:00:50

Remember sitting in my bedroom studying for my exams whilst it seemed the whole world was out enjoying themselves.

elisatrueman Sun 05-Feb-17 15:44:43

I remember being on holiday in the summer of 76 in the new forest with my parents, I was 7 and had knee high socks with 1976 written at the top. I also remember being mortified that my dad wore socks with sandals! It was a hot drought and we had a fab holiday x

Footpather Sun 05-Feb-17 14:32:32

I turned 15 that Summer. Enjoying the fashions of the time. Getting a fabulous tan. Meeting up with mates in the park, lots of boy talk and it was probably the last carefree Summer before leaving school and going to college. Our family weren't well off and we never went on holiday, just day trips usually. That year I went on holiday with the next door neighbours as their babysitter for their 5 year old daughter. Filey was like some exotic holiday for me. I remember there being a plague of greenfly before we went, everything was covered in the horrible things. Whilst we were away there was a following plague of ladybirds. The windowframes in the holiday flat were completely covered in them. It was an amazing sight but still not very pleasant. That Summer seemed to last forever. Whenever I hear any of the songs from that year I am immediately transported back with a smile

legray22 Sun 05-Feb-17 13:26:08

I was 21 in 1976 and I remember the heatwave well. My brother got married that summer; it was a steamy affair!

Barbsid Sun 05-Feb-17 12:14:39

On holiday with my DH Mum Dad and my boys we had a boat went from Burscough on the Leeds and Liverpool down to the River Seven and back up the Trent great holiday. Fresh bread and bacon and eggs in the morning and a new pub each night fun times.

quizqueen Sun 05-Feb-17 10:36:41

I got married in August 1976. I had the most glorious tan on my wedding photos. Our friends were getting married the weekend after us so we decided to spend the first week of our married life sorting out our home, went to their wedding then went on honeymoon to Cornwall. It was almost torrential rainfall all that week!!

steamy100 Sun 05-Feb-17 07:51:22

I was only 2 but I remember mum telling us about it, also the ladybird invasion.

cheryl111 Sat 04-Feb-17 21:16:20

I had a one year old son, and it was exhausting running around after him in the intense heat.

pigachu Sat 04-Feb-17 20:50:08

My husband was on strike from work for three months. Although it was red hot weather and lovely to be in the garden money was really tight and it was a very worrying time.

JudiBabble Sat 04-Feb-17 20:43:13

My sister was born in April '76 and I remember her crying at the rain in September as she did not know what it was. Also collecting swarms of ladybirds.

suziebird Sat 04-Feb-17 20:27:48

I was 8 years old and we were driving home from holiday through the New Forest. There were fires every where and all you could smell was smoke

patnewton Sat 04-Feb-17 20:09:27

Hubby and I hitch-hiked to Morocco that year. Coming back through Spain we so looked forward to nice equable English weather. What a shock when we got back!!!

Cathy21 Sat 04-Feb-17 19:49:07

We went away with our tents to Shell Island and Sandy beach, both in North Wales and the tents never got wet.

Brendaj Sat 04-Feb-17 18:11:57

My son was four at the time and many daughter was eight.I remember the hot sunny days when they played in the garden.we had a paddling pool which they would love to run and jump into.then run indoors with there wet clothes dripping all over the floor.

zaksgranny Sat 04-Feb-17 18:09:08

It was a really hot extended dry spell. We were threatened with stand pipes so were doing everything to preserve water. We had a brick in the toilet cistern so we didnt use as much water flushing the loo. We had a bath with an inch of water and my husband followed me in. We washed up once a day and used the washer as little as possible. We had booked a holiday to see friends in California in September so we always said we went there for a bath!!

tiz001 Sat 04-Feb-17 17:55:58

We went to a caravan site in Great Yarmouth, and the water pipe was covered in Ladybirds

IRISBLUE Sat 04-Feb-17 17:05:51

My son was born in March 1076 and I have fond memories of sitting in the garden feeding him to catch any slight breeze! And then the two of us sitting in the paddling pool to try and cool down.
Happy memories.

Jane9999 Sat 04-Feb-17 15:07:00

Most certainly! We went on holiday in August, the 19th I think, just as the weather broke. It poured with rain

bradybunch Sat 04-Feb-17 14:56:47

don't remember it ! !

vikingview Sat 04-Feb-17 12:57:38

1976 was the year me and my family moved to the Isle of wight from Yorkshire and we couldn't believe weather like it existed after many years living with a northerly wind blowing off the North Sea ! Been on the Island ever since !!