Heat!

I'm loving this glorious weather. Get things done as early as possible then enjoy soaking up the.

I get what grandma70 is saying - both about wrinkly skin or covering up. However I too think cover up applies to everyone to a degree. But ginny is right too. We should be free to feel ok wearing shorts and skeeveless tops in this weather. I'm not ashamed of being/looking old. It's how others perceive me that bothers me. There is an attitude towards older folk in British society. We don't respect or value older people as much as some other cultures do . Wrinkly skin along with lots of other changes- add your own- makes us look older and often affects how we are treated.

I loved those long Laura Ashley dresses. In the summer of '76 I was courting my soon to be DH. We went all over the place and I didn't wear anything other thanking dresses or skirts.
I have a long crinkle skirt that I still wear, it's sort of tie dyed cream graduating to brown at the bottom.

I loved those flowing Laura Ashley frocks we all wore in the mid 70's.
Grandma70, sorry if I sounded snippy. Oddly enough, I agree with you about covering up but I apply that to people, whatever their ages. (especially men without tops as everyone agrees on the Other Thread).
When it's very hot as it has been recently, it's cooler, more practical and usually looks much nicer to wear long, loose, cotton or linen clothes.

And I agree about covering up. Unless you have a perfect body - which I don’t. Long, light, loose trousers and floaty tops over a vest top for me. Oh, and a big hat. I don’t suit hats, but the sun is an excuse to wear one.

Ooh, the summer of ‘76! I too was very pregnant and had a rising two in tow. I remember wearing those long tiered Laura Ashley dresses with nothing, but nothing underneath. The updraught was wonderful!

In my bit of Norfolk we seem to be perfectly placed for this present heatwave. Every evening the sea mist rolls in so the nights are cool and every morning it’s been burning off by half nine to ten o’clock. An overnight shower for the garden would be appreciated though!

(Yesterday we went picking strawberries towards the coast and could see the mist hanging over there. It was probably 10-15 degrees cooler there.)

I had children aged two and four in 1976. It was a challenge! I remember it all too well.

To those who seem to think I am ashamed of getting older because I don’t like the way I and other older people look in summer clothes - you couldn’t be more wrong. I do, though, think older people should be discreet in the way they dress and not show much bare flesh. It’s simply an aesthetic matter. Cover up!

Coped well in 1976 - I was pregnant - phew!!
I did have some nice cool dresses though - but also a 2 year old to run after!

Grandma70, seriously, one of your complaints about our heat wave is that you don’t like the way
Older people look in Summer clothes? What an odd preoccupation

Rest? Should be try

I can't sit out in it for long but do like being out in the shade in daughters garden. My flat has a balcony but full sun there except mornings and late evenings so I have to pick my time. Daughters coming to sit on it later for a drink they love it. I am working 3 days a week at the moment in education very hot in work so looking forward to summer holidays soon and then my days will be my own but last day for this week so 4 days off to potter about. We do deserve a good summer after the awful winter we had, I don't mind the cold but really hate snow especially if I have to rest to drive in it.

We all get older Grandma70s , not something to be ashamed of. If others don’t like looking at aging people that’s their problem.

Rosina ...... I was the greatest sun worshipper there has ever been............or thereabouts,loving the sun and sun bathing,in fact I was not happy unless first out early morn and last in at dusk .....every inch of flesh almost chocolate coloured.......summer was my by far favourite season and I loved it.
Coped well in 1976 and again in 1984 through prolonged hot summers.............but this time, believe me, but I shamedly feel as if I cannot cope with another day of this great heat.
It really is scorching out there.

Granted I was a lot younger in other hot summers, plus my idea of a beautiful summer is one of warm balmy days and evenings,with a tropical breeze just keeping the burning heat on the bearable side..... where it was such a pleasure walking around wearing the minimum without a thought for a jacket or cardie.

However THOSE it seems were our summers of the past.
For many years we have hardly had summer...........yes the odd day or even weekend............but even then not this hot.

So I have to retreat to a darkened room with windows open,blinds down and fans running non stop............it is then bearable and I am not in a prefainting mode all the while!!

I positively hate myself for being such a wimp and try instead to look out at the packed out beaches and sea where families are thoroughly lapping it all up.

It is obviously more for the young..............so I say no more because yes I was once young, and loved it so...........so it is for them............but now I hasten back to my little escape!!!!!

ginny, I’d have thought it was obvious. Summer clothes usually expose more flesh, which tends not to be a nice sight in older people. Wrinkles and possibly sag. Also any excess weight can’t be disguised, though that applies to young people too.

Looking around in hot weather, it becomes clear that these simple facts aren’t obvious to many. The tee-shirt is a cruel garment, especially for men.

Grandma70s, what an odd thing to say. Why would an older person look worse in summer clothes than any other clothes ?

Love it, love it, love it! My husband says I’m part lizard because the hotter it is the more energy I seem to have! ???

I hate every minute. I can’t see why people enjoy being hot and sweaty. What’s the appeal? Sleeping is very difficult.

Also, older people don’t look good in summer clothes.

I love it. Can't get enough of it. It's just for a few days or maybe a week or two, then we'll all be moaning about the rain/wind/snow/cold/frozen pipes/wrong leaves on the track/untreated roads/grounded flights etc ........

I love it because it makes me so cheerful and reminds me of time spent in France. And I love watching the syunsets and the bright early mornings. But really I can only sit around in it. Can't do anything. Long term it wouldn't work for me. I often complain that we didnt retire abroad. Now I know I wouldn't like it (I can stop moaning). I don't know how people work in this heat.

I love it !
It will be chilly and dank soon enough. Then of course everyone will be moaning about that.

Too hot for me too - I have to work in it and my house gets hotter as the day goes on. Can't open the conservatory doors or kitchen windows as insects come in. My poor cats don't like it either! We can't win can we - too hot, too cold - just never satisfied

I pop in and out like one of those weather house people! I really like it and it doesn't stop me sleeping either - I could sleep for England. I'm at work a fair bit so going outside in the garden is lovely. I don't like travelling in the heat though and avoid it like the plague. Being a fire fighter in this heat must be awful.

Yes bikergran & henetha Those fire fighters and helpers must be exhausted at Saddleworth let's hope they get it under control soon.

Im loving it. It's too hot for me to sit out in but I'm just back from a lovely dog walk, in the shade, along the river. Dogs had a swim then a brief walk back to the car, hosed down with the outside hose pipe, so no cleaning of downstairs shower needed. I'm watering the garden because I expect a hose pipe ban any minute.
The house is deteriorating alongside which, the garden has been getting lots of attention.
I know the heat is difficult for some and as I said it's much too hot for me to sit in, unless I'm under the shade. I am enjoying it though, especially after so many awful summers. Interesting country aren't we? We have such varied weather, we aren't prepared for anything even slightly extreme and we talk about it all the time.
I do hope we have a proper winter, with lots of ice and snow

Last winter, freezing in the snow, I promised I would never ever moan about being too hot again. Whoops - that didn’t last long! I just can’t seem to tolerate being too hot or too cold. I need to move somewhere that has spring-like temperatures I think!