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Remember the heatwave of 1976?

(191 Posts)
62Granny Mon 18-Jul-22 16:10:45

Going to the beach after work and my then boyfriend ( now hubby) went to Italy with my parents to visit family.

Joseanne Mon 18-Jul-22 16:09:49

Ooo yes. Sitting GCSEs and the German teacher brought in chovolate ice creams which dripped all over the exam papers!
In love with the dishiest 6th former, and listening to Dr Hook's A little bit more.

tanith Mon 18-Jul-22 16:06:52

I was 9 months pregnant it was horrendous I stood in the shower for hours, I was so glad when my waters broke he was born on the 13th July.

flump Mon 18-Jul-22 16:03:11

I was on a short contract with the local water authority. My start day was April 1st!

I had to measure water levels in a certain area and worked outside most of the time. Sun hat, crop top, jeans and trainers or wellie boots depending on the terrain. Come winter, I was trussed up in the smallest size man's wet gear. It didn't fit well!

Smileless2012 Mon 18-Jul-22 16:02:49

Oh yes, wonderful memories of gathering on the school's playing fields and listening to 10 CC's 'I'm not in love', before rushing into class when the lunchtime was over.

That heatwave went for a while I seem to remember.

Chestnut Mon 18-Jul-22 15:59:50

Looking through my diary, it doesn't seem as though I was much affected by the heat even though I was in the centre of the country where it is always hottest. We went down to London a few times to visit parents in law, I took driving lessons, I gave blood for the first time. And yet the programme shows how devastating it was for water supplies and crops because it lasted for so long.

ginny Mon 18-Jul-22 15:59:09

We got married on the 3 rd July 1976.
Bridal fashion then was long sleeves and high necks. Luckily my dress was fairly light fabric.
I can remember everyone using the order of service as fans.
We saved a fortune on drinks as every wanted long cold squash.

Whitewavemark2 Mon 18-Jul-22 15:57:47

I can remember lots of swimming both in local rivers and the sea.

DH did the North/South Dartmoor walk- with the youth club members that we ran. Gruelling.

I remained at home with the children.

Shelflife Mon 18-Jul-22 15:57:44

Pregnant with first child , I remember it well ??!

GreyKnitter Mon 18-Jul-22 15:47:35

I watched the programme too. My eldest daughter was also born in 1976 - in the middle of the heatwave. I remember trying to keep myself cool when I was hugely pregnant with wet towels and flannels and also walking the dog on the nearby hills at midnight when it was cooler. Lots of other people with the same idea too.

Chestnut Mon 18-Jul-22 15:47:21

I noted in my diary 5th June it was 'boiling in afternoon' and I went for an hour's walk! The next day it was 'boiling' and I sunbathed all day. 25th June I wrote that it was the hottest day since records began and I went to a barbeque barn dance in the evening. The following day (also hot) I went on a leukaemia charity walk so I obviously wasn't phased by the heat.

foxie48 Mon 18-Jul-22 15:43:54

My older daughter was born in 1976 and I was off work with her. The bedrooms got so hot that she slept in her pram in a shady place in the garden until we went to bed. I spent a lot of time sunbathing, read a lot of books and was generally extremely lazy.

MiniMoon Mon 18-Jul-22 15:43:26

Dressing up in Victorian maids/ shop assistant clothing. Long Black skirts and long sleeved white blouses with mob caps on our heads during the Carlisle Great Fair. Fortunately I worked in a nice cool grocery shop. Going about in the city in that skirt was hot.

NotAGran55 Mon 18-Jul-22 15:43:01

I worked in the Central Forecast Office at the Met Office in Bracknell in 1976. It was a fascinating time to be there with records being broken all around the country on a daily basis.

fairfraise Mon 18-Jul-22 15:37:43

One of them is camping at Rock, across from Padstow and swimming in clean green warm water. Another is camping near Bodmin and waking up to a cow pushing her head through the front. We packed up in a hurry!

Chestnut Mon 18-Jul-22 15:20:20

There is a wonderful programme on Channel 5 about the great heatwave of 1976.
Channel 5 - Heatwave Summer of '76
You need to watch on a TV because it's 90 mins long (with adverts) not on a mobile phone.

Meanwhile, what are your memories of the heatwave of 1976?