As Britain recorded its hottest June temperature on record, with a provisional 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk on 26 June, readers shared memories of the 1976 heatwave when temperatures hit 36C. The previous June record of 35.6C was set in 1976.
Different Context, Same Heat
Margaret Waring, 87, from Cambridge, described the 1976 heatwave as a shock to the country because it had never happened like that before. At the time, she taught geography, meteorology and climatology in secondary schools in Manchester. She recalled devising a siphoning system with a garden hose to save water from the bath for watering vegetables, while flowers and grass were ignored. The family also saved water from the washing machine. Despite the heat, Margaret finds the current heatwave more uncomfortable due to higher humidity and pollution. 'The heat didn't seem to be as restricting as it is now,' she said.
Empty Reservoirs and Exam Ordeals
John Ellis, 72, a retired FE lecturer and crime writer, remembered sitting his finals at Oxford in full academic dress during the heatwave. 'The examination schools building was boiling,' he said. After exams, he returned to Huddersfield to see empty reservoirs like Ladybower in Derbyshire and the remains of the submerged village of Derwent exposed. John noted that the sun feels stronger now and heat more enervating, adding that we should have cut carbon emissions 25-30 years ago.
Pregnancy Without Water
Susan Gilliam, 79, was pregnant with her first child in a flat in Crystal Palace during the heatwave. 'The only water we had was in the toilet,' she said. After her son was born, there was nowhere to wash nappies except in the toilet. A daily lorry delivered one bucket of water per household. 'You'd queue up with a bucket,' she recalled. The flat was well insulated but not fit for the heat, so she took the baby for walks in Crystal Palace Park.
Military Training in Scorching Heat
Mark Hainge, 68, from Hay-on-Wye, recalled training as an officer cadet at Sandhurst in May 1976. 'It just got hotter, and hotter, and hotter,' he said. Hydration breaks involved guzzling water from a standpipe. After a gruelling parade, he was jailed for having dirty boot soles that had collected melting tarmac from the parade ground.
Lifeguard's Perfect Summer
Michael Keane, 71, worked as a lifeguard at King George's Park open-air swimming pool in Wandsworth, calling it the 'perfect summer'. He performed multiple rescues. The pool once closed due to murky water, but people broke in on a bank holiday. Michael still swims in lidos and the sea, and copes with today's heat by staying in the coolest room.
Sunstroke and Ladybirds
Tracey, 57, from Devon, got sunstroke twice as a seven-year-old in 1976. 'You didn't slap on the sunscreen,' she said. Her house had spring water that did not dry up, but at school, stickers on toilets read: 'Flush if you must.' She now lives in Sweden and collects rainwater in five 1,000-litre tanks. Susie Wardell, 80, remembered ladybirds infesting her houseboat on the River Medway. 'You couldn't walk without stepping on them,' she said.
