The summer of 1976...

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:32 pm

....the hottest on record. Both May & June have been fabulous and I suspect we are on for a Summer that will finally break the 1976 record.

At the time, I was 16 and working through my school holidays on a building site in Nelson. To be precise building the School Gym at St John & Thomas More. Totally enjoyable work experience with lots of happy banter.

Rumpelstiltskin · Post by **Rumpelstiltskin** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 3:38 pm

Long hot Summer of 76...Remember it well...Thin Lizzy...The Boys Are Back In Town

claretfern · Post by **claretfern** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:13 pm

West Indies touring. Brian Close facing the bowling attack of Holding & Roberts and was bruised all over for his efforts.
I was in Benidorm, and it was hotter in Blackpool !

AndrewJB · Post by **AndrewJB** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:17 pm

My last summer in the UK until '99. I was eight.

piston broke · Post by **piston broke** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:20 pm

My first beautiful baby was born. 21st April, the Queen's 50th birthday.

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:21 pm

No mortgage no kids not old enough for exams great at football not interested in girls yet so not knowing what rejection meant no aches no pains mum and dad loved and looked after me climbing trees swimming in Lowerhouse Lodge building dens Sun Sun Sun. Great times.

houseboy · Post by **houseboy** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:22 pm

Looking forward to that possibility but I think we need another 2/3 months of this if we are to break that record. The memory of unbroken blue skies and sky high temperatures for what seemed like months (it was actually about 4 months I think) still remain, as do the memories of empty reservoirs and dry rivers. I could do without the water rationing but it is a price worth paying. For the first time in years I've started to water my lawns so that's a good start.

Does anyone remember how it ended though? Torrential downpours and thunderstorms along with dry ground unable to soak up the water lead to flash flooding all over the place.

Don't ya just love the unpredictable British weather?

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:28 pm

I was 20... Where did it go?

JohnMac · Post by **JohnMac** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:30 pm

In the Army and stationed in London, training recruits at our Depot, it was so hot and not one complaint about traffic fumes back then.

Courage Brewery didn't have enough water and suspended the brewing of Bitter, outrageous! Had to drink that continental stuff called Lager and took me about another dozen years before changing my preference back to Bitter.

Quicknick · Post by **Quicknick** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:44 pm

I remember it clearly. My yellow Mini, black roof, red Mambas. The long drive down to Newquay with Chris and Roger [in a TR6] and Laughing Boy [now sadly deceased] and myself and Paul in the Mini. The tents erected, almost getting kicked off the campsite for boisterous behaviour, and then the first night out and big Suzanne from Totnes.

Selby Claret · Post by **Selby Claret** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 4:53 pm

I was conceived.....

Dougall · Post by **Dougall** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:01 pm

Steve1956 wrote:I was 20... Where did it go?

Me too!
After first year of uni, spent the summer labouring with Barnes & Horrocks (Subcontracted to Culkins) in Barrowford.
With a deeper tan than I've ever had(before or since) and muscles on me muscles...Friday nights at the Hop then Angels...Saturday nights at the Hop, then Angels.....Sunday nights..............................
It was hell, I tell you!

Crewe claret · Post by **Crewe claret** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:18 pm

I was in the RAF at Wittering near Stamford, we used to send the Harriers out on a sortie jump into a landrover and race down to the open air pool for a cool off before they came back, fantastic summer

ebby · Post by **ebby** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:32 pm

Spent it down a cave in Italy. 7 days - nice & cool!

Cajun · Post by **Cajun** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:33 pm

It was my summer between leaving school and going to uni. Was playing for Fleetwood CC that summer and remember the outfields being parched brown everywhere.

happyclaret17 · Post by **happyclaret17** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:41 pm

I was at fisher more at the time....spent a lot of that summer in marsden parks open air pool....that water was perishing.

Uwe Noble · Post by **Uwe Noble** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 5:45 pm

I was at Ted's but on holiday for 6 weeks in Donegal. Played Ballyliffin golf course, it was as dry as a bone. Clive Lloyd's West Indies crushed us. Remember doing my paper round around Brunshaw in glorious weather.

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:05 pm

Dougall wrote:Me too!
After first year of uni, spent the summer labouring with Barnes & Horrocks (Subcontracted to Culkins) in Barrowford.
With a deeper tan than I've ever had(before or since) and muscles on me muscles...Friday nights at the Hop then Angels...Saturday nights at the Hop, then Angels.....Sunday nights..............................
It was hell, I tell you!

I worked all summer on the building site and got the tan of a lifetime. At the end of August, I went to Saint Tropez already bronzed and muscle toned. Now those were great days!!

CBT · Post by **CBT** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:47 pm

I was in my dad's ball sack it was hot and sweaty in there

DCWat · Post by **DCWat** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 6:56 pm

Perhaps hotter but not drier than 1995

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:01 pm

My wife..remember her from the silly things women say post, has just informed me the summer of 1977 was also a heatwave summer...I'm sure she's bullshitting? Anyone remember what 77 summer was like?

beddie · Post by **beddie** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:03 pm

LoveCurryPies. I remember it well. I lived up at Malham and was the lucky one

that ended up in the barn stacking the hay bales, blimey it was hot. I also met my wife that August. By my reckoning you are about 58 years old.

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:24 pm

Steve1956 wrote:My wife..remember her from the silly things women say post, has just informed me the summer of 1977 was also a heatwave summer...I'm sure she's bullshitting? Anyone remember what 77 summer was like?

it was hot as was 78/79 I'd moved to Blackpool life was one.long sunny.holiday!

LeadBelly · Post by **LeadBelly** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:30 pm

I was working & living in Leicester 1975/6/7. There was another very good summer adjacent to 1976 (cant recall if it was 5 or 7).
Those two summers were the height of my tennis playing involvement. I spent hours running bashing balls about in the sun & then drinking a lot of Everards Tiger bitter to get the liquid levels back up.

Played a fair bit of cricket too & also watched Leicestershire who had a good team at the time (Ray Illingworth's old stagers).
As per Claretfern's post earlier, I remember the W Indies touring, they played Leic down Grace Road & it was the first time I'd seen Daniels and Roberts bowl (Holding was rested pending an upcoming test), Roberts was impressive & Collis King made very good biggish ton - Leic did well (Steele and Balderstone and a young D Gower all got a few) but W Indies won the game. Got through a lot of Everards again during that game, not sure if that brewery still exists.

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:32 pm

Steve1956 wrote:My wife..remember her from the silly things women say post, has just informed me the summer of 1977 was also a heatwave summer...I'm sure she's bullshitting? Anyone remember what 77 summer was like?

Can’t remember what I did yesterday, but yes the summer of 77 was decent

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:34 pm

The seventies I remember we're always hot!

Garforth Claret · Post by **Garforth Claret** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:35 pm

I remember playing with melting tarmac on my street. Those were the days before Xbox, Facebook and the internet when you had to make your own fun up.

joey13 · Post by **joey13** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:45 pm

Garforth Claret wrote:I remember playing with melting tarmac on my street. Those were the days before Xbox, Facebook and the internet when you had to make your own fun up.

Tarmac , who you trying to kid , all cobbles where I lived

ClaretEngineer · Post by **ClaretEngineer** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:52 pm

LeadBelly wrote:I was working & living in Leicester 1975/6/7. There was another very good summer adjacent to 1976 (cant recall if it was 5 or 7).
Those two summers were the height of my tennis playing involvement. I spent hours running bashing balls about in the sun & then drinking a lot of Everards Tiger bitter to get the liquid levels back up.

Played a fair bit of cricket too & also watched Leicestershire who had a good team at the time (Ray Illingworth's old stagers).
As per Claretfern's post earlier, I remember the W Indies touring, they played Leic down Grace Road & it was the first time I'd seen Daniels and Roberts bowl (Holding was rested pending an upcoming test), Roberts was impressive & Collis King made very good biggish ton - Leic did well (Steele and Balderstone and a young D Gower all got a few) but W Indies won the game. Got through a lot of Everards again during that game, not sure if that brewery still exists.

The brewery is still going strong.

Tiger is as good as ever.

Garforth Claret · Post by **Garforth Claret** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 7:55 pm

joey13 wrote:Tarmac , who you trying to kid , all cobbles where I lived

I do remember them tarmacing our street or pavement in Nelson over the cobbles. Must have been about the same time, mid seventies. It bubbled in the heat.

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:56 pm

beddie wrote:LoveCurryPies. I remember it well. I lived up at Malham and was the lucky one that ended up in the barn stacking the hay bales, blimey it was hot. I also met my wife that August. By my reckoning you are about 58 years old.

59 now. I was 17 (not 16 as in my original post) because I was driving my Dad’s old car. Springsteen's ‘The River’ seems to some up those youthful days.

South West Claret. · Post by **South West Claret.** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:12 pm

Ah the summer of 76 they were the days my friend ...

Jeffbfc · Post by **Jeffbfc** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:17 pm

I was 11. It seemed the school holiday lasted forever.
Great times.
Strangley I can hear the music from the old Hovis advert.

CaptJohn · Post by **CaptJohn** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 9:20 pm

Junior officer in the navy. Don't remember much about it TBH. Used to love long, hot summers in the old days when I was single though

Top Claret · Post by **Top Claret** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:00 pm

I was 16 in 1976 and was working on a roof in Milnthorpe. We would go swimming in the Kent estuary in our dinner hours.
No fuker worked in them days the country was full of lazy bastards

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:02 pm

Top Claret wrote:I was 16 in 1976 and was working on a roof in Milnthorpe. We would go swimming in the Kent estuary in our dinner hours.
No fuker worked in them days the country was full of lazy bastards

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:09 pm

Top Claret wrote:I was 16 in 1976 and was working on a roof in Milnthorpe. We would go swimming in the Kent estuary in our dinner hours.
No fuker worked in them days the country was full of lazy bastards

Let me tell you.....it hasn't changed!

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:10 pm

I shagged some right mingers in 76.....77.........78. ....

tim_noone · Post by **tim_noone** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 10:13 pm

Steve1956 wrote:I shagged some right mingers in 76.....77.........78. ....

Aye....but not Jane.

tiger76 · Post by **tiger76** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:13 pm

The last summer i remember a prolonged heatwave was 1990,listened to Gooch scoring his treble-hundred at Lords on TMS.

days.
And of course Nessun Dorma dominated the airwaves,ended in tears for England as Waddle blazed his pen over the bar.
Who would have thought then he would be BFC manager just 7 years hence.

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Fri Jun 29, 2018 11:34 pm

Steve1956 wrote:I shagged some right mingers in 76.....77.........78. ....

They might be saying the same

Brunlea · Post by **Brunlea** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:22 am

Summer of 76 with great friend on holiday in Brittanny listening to a Santana tribute band in Concarneau town square drinking cold lager and thinking wouldnt it be great if life was like this all the time!

dsr · Post by **dsr** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:31 am

1975 and 1976 were consecutive very hot summers. though 76 was hotter and went on longer.

One of the heatwaves (76 I think) started on the first day of Wimbledon. My Mum and brother were there for week 1 expecting the usual damp and rain, so they had warm clothes and waterproofs - they were sweltering. They didn't make that mistake on day 2.

gtclaret · Post by **gtclaret** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 10:23 am

Happiest time of my life, as stated above no responsibilities lots of good friends, a long holiday

bfcjg · Post by **bfcjg** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 11:43 am

I remember the longside singing rain rain rain when we got the first downpour must have been in September ?

Quicknick · Post by **Quicknick** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 12:58 pm

tim_noone wrote:it was hot as was 78/79 I'd moved to Blackpool life was one.long sunny.holiday!

I don't know about 1977, but 1975 was a good one.

EDIT: was trying to reply to Steve56.

Steve1956 · Post by **Steve1956** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 5:26 pm

LoveCurryPies wrote:They might be saying the same

standishclarets · Post by **standishclarets** » Sat Jun 30, 2018 6:03 pm

We moved from Burnley that summer to Thornton Cleveleys (with my job). We moved in June and the day we moved, it rained all day (honest)!! Our lasting memory of that summer was me and the missus taking our 18 month old daughter on the beach every evening when I had finished work, watching her run around whilst we had our fish and chips with a bottle of what ever fizz (non alcoholic, honest again) took our fancy.

Ah,one of those magic moments you never forget!!

Dark Cloud · Post by **Dark Cloud** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:09 am

I was an 18 year old student in that long hot summer of 76 and like many others above I also took a summer job with a building contractor. It was bloody hot/thirsty work, but working shirt off and finishing every day sitting outside some pub or other was absolutely brilliant. Plus I took 2 weeks off right at the height to visit Newquay staying in a tent with 3 mates . Scorching, water restrictions, blind drunk most evenings and tons of girls wearing next to nowt! Plus the background soundtrack of "The Boys Are Back", "Don't Go Breaking My heart" and even the ubiquitous "Dancing Queen" which came out that summer and which always takes me back.....

Funkydrummer · Post by **Funkydrummer** » Sun Jul 01, 2018 9:45 am

I was 23 at the time and I can tell you the exact date the heatwave started as I got
married (now dissolved, by the way) on Saturday 12th June and the early morning was the usual dull,
overcast day. As the morning progressed the weather improved until such time as the wedding
ceremony when the sun was out and it was getting increasingly warmer by the hour.

The photographs at the Higher Trapp were a scorching affair. (oo err)

We went on honeymoon the following Wednesday to Guernsey and hired an MGB softop to
drive around the beautiful island. All the news whilst we were out there was about the heatwave
back in blighty with film of people dancing in fountains to keep cool.

Later on in the summer, when the reservoirs dried up, there were pictures of long lost villages that had
been submerged when the reservoirs were created and the land flooded. I remember visiting one such
village in the lakedistrict and you could walk amongst the buildings and up and down the streets that
once served a community. The name of the village escapes me though. Might look it up.

Arr, those were the days.