Summer

Yesterday a visitor at my office was taken aback when he asked me the date and I politely replied that it was 22nd June. He couldn't believe that the previous day had been the longest day of the year, and then, in that typically British way, he began to bemoan the fact that we hadn't had much of a summer. I challenged him on this though. I mean, seriously, where has this guy been? We've had some great weather this May (which technically isn't summer) and June. And we still have July and August to go, not to mention the potential for some summery style weather in September. So I thought this guy was being pretty pessimistic. He shrugged and said he supposed I was right, but that all of his childhood (I'm guessing 60s/70s) he remembered long, hot summers.

Sure...

I mean, yeah, weather changes, and there is no denying that the summers of 2007 and 2008 were almost complete washouts compared with recent years! This summer probably won't be the best either, but it's already been a damn site better than last year! It made me think though. This man was telling me all his childhood summers had been long and hot, and whilst he didn't say, I am assuming he spent them in this country and not the Tropics. I think, however, that not all of the summers he lived through were as perfect as he remembers.

For me, the hottest summer I remember is that of 2003. However, according to records, I know that 2003 was not, in fact, the hottest summer I have lived through. But it was a brilliant summer. I finished my A-Levels in mid-June, and didn't start university until mid-September, so I had a summer of freedom! My friends and I were constantly out and about spending days by the sea, lazing in parks, camping on the Downs, barbequing in our parents' gardens...every birthday party in those months was held outside... We all had a great time - many of my friends, like me, were off to university that year, and others were off travelling or pursuing gap years and careers. So it was a big summer of partying and enjoying the freedom before more hard work came along. I also had a part-time job doing bar work and waitressing at one of the local pubs on the village green. Built in the 15th century it offered virtually no respite from the soaring temperatures, as the low beams and dark walls kept the heat firmly locked inside. It was horrible when people ordered steaming steaks and roasts - I'm amazed the chefs in the kitchen didn't collapse in what had become a sauna - seriously, no need for ovens, you could put a lump of beef on the work surface and it would cook in seconds! Ok, that last bit was something of an embellishment of the truth...but you get my drift - it was hot, hot, hot in there!

It was a hot summer, but I remember it so much more because of all the things we did. I was constantly outside with my friends and family, and the pub kept running out of ice because of how ridiculously thirsty the staff were, let alone the punters! There may have been less camping and more indoor buffets than barbeques had it been a rainy summer, but would that have made it any less memorable? Definitely not. Summer, like any time of year, is what you make it. This year we've had some pretty good weather, indulging in picnics and barbeques. It wasn't a hot day when I went to the wedding (as described in my previous post), but it was still a fantastic day. Last summer I went to two weddings, and it absolutely chucked it down for both. However, they were still beautiful and memorable days.

It can be disappointing when our summers aren't like those of 2003, or of this visitor's past... I should know, I have SAD, and I miss the sun terribly when it doesn't shine. But more importantly is what we do with the summer. Keeping that stiff upper lip and getting on with it, come rain or shine. I mean, come on, it wouldn't be Britain if the we didn't have to stand on rain alert everytime we hang the bed linen out to dry in the garden...British holidays wouldn't be the same without the 'just in case' rain mac stuffed in your rucksack...likewise, they wouldn't be the same without the comedy sunburn marks because you didn't realise how powerful the British summer sun can be (come on people, you can't have it both ways!)

Whatever this man's childhood was like, I'm sure his happy memories come from the things he did and enjoyed in the summer, rather than from the hot weather itself. Of course, good weather always helps with certain activities, but it needn't be the defining factor of good times spent.

Enjoy the summer we're having right now, whatever the weather, I know I am :)