AT LAST we’ve had a good summer.

But not as good as the summer of 1976 apparently. Or so say all the oldsters down the boozer. The ones who fought in several world wars. Proper wars as they call em.

So I was a very young buck back in 76. But I don’t remember it being all that. Hot maybe, but wot was really going on?

I asked me mate, Fast Gerald, to do some checking.

(For those out there who don’t know Fast Gerald, he’s the tortoise with the tardis shell. It currently houses most of the internet servers that connect Walthamstow to the worldwide web. But was previously used for some major import/export capers. Which is why Gerald is currently out on a tag.).

Anyways, these are Fast Gerald’s facts about summer 76.

– Yes it was hot. On July 3rd 1976 temperatures reached over 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

– It was not the summer of punk. Anarchy in the UK was not released till November 1976. Elton John and Kiki Dee ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ was the summer no 1 topping the charts for 6 weeks.

– Cricket, the West Indies beat England  3-0 in the test series and retained the Wisden Trophy.

– Inflation reached 17%.

– The summer of 76 led to the winter of discontent and mass industrial action.

– There were riots in Notting Hill.

OK, the discontent and the riots sound quite promising. But apart from that, it all looked pretty average to me. Therefore I is looking forward to the summer of 77 and some bangin’ tunes.

Oh we’re so pretty. Oh so pretty we’re vacant.