As I melt in 44 degree heat, I thought I'd show again my picture of Lisa in the bath, probably from that fabled summer of sizzly '76. Lovely shot, isn't it? A 'warm' memory of a time gone by and a valid photographic document of that incredible meteorological 'blip', with a delicious ice-lolly and a cool bath by the front door-step in what was a stand-out year for heat and drought. But hang on, she's got no clothes on!!
I'd be terrified to take a picture like this these days ..
"It was a hot afternoon, the last day of June, and the sun was a demon .. "
At 13 years old I'm not quite sure I knew what was going on in Bobby Goldsboro's gorgeous 1973 hit 'Summer (The first time)' - at that age the only thing I'd ever been seduced by was the Kodak Instamatic - but I can certainly relate to his comments about today's excessive heatwave. "One ten in the shade .." sings Bobby and, after a quick click on a conversion website, I can tell you it's almost exactly that .. 42.9 degrees centigrade actually .. in our back garden this afternoon. I'll bet the sweat's "trickling down" the front of quite a few gowns today, but surely there can't be many people planning a night of steamy passion in this weather? Maybe there are. Perhaps it's an age thing again .. !
Ps: Feeling the heat in Manchester. I used to cross this square almost every day when I went to the offices of the Manchester Evening News. It's all been built on now, the sun-worshippers have to look elsewhere. One of my Olympus XA shots from the 1980s.
The heatwave is back and it's going to be another hot one today. Thirty-eight degrees is the forecast. (That's 100° if you're an American or my Mum!) The garden is fried, as am I from trying to keep it watered. On Saturday night I was at an event two hours from here and it hammered down. Here? Not a drop. When will it end? I've had enough of summer now. I yearn for cooler evenings and crisp autumn walks, woolly scarves and seeing my breath condense in a cloud ..
In the meantime, it's another day of hunkering down and doing not a lot. Little Lisa had the right idea .. a bath of cold water and an ice-lolly. Mind you, this shot was (probably) taken in 1977, and 'little' Lisa will now be in her fifties. Sadly, I'd have to think twice about taking a photograph like this today. The 'right-ons' have poured cold water on good old innocent street photography ..
