Unless you spent your entire week under a rock, or perhaps netflixin’ in bed (no judgement), you won’t have failed to notice that England experienced a bit of a heatwave (FINALLY!!!). In fact, if you happened to find yourself sweating down Oxford Street one evening you might have deluded your central London surroundings for the sizzling bustle of the Ibiza strip… hey the heat gets to us all! Nonetheless, Londoners, like all the British, threw off their winter fur and crawled confused but hopeful into the ensuing summer time. Below are the stages of reactions taken by Londoners to the sudden heatwave.
1. Doubt
[justjared]With a cloudy high of 14 on Monday Londoners seemed bemused by the idea of an impending heatwave, chortling mockingly at recollections of the disappointing 12 degrees ‘heatwaves’ of the city’s past.
2. Confusion and poor clothing choices
[theweek]‘Non-believers will be punished,’ and they were! Strolling out Thursday morning clad in their favourite winter garms Londoners soon realised this heatwave was no joke. Come lunch time an avalanche of discarded winter coats collecting on office floors across London mingled with the smell of sweat under wool and the desperate protests of ‘I’m not hot!’ could only mean one thing… Summer is coming.
3. Victory
[wcvb]Friday kick out time rolls around and the temperature keeps rising. 23 degrees and that after work bev has been teasing you all day. The entire weekend stretching ahead and only one goal in sight…
4. Pub
The unity was astounding as across London the harmonious roar was heard. Friends to friends, strangers to strangers Londoners everywhere cried out with one resounding question: Pub? Crowds of people flooded thirstily to Shoreditch, Camden Town, Soho, and Brixton, all throughout the city people were desperate for that first sip of sweet nectar.
5. Smugness
[theguardian]Many Londoners couldn’t help but bask in the sun (pun intended) of that twisted sense of pleasure you receive from knowing that you’ve done better than your friends. It seemed impossible to sun bathe in St James’ Park without envisioning the small fortune your friend Sally had spent flying out to the South of France for the weekend. ‘Did you know that St Tropez had a passing rain storm last night, how awful!’ *evil laughter*
6. Wavering self-confidence
After showing off the one summer outfit you had ready and exclaiming ‘lovely isn’t it?’ more times than should be socially acceptable, many Londoners tried hard to ignore the sting of their approaching sunburn and repress any negative thoughts they had towards the relentless heat in hopes of convincing themselves that it really is ‘lovely isn’t it?’
7. A plea for rain
[Or snow?!]Trooping back into work Monday morning peeling oneself from the slightly too sticky tube seat and sweltering in the oven that is Bank underground station the slow moan of heat exhaustion and frustrated commuters seemed palpable. There seems to be only so much summer London can take, and if possible could the sunshine please reserve itself for weekends only? Thank you.
