When was your best summer?

[Rosewaterblossom]

Just a light, fun thread to be reminiscent about your best summer as the weather is so hot!

Which year? Why was it best? What were the fashions and music like?

One of mine was 1995. I was only a kid but have the best memories of living down the beach everyday (we lived a 10 minute walk,) sun, sun and more sun. Loads of friends to hang out with. Loads of good telly in the evenings/mornings.

What was yours? 😁

1989 I think. I was at college and living on the coast with my sister. I had a cushty summer job which was mornings and spent every afternoon swimming in the sea and messing about with my friends. Back in the days when I had no responsibilities or money worries and everything was easy.
Or the year I got married and went on honeymoon. Lovely but in a different way.

The summer I left school. I had my first love and it was the long hot summer before starting A levels. I mainly spent my days with friends sunbathing, listening to music and getting ready to spend the evenings with him. It was such a thrilling exciting time. All down hill from there!

1982, I was only 10 but I will always remember those carefree times fondly.

1995 for me too. A very heady summer romance (with "the one who got away").... combined with warm evenings and endless dry weather.

1995 did seem a long hot summer didn't it!

1999. Was a hot, sticky summer and I spent most of my time over in South London with my gorgeous older boyfriend.

He was an academic and I was a student (no cross over there. We just both happened to have the summer off. I was 20 and he was 30) and we spent the whole time sunbathing in parks, drinking in beer gardens, exploring London and having amazing sex.

He had a huge group of cool friends and there was always a barbecue or a party or something going on. My North London mates used to come over loads too. It was pure hedonism really. No responsibilities, no worries etc.

It didn't last between me and older academic but one of my friends subsequently married one of his friends (we had introduced them in 1999) so we used to cross paths at the occasional events. We always had a wee reminisce about the summer of 1999. Haven't seen him in years but we still swap Christmas cards 😂

1999 *

1976 ... we got a new fridge and I lived in the cardboard box for pretty much the whole summer (Ireland so long holidays). Also next to a beach so swimming, crabbing, fishing, boating all day long. Only put shoes on once a week for mass. Bliss!

1997. I was around 8 years old and we had weeks of glorious sunshine during the school holidays. Our neighbour would offer us choc ices over the garden fence. We lived in a cul de sac or sorts with a large greenery area that all the houses back gardens opened up to, like a big rectangular space only accessible to residents. We climbed trees. Built forts. All the kids were similar ages and we would all knock for each other in the morning and spend all day playing outside.

2008 😍 age 18, new boyfriend (now husband), hadfire holidays - rome with boyfriend, Sweden with family, California with friend, Devon with friends. Didn’t have a gap year or go to uni so it was a few formative months before adulthood!

Lockdown summer 2020

It was so warm and the dc and I practically lived in the garden and at the beach by our house

I didn't have to work as schools were shut and had long lazy days - bliss!

Summer 2006 - I was 18, going out with my first serious boyfriend (now my husband).

Worked at an easy job with all my friends.

Weekends were spent in indie clubs or in the pub, it was before the smoking ban!

Sex, drugs and music. I’m so grateful that we are still together and can reflect so happily on those wild, dreamy times. 🥰

1981. Hot summer holidays. 6 weeks of playing out from dawn til dusk with my mates. Going for miles on our bikes and only going home when we were starving. Freedom and friends. Blissful.

The one I remember well was 1976. I grew up abroad but for a few years would spend a few weeks of the summer with a friends' family here in the UK.
They had a house on a river in Suffolk and we were 14 - too young to be involved with boys but old enough to be out and about on our own, and we felt pretty grown up.
She had a horse and looked after another so we would set off riding most days. It was endless sun like this year. Not a care in the world.

1991 - GCSE year. Summer seemed endless and golden.

2012 - London was just the best place to be, despite the weather. And I had such a cute baby 😆

2019 - we had a great holiday, went to festivals, parties, lived at the beach, everything was fun and easy.

1998. I was 13 and spent the summer hanging around with my best friends without a care in the world. Looking back it was an idyllic childhood summer, swinging on a rope swing over the water, hanging around with the boys from our class and camping out in our back gardens. I watched Aquamarine with my DD recently and the bit where she rides off on her bike and shouts 'woohoo!' because she's so happy made me think of that year. 🤣cheesy I know!

Ooh I’d actually agree with this one too.

After 2006, 2020 was my other favourite summer. It was the first summer since being literal children ourselves that we got to spend all day every day together.

What a joy it was to do that and to discover that still, just being in each other’s company with no distractions is true bliss.

It’s funny really, that was the first time we - and many others - got to stop for the first time and look at the foundations of what we’d built together. What we looked like as a married couple and parents without school, work, commuting and family obligations.

I know that for so many people, and I do include myself in that, the pandemic made things very hard - but I’ll always be thankful for those months.

Ah yes, 2006 was great! I was pregnant with my dd and remember it being very hot, well into autumn..

2001 was another one. Just left school and got a job in a hotel over the summer. Was hot, laughs etc. Felt like the last carefree time in the world pre 9/11.

I'm having one of the best summers ever right now. Loving the weather, enjoying the space with my children after a tough year. They are old enough (4+) to entertain themselves a bit but still have childhood wonder. We have had a few grumps but in general I feel so relaxed and happy. We are by the seaside so just pottering about and enjoying ourselves without any pressure on mealtimes, bedtimes etc - minimal organisation in general.

I think this one. I'm on maternity leave with my DD who's almost 1, back to work in a few weeks but right now enjoying being off with her, going on trips and playing in the garden.