The 1970s was the decade during which I was a teenager, from start to finish – encompassing the whole of my time at senior school and my first years at university. Regardless of all the politics and scandals which largely passed me by, my life outside school was coloured by pop music, some classic sitcoms, youth club and the borough youth orchestras. In school, 1976 was the year of my O-Levels, taken in our sweltering gym as that long hot summer began to kick in – but I did okay, choosing Maths and Science A-Levels, despite my grades being higher overall in languages and music – hindsight is not a helpful thing in that regard!
What has stuck in my brain from that year? Obviously, the drought – water rationing and standpipes in some areas. A public information campaign to share a bath. Also the Sex Pistols and the birth of UK punk plus cricket with the West Indies touring. All of these are covered in Heatwave, but also much more.
The book is divided into four sections – one each for May, June, July and August, and within each of these is the same basic structure scaffolded by the daily papers, beginning with the Weather and Headlines, then alternating feature sections with more news from the ‘Inside Pages’ & World news, Sport, Music and Film plus what was on TV.
The feature sections offer an indepth look at some particular happenings. In May these were the Trico factory strike over equal pay for women, and two Yorkshire murderers – Peter Sutcliffe who attempted to murder Marcella Claxton, who survived – but he still wasn’t caught, and Ron Castree who abducted young girls and was caught later in July – but his story fits with Sutcliffe’s. Being full into revision and exams, I don’t recall either the striking women, nor the latter murderer. But when we get to the music section, I was delighted to see Steely Dan’s album The Royal Scam get a mention – an album I’d hotfooted it to Our Price Records to buy – I’d got into Steely Dan a while before as they were a favourite of a boy at the youth club that I fancied – he had good taste – in music – and I became a big Dan fan.
Most of the feature sections are about serious news topics – covering the different riots and marches and sad tragedies that went on – Southall, Gay Pride, the Notting Hill Carnival being just a few. Others of the features, although taken with the same rigour, consider lighter topics, such as Britain’s best disco band that never quite made it to the big time – Liverpool’s The Real Thing, and the ‘Invention of Punk’ with the advent of the Sex Pistols on the scene; Joan Armatrading gets an article too. One particularly entertaining section looks at the Carry On films’ smuttier cousin, The Confessions of a Window Cleaner and its sequels starring Robin Askwith as the hapless Timothy Lea, who had had to be persuaded to take the part.
Nevertheless, it turned out he was absolutely the man for the job – the perfect mix of glam and gormless. And, as he told me, the key thing was that he didn’t play Timothy as a macho man, but more a wimp who got lucky. Over and over again.
Another feature that I remembered well was the arrival of the West Indies fast bowlers Andy Roberts and Michael Holding under the captainship of Clive Lloyd. England’s cricket team had been tried by the Australians the year before with the pace attack of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson, who had also battered the West Indies team. But there was something about Roberts and Holding that made them even more intimidating that summer. William tells how veteran batsman, Brian Close, was hit again and again by their high-pitched bowling and how the England captain, Tony Greig, a tall, white South African who was able to play for England, didn’t help with his comments about making the West Indians grovel – oh dear! My brother was – is – cricket mad so the test matches were on in our house, and I grew to enjoy watching cricket too, especially during the Botham heydays of the 1980s.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Heatwave – it was good to be reminded of all the events that happened during those months however grim they were. But nostalgia rules, and I most enjoyed the sections that covered things I did remember which tended to be sunnier and media related. I liked the format of alternating the regular headings with feature articles. Williams has obviously done extensive research for the book, and carried out many interviews to support it. His style is a mixture of entertaining and earnest and never less than readable, and I loved his recollections of being 17 back then, comparing notes with my own experiences. If you were around in 1976, this book will definitely appeal; whether there is a sizeable younger audience is not certain – but anyone who wants to get a flavour of the mid-1970s will still find much to enjoy and discover.
Source: Review copy – thank you! Octopus Monoray hardback, 373 pages incl index etc.
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Your 1970s were my 1980s, but they sound rather more interesting (in terms of music, films, political unrest) than my decade. Except 1989 – that was an interesting year!
1970s music was – is – the best! I wasn’t so much of a moviegoer then. I was hardly bothered by the news which is shocking now I’m a news junkie – although I remember playing cards by candlelight during the ‘Three Day Week’.
I loved Steely Dan!
This sounds great Annabel, I was 5 in ’76 so am more of an 80s kid but I think I’d still find this really interesting.
It’s a great snapshot of those particular months. An interesting and enjoyable look back.
Oh, that sounds brilliant, just my sort of thing. Will wishlist it immediately. I was 4 in 1976 but I can remember a) sharing bathwater, b) the garden and everywhere else turning into cracked dry earth.
Brilliant, will buy a copy immediately; I’m a 70’s kid, yay!!
My brother was still at home during the 70s and so it’s the music I remember the best – Steely Dan were often on the stereo! But we both really liked Ian Drury too, and Supertramp and Fleetwood Mac. Julian had a few punk records but I was too young for them. I’m possibly still too young for them! I really remember the heatwave, though. I can remember us having to stop in some London back street (no M25) on the way back from our holiday to let the car cool down because it was overheating. This sounds like a fun book and I’m all for a bit of nostalgia!
Ah, I’m writing a novel partly set in 1977 so this looks super helpful – just one year out!
Interesting!
1976 was also the year of big drought and heat in the summer in France. I was 10 years aold, and already back then so LOVED the heat. I remember lying in the grass in our garden, listening to le Tour de France on the radio- we didn’t have TV. Everyone in my family was indoors, suffering from the heat, and I was out, soaking it all in !
And I should have added that almost 50 years later, I am writing this commetn in the sun, in anoher garden, now in Illinois. I am using a rain umbrella, not to protect me, but to protect my computer, lol!!