Episode 361: You Know it is Summer in Britain When……..

  • The trusty, rusty old BBQ that has been loitering in the garden for the winter has been dusted off, cleaned up, and put to work,cooking the nation’s burgers and bangers to that unique blackened outside raw in the middle state that us Brits are so good at!
  • Similarly, the plastic, garden furniture has been de-slimed and scrubbed up; the parasol dug out from the shed and de-cowebbed; and for some. the sun lounger has been dragged out, the mouldy cushions turned over, and are ready to go!
  • People are comparing their sunburned shoulders and backs, (We never learn).
  • The shorts are on! Yes I came home from work yesterday and Mr Grump had got the pure white milk bottle legs out. He would have worn his ‘mandals’ (those horrid man sandals) but I moaned about them so much last year, he got rid of them!
  • The bloody lawn needs mowing AGAIN! It was only done last week!
  • You see people doing ‘the wasp dance.’ You know the one, where they flail around madly, run a few steps, twirl around and start the whole thing over again. If you are lucky it might be accompanied by a bit of screaming (especially if it is me)!
  • The shops have sold out of fans again! If you do have one, the whirring and clonking noise keeps you awake half the night anyway.
  • Suddenly every cafe decides to serve a ‘cream tea!’
  • It’s raining! Especially during Wimbledon

34 thoughts on “Episode 361: You Know it is Summer in Britain When……..

  1. I dunno why some of your posts aren’t showing up on my reader.

    Hoy! What’s wrong with man sandals? Pure old milk bottle legs Mr Grumpy, he has a lot going for him

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  2. Same summer indications here in New England. After eight feet of snow this winter, I vowed not to complain about mosquitoes, yard work, heat and humidity and cleaning the pool. As a side note, summer for me is also the aroma of bell pepper roasting on the barbecue. Yum!

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      1. No, it was a long, long winter. I’m so happy to go out on a nice weekend morning and enjoy a cup of coffee. Bliss.

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  3. “…pure white milk bottle legs..” classic. Love your post, Edwina, but that was definitely the scene stealer right there!

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  4. I love the word bangers. We BBQ all year long here…sometimes in winter parkas and boots.And the shorts…they come out in March or April; anytime the temp goes over 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Funny stuff you have there, Edwina. Loved the post. ☺ Van

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  5. Rumor has it that our North American fascination with green lawns are a transplanted from the UK notion. I’m not sure if this is true, but other than mowing the stuff once a week I’m not willing to spend too much time on the grass. I do love my barbecue though! Veggies (I’m vegetarian) are so much more forgiving of the overdone outsides underdone insides than meat!

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    1. My brother-in-law is obsessed with his lawn, and bought some grass seeds (it was a bit patchy). He was fussing over watering and nurturing it, banning everyone from going anywhere neat it! I absolutely afore BBQ, and yes, veggies are great done on it too 🙂

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  6. Hey, just loved your piece of writing on signs of summer. A lot of it reminded me of Canada, except for the ‘cream tea.’ We have ice coffee. Cheers!

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    1. Ha Ha! Yes I understand about the trainers with nice clothes as I am not keen on that look either! I am not keen on feet as it is and some men wearing those mandals just make cringe a bit!

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  7. I can identify. We’ve just spent all day mowing the grass, weeding the gardens, and scrubbing the mildew from the patio bricks. Yay summer!! At least the sun is shining today so we can get all these chores done as it’s rained all week. 🙂

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