I agree, also I can always remember the size of the cracks in the soil here in s/e
Taken from a report
The effect of the summer was huge. Drinks, ice cream, barbecue, and bikini sales rocketed during the summer but the greatest impact was the lack of water. Reservoirs were drying up and the Government launched meaures to conserve water. People were advised to share baths, to use the bath water to water the garden, to place bricks in toilet cisterns to conserve water. Standpipes were launched and many parts of the UK had no running water for much of the day. The drought caused forest and heath fires in the south and fireman were unable to control these because of a lack of water. Gardens and parks were brown and parched. The Government created a minister for drought, Denis Howell, such was the serious nature of the drought. The ministry was created just as the heavy rains came to replenish the reservoirs.
xquote=Col;1131400]
The highest temperature that summer was 'only' 35.9C.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_British_Isles_heat_wave
What is remarkable about 1976 (other than the drought of course) was the sheer persistance of the heat, most especially in the late June/early July heatwave. I don't think any heatwave since has come even close to equaling that.