The long hot summer when a student chose to go topless

The long hot heatwave of 1976 was one of the hottest of all time.

Although the record for the highest individual temperature has been broken twice since 1976 - once in 1990 and again in 2003 when Brogdale in Kent reached 38.5C (101.3F) - nothing has come close to 1976 in terms of sheer persistence.

Every day between June 22 and July 16, 1976, the temperature reached well above 80F.

However, the heat was at its most intense between June 23 and July 7, with temperatures soaring to 90F every day in some places.

The winter beforehand had been drier than usual, so the hot summer of 1976 became a severe drought.

Water reserves ran out and heath fires became a frighteningly common occurrence.

But there was plenty of fun to be had.

Echo staff fried eggs on scorching manhole covers and the Dorset Evening Echo featured a particularly quirky story - no wonder they call it the silly season!

On July 5, 1976 the Echo featured topless Maggie du Brett on its front page boldly strolling down Weymouth promenade wearing just jeans, sunglasses and a sultry look.

Maggie du Brett strolls down the Esplanade on the front page picture of the Echo on July 5, 1976

Our intrepid reporter at the time wrote: "The old folk basking in the seafront shelters just sat and stared as student Maggie du Brett strolled along the Prom.

"Going topless was pretty Maggie's remedy for soaking up the summer sunshine.

"Why shouldn't I go topless?" asked 18-year-old Maggie, who was spending her second successive summer in Weymouth.

'Why all the fuss?' asks Maggie

"I've been sunbathing and swimming and haven't offended anyone. No-one has complained.

"After all it's not as though I'm the first girl to go topless, so what's all the fuss?"

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The report added that Maggie would be returning to study fashion design at Maidenhead College of Arts in Berkshire in the autumn.

Long Bredy, midway between Dorchester and Bridport in the summer of 1976

Readers have some stand-out memories of the summer of 1976.

Michelle Luke remembers: "I was working a summer job in Pandora’s Box, a gift shop by the King's Statue - it was a very hot summer and using public transport was horrible."

Holidaying in Weymouth during the heatwave of 1976 was significant for Jennifer Hughes.

A National Trust sign warns holidaymakers that Brownsea Island has been closed due to the heatwave baking the country in the summer of 1976

She writes: "My first holiday to Weymouth was during the heatwave of 1976, I spent a lot of time at Overcombe beach which started my love of the area. After many more happy holidays I finally made the move to live here in 2017."

The temperature must have seemed particularly warm for Robert Morgan. He tells us: "I was working in a fish and chip shop in Westham road and it was busy especially on carnival day."

Weymouth Harbour Station on a very hot summer's day in summer of 1976

And it wasn't such a good time for Lisa Rushby-Williams who was unfortunate to get German measles that summer.

Alan Clarke tells us: "In 1976 I was working at Westhaven Junior School in Radipole Lane, Weymouth. We were working on the school field lowering the manhole covers to the drains. The field height had reduced over the years so the manholes were about 4 inches higher and dangerous."

Mains supplies to thousands of homes were turned off and stand-pumps appeared in the streets where householders queued with buckets.

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Simone McManus recalls: "We had one of the street pumps on the drive of our house. My dad couldn't park on the drive for weeks and everyone on our road used to walk up our drive and help themselves."

Kieran Webster remembers helping carry water buckets from the standing street pumps.

Feeling the heat on the Esplanade

The hot summer of 1976 was a particularly uncomfortable time for Sue Hogben, who was expecting her second child then.

She writes: "I remember staggering up Boot Hill with a large baby bump pushing a baby in pram on my way to the maternity clinic. All expectant mums had high blood pressure all round after trekking up that hill."

Trina Mortimer has a similar memory: "I remember going to the beach looking like a beach whale heavily pregnant. It was very uncomfortable."

And for Angie Wilson being pregnant in that heat was a 'very uncomfortable summer' - and it rained three days after she had her son!

When Dilly Heslop thinks of the summer of 1976 she thinks of the hose pipe ban - and of being covered in calamine lotion after walking around in just pants as an eight-year-old.

Nikki Williams tells us: "What a beautiful summer, doing sailing at YAC Sea Studies and the fish would come to the surface of the water and learning to use very little wind. I remember sunbathing at home using bergasol sun cream which smelt lovely, Moonshine disco along the front and sneaking to the beach for cider when I was 15."

The summer school holidays was a blissful time for Sara Liddell, who spent them at Greenhill swimming to the raft.

The heat brought swarms of ladybirds to the Esplanade, Carol Hobson remembers.

Let us know your memories of the summer of 1976!