Forgive this publication for pointing out the bleedin’ obvious, but it’s been a little bit toasty recently.

Yes, it’s summer, and the mercury traditionally rises this time of year. But with ‘heatwave’ being mentioned so much and temperatures hitting a record highs in June, our thoughts turned to a similar spell 50 years ago.

Ah, yes. The long, hot summer of 1976. Reservoirs ran dry, harvests failed, ice cream sales went through the roof, and there was even a rain dance at Wimbledon.

So given the comparisons between now and half a century ago, we knew which edition to look at for this weeks Peeps into the Past.

“It’s a scorcher!” was the headline on July 1, 1976, with stories about hay fires, swimming pools, heathland blazes and heroism featuring in the pages of the Herald & Post.

“Petersfield perspired along with the rest of the scorched South as the heatwave entered its second wilting week,” began the first paragraph in the Post, with a temperature of 34c being recorded in the shade behind Dragon Court on Tuesday, June 29.

Less than a mile away, the town’s open air swimming pool recorded the busiest weekend in its 14-year history with 1,200 bathers passing through its famous gates.

“So many people wanted to use the facilities that seven extra staff had to be taken on to maintain our usual standards of safety and hygiene,” said the pool’s chief attendant, Maurice Ralph.

While the heatwave was a godsend for the pool, it was less welcome for farmers, firefighters and medics.

The Herald reported that of the 250,000 people who visited the Aldershot Army Show, nearly 1,000 needed medical treatment, mostly for heat exhaustion.

Hampshire firemen had their busiest day of the year on Monday (June 28, 1976) with 130 calls – 77 involving grass fires. And one of the biggest took place on Thursley Common where Army bulldozers were brought in to dig a 40ft ‘trench-break’ to contain a raging blaze.

Smoke from the heathland blaze was visible 15 miles away with kennels and stables being evacuated on a day when every firefighter felt the heat. Two soldiers from Bordon were also badly affected, being taken to Cambridge Military Hospital for treatment to burns and a leg injury, respectively.

“Nearly half of the Surrey Naturalists' Trust's 640-acre nature reserve was severely burnt on the day,” was a sobering part of the report, but next bit might make you laugh.

Petersfield Heath Pond 1976
A parched Petersfield Heath Pond in late July, 1976 (Petersfield Post Archives)

Despite the ongoing arid conditions, the Mid-Southern Water Company said they had been able to meet demand. This was despite the fact demand was 30 per cent above normal and draining reservoirs at more than a million gallons a day.

A spokesperson said: “The situation is serious everywhere because of this unprecedented dry spell, but at present there are no plans to impose a hose-pipe or sprinkler ban.

“All we are doing is asking people not to use these devices, otherwise drops in pressure and shortages may result.”

Staying in Hampshire, Anthony Westaway of Stoney Dene Farm in West Meon was hailed a hero after preventing a forest fire. The tractor driver was hauling a load of fresh bales from Rogate to West Meon when the load caught fire somewhere west of Petersfield.

Yet as the fire raged just a few feet behind his cab, he drove more than 100 yards up a steep hill and across an open field to avoid coming into contact with overhanging trees on the A272 at Bordean. He and his farm hand attempted to unhitch the trailer from the £5,500 tractor when in the open, but were beaten by the heat.

The jetty onto Petersfield Heath Pond was also extended by 30 feet so boats could be reached as water levels dropped by 18 inches. Mudflats dotted with discarded cans and bottles were exposed, while plans were drawn up to rescue the pond’s fish as oxygen levels fell.