Please stop saying the UK summer is over. It makes no sense
On 12 August, when the UK summer was giving us a balmy 22 degree day, Barack Obama said that summer was “winding down.”
It’s been a common pronouncement on social media throughout August that inevitably makes you feel melancholic. But more importantly, it’s also wrong. The UK Summer isn’t over, it’s defiantly striding on. Here’s why the narrative is skewed and it’s time to go outside.
The UK summer is over narrative is literally wrong
Summer officially runs from Thursday 20 June 2024 to Sunday 22 Sept 2024, so at the time of writing, we’re not even two thirds through the season. If your mind is telling you summer is over, fight against it on the basis of the actual calendar: it’s literally not! It’s really not!
It’s also culturally wrong to say that ‘summer is over’
Other than Glastonbury, the biggest festivals of the summer haven’t happened yet. Reading & Leeds and All Points East are still to come. Heard of them? Thought so. Then into September there’s End of the Road, and even two weeks after that, it’s still not the end of the road. Summer is still burning on.
If it’s British to moan about summer being over then it’s even more British to moan about the weather. Often August is wet and unappealing; September can often be better. It’s called an ‘Indian Summer’ because the warmer climes from the Asian continent reach the UK by September, meaning ample opportunities to laze around in fields making like your favourite Famous Five character until after the official end of summer has happened. Keep the dream alive.
Finally, it’s a terrible mindset to be in
Many of us are addicted to our mobile phones. The rise of mindfulness retreats suggests many of us are concerned about our mental health; we’re all trying to be more present. “Being present” has become a Millennial cliche; no one is quite sure what it means. But one thing we can all be darned sure it means is not saying summer is over on one of the hottest days of the year.
As I write this, people in my office are literally complaining about the lack of air conditioning. Everyone talking about summer being over makes me feel sad. I can’t be the only one refusing to buy into this narrative of misery. The UK summer isn’t over: it’s final. Go outside, it’s glorious.
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