Interesting tale. What caught my attention was your reference to the summer of 1976 being the hottest on record and all. As it turns out I was living in England that summer - Sussex to be exact. Having lived the previous 3+ years in Southern California I was quite used to 90+ degree weather, alas the Brits we were working with at that time were not. A few Americans were sunbathing on a nearby hill during lunch breaks, while everyone else was hiding in the shade, drinking ice water with cold cloths wrapped around their necks. Interesting times.