By It's hard to imagine this relentless heat will ever go away. Fans flutter interminably. Jumpers have become sinister characters lurking in our wardrobes. And we're all longing for a Sunday afternoon we can spend inside with the blinds down.
But end it will! (It will, won't it?) And then you'll look back on the Great Summer of 2018 and rue that you did not spend every second of it swan-diving through the fountains of Leicester Square, charging oysters to the sky while sat on the beach or dancing in a field with a £14.50 summer cup.
OK, maybe you won't regret missing the last one. But here's some suggestions on how to make the most of the last (please!) breaths of the heatwave.
Throw an outdoor dinner party
You don't need your own outdoor space to have a dinner party in the summer. Pick a spot, ideally more off the beaten track than Hyde or Regents Park, and bring a meal to enjoy al fresco. We recommend this Tom Parker-Bowles recipe for Tacos al carbon, which combines grilled steak with spring onion and salsa and can be assembled at your chosen spot so won't be ruined in transit.
Go to a screening at Somerset House
We're aware the outdoor cinema has lost some of its sparkle now every rooftop, lido and carpark has caught onto the trend. But as one of the OGs - and with a spot so quintessentially London - watching a film at Somerset House is still a summer must. Still to screen in August is Todd Haynes' Carol if you are feeling cultured and a back to back showing of Total Recall and A Nightmare on Elm Street if you not. Added bonus? Grey Goose will have a pop-up bar in the East Wing for your cocktail fix.
Visit the oldest pub on the Thames
At 215 miles in length there are plenty of pubs along the Thames which offer great views. However, The Mayflower has been serving up said views since 1958 and with a wooden deck overlooking the river it offers skylines that rival that of Manhattan. There's also an excellent kitchen making it a great way to wile away a sunny Sunday in a piece of London history.
Take a day trip for the catch of the day
Day trips where the destination involves food are always infinitely more rewarding. Mersea Island is a peaceful retreat in Essex which becomes cut off from land at high tide (so do check tide times if you're driving). There you'll find The Company Shed, a tiny seafood hut on the island serving platters of lobsters, langoustines, crab and more with a BYO policy on bread and booze. It's a no fuss spot where you can eat in front of the water and even organise a boat trip around the bay. There's no reservations so arrive before 12pm for a table.
Visit Edinburgh Fringe
"You've never been to Fringe? Oh you must," is likely something you've heard if you haven't visited the annual arts festival in Scotland. It's never a bad year to go but this this year the international festival will see Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Nigel Farage and many more get a makeover in 'Jonny Woo’s All-Star Brexit Cabaret', a late-night Bon Jovi musical in 'We’ve Got Each Other' and Django Django perform at the Leith Theatre. You're not quite guaranteed the same heatwave as other bits of the UK but in Scotland you take what you get.
Go wild swimming
Wild swimming sounds like the sort of activity you have to spend £185 on a boutique festival ticket to indulge in, but it's really just jumping in a lake, and there's plenty of those to be found. Spots a short distance from London include Frensham great pond in Farnham, The Grantchester meadows in Cambridge and the very quaint Houghton Mill on River Great Ouse. Take a picnic and leave your phone in your bag, it will still be fun if people don't see you jumping in on Instagram.
Stuff yourself at a food festival
Food at festivals has gone from being a leathery burger from a van to the main draw on the line-up with celebrities chefs hosting banquets in the woods. August has several of them on offer from The River Cottage Festival with fire pit feasts and masterclasses on cocktails and fish to Meatopia where guests can enjoy the dishes served at restaurant hits such as Smoking Goat, The Hawksmoor, Gunpowder and Ottolenghi.
If booze if more your thing then Lagunitas are bringing their travelling beer circus to town where you can wash back pints while watching the circus. Essentially the best parts of adulthood and childhood combined.
