Thursday, June 5, 1975. Following an overwhelming vote in favour at the referendum, Prime Minister Harold Wilson takes Britain into the European Economic Community, aka the Common Market. Goodbye fish and chips, hello frogs’ legs, warns one especially ‘patriotic’ tabloid. But by the end of the month, there is an undeniable feeling of joie de vivre in the air as the country plunges into one of those “Do you remember…” heatwaves that inspires TV newsreels of heat-stroked housewives frying eggs on pavements. Bottled water hasn’t been invented yet, so everyone chain-sucks ice lollies.
The UK singles chart is not so sun-dappled: Tammy Wynette’s Stand By Your Man spends four weeks at No.1, and is followed into the top spot by Whispering Grass by two of the stars of BBC TV comedy It Ain’t Half Hot Mum (delightful then, ‘cancelled’ now). Rod Stewart’s Sailing will stink out the rest of the summer hols.
