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27 July 2022

This England: Hot property

This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain – has run in the NS since 1934.

By New Statesman

A TikTok video of a man cooling down in a bin full of water during the heatwave has gone viral. The clip was recorded on the hottest day of the year and shows two men talking.

When asked if he’s enjoying the weather the man said: “Listen, if I want to have a swim in my bin on the hottest day of the year in England then I’m entitled to do so.”

One TikToker user commented: “If this was London that bin would be advertised as a single bedroom apartment with pool for £900,000. Too late now.”
My London (Steve Morley)

[See also: This England: Story of my life]

Global worming

The heat spelled disaster for an annual worm charming contest as just one worm was tempted to the surface. Hard, dry soil meant tactics including dancing and playing the didgeridoo had little effect in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Metro (Mike Berry)

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[See also: This England: Story of my life]

Bulls-eye!

Arrests were made after police stopped a BMW in Lowestoft and discovered “enough tobacco and cigarettes to cater an entire 1980s darts tournament”.
East Anglian Daily Times (Mike Ireson)

Daylight robbery

A pub charging £21.50 for a burger – and £2 to remove any ingredient– has been blasted by customers. One visitor to the George Hotel and Beach Club in Yarmouth, said that when they were told it would be more without bread “we had the bun and gave it to the seagulls”.
Metro (Amanda Welles)

Each printed entry receives a £5 book token. Entries to comp@newstatesman.co.uk or on a postcard to This England.

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This article appears in the 27 Jul 2022 issue of the New Statesman, Summer Special