IF you thought the recent 'heatwave' was enough to make you come out in a hot sweat, then many Times readers will recall the last sustained spell of sunshine in the Westcountry — the sizzling summer of 1976.

That year the United Kingdom heatwave led to the hottest summer average temperature in the UK since records began — hitting 96.1F (35.6 degrees C) at its height.

If that was not enough, it also co-incided with the country suffering a severe drought.

Every day between June 22 and July 16. temperatures reached 26.7C (80F). For 15 consecutive days from June 23 to July 7 inclusive, temperatures reached 32.2C (90F) somewhere in England. Furthermore, five days saw temperatures exceed 35C (95F).

The great drought was due to the summer and autumn of 1975 being very dry, and the winter of 1975 being exceptionally dry.

The drought was at its most severe in August 1976, with parts of the South West going days without any rain in July and August.

Such was the effect on the country a 'Minister of Drought' was appointed — Dennis Howell MP — to oversee the country's response.

The effect on domestic water supplies led to the passing of a Drought Act and there was widespread water rationing and public standpipes in some affected areas, including Tavistock, Okehampton and Princetown.

Reservoirs such as at Burrator, were at a very low level.

People in Stoke Climsland were among the first to be affected when a hosepipe ban was introduced on July 10.

Such was the seriousness of the situation there was a shortage of buckets, basins and anything that could hold water in Tavistock, as people 'panic-bought' existing stocks.

At the 68th Bere Ferrers Horticultural Show there was not one strawberry on display and very few raspberries due to the drought.

Three millions gallons of water a day was pumped out of the Tamar at Gunnislake in a dramatic bid to avoid a water crisis in Plymouth.

Tamar Valley broccoli growers faced the danger of bankruptcy, said Jack Cloake, secretary of the local horticultural branch of the National Union of Farmers, if it did not rain heavily within the next two weeks.

'I've never known anything like this before,' he said at the time, 'and it keeps on getting worse.'

Plaisterdown Parish Council urged that Dartmoor was the place for more reservoirs, criticising the lack of water storage in the area.

It was a hectic time for the fire services. Tavistock firemen put out more fires than they did at time of height of the Blitz.

They fought more than 120 blazes — helped by a brand new multi-purpose fire engine they had just taken delivery of in July.

Crisis meetings were held in Tavistock and Lydford, as there were not enough 'good neighbour volunteers' prepared to come forward to help the elderly and sick.

However, the entrepreneurial spirit could not be quenched, as at the height of the water shortage, Tavistock's Waterway's Garage opened up a new car wash!

In Okehampton there were water restrictions, as home supplies were turned off at times and standpipes and bowsers were introduced, as people queued up for water in the streets.

Okehampton local historian Mike Wreford said: 'I was working for the South Western Electricity Board (SWEB) and we used to work closely with The North Devon Board with its headquarters at North Tawton.

'I recollect that they needed to explore every option for water supplies, so the old resevoir at Chagford was brought into operation as an emergency.

'Okehampton's hard-working mayor at the time was Jeff Cunliffe, who took a great deal of interest with helping the aged and the disabled who needed assistance with carrying water from the standpipes.

'I recall that Jeff, as the mayor, met the Minister for Drought Dennis Howell when he visited Devon.'

The water board made use of Meldon Pond — this was formerly an old lime quarry.

When the pumps stopped working more than 100 years ago, the quarry gradually flooded creating the pond itself.

Retired South West Water engineer David Bubear also recalls working at Meldon Pond to help booster supplies for Okehampton.

At the time, David was the assistant superintendent living at Prewley waterworks and running Okehampton waterworks at Bracken Tor.

He told the Times: 'Local supplies were extremely small and we were struggling to get the water as the rivers had dried up.

'One of my jobs was to pump emergency supplies from Meldon Pond to Prewley Water Treatment Works.

'We had two submersible pumps suspended under a raft, which was made at the North Tawton depot of South West Water.

'It helped deliver 1.5 million gallons per day.

'The water level was approximately 30 ft down from normal and already showing part of the old quarry workings.

'The normal supply from Meldon Dam maintained 4.5 mgd to the Prewley works throughout the drought and the pond supply helped conserve Meldon Reservoir supply.'

Divers at the time discovered that Meldon pond was 92 foot deep —approximately the height of Meldon Viaduct.

Whatever the Minister of Drought did must have worked, because soon after he was appointed, there were big thunderstorms and it rained in West Devon for three weeks at the end of August and the beginning of September!