Surviving the heatwave

Everything I’ve been using to get through 34 degrees in London

May 27, 2026

We all know that 34 degrees in London feels like 40 degrees in other places. We aren’t set up for success when the sun shines. Despite the heat being, frankly, terrifying, our houses feel like ovens, we don’t have enough shade, and our cafes and bars skimp on the ice. These are some things that have been providing me comfort over the last few days.

Food and drink

Our Le Creuset wine cooler sleeve got used a lot over the long weekend. Leave in the freezer and then whack over a bottle to keep cold. It’ll even chill a room temperature bottle!

We LOVE to barbecue at our house. So much so that we actually have two Weber barbecues: both a gas and a charcoal one. Deranged, I know. But sometimes you want a quick grill and then other times you crave the smokiness of the charcoal. We did the following meals over the long weekend, most of which we used the barbecue for.

Salmon bowls (don’t skip on doing the sriracha aioli to accompany it).
Simple - but delicious - chicken marinade (if doing breast, I recommend halving the breasts to spread out the flavour a bit more. We also did thighs which worked great).
Monkfish tacos. This one’s out of a book but these look very similar. Monkfish works brilliantly for tacos.
Angela Hartnett’s spaghetti alle vongole. Easy as anything, perfect summer lunch.

We didn’t really want to use public transport to cross London to dine so the only time we went out to eat was to Primrose Hill’s Lemonia on Friday (just a short ride away on the air conditioned Overground). I really believe that eating at this family-run Greek restaurant (table out front) is the closest thing to feeling like you’re on holiday in London.

Sorry if you don’t follow M&S Food drops like I do (I’m never out of the place) but they have just released a whole new range of incredible ice lollies for summer and we’ve been making our way through them. Pineapple, coconut and lime is my favourite so far. They’re all basically freshly squeezed fruit juice with a little bit of sugar and no hidden nasties like a lot of other lollies have.

Clothes

Baseball caps can be tricky business. Well, the slogan/brand you choose - should you want to go there and why would you bother with a baseball cap without a slogan/brand? - can be tricky because I think they can get naff quite easily. You want something fun and a little bit different. I’ve been wearing this Ricard one in light blue that I bought on eBay. Nothing says summer more than the south of France’s tipple of choice and I like that I haven’t seen anyone else wearing it. Otherwise you can’t go wrong with one from Idea Books (but you’ll see plenty of people wearing them; Zoe Kravitz is a fan, as is her boyf).

My Ricard cap. Pledging my allegiance to… pastis

I’ve been wearing these Coucou Intimates shorts to bed, paired with a loose white cotton vest. I would usually sleep naked in this heat but now that my son climbs into bed with us every morning, he might get a bit of a shock.

I wrote about these Leset Yoko pants last week but honestly they are an absolute winner in this weather. Wore them to a garden party on Saturday.

Haven’t been able to wash and rewear this loose white linen short dress from Deiji Studios fast enough. Currently on sale!

Long jorts are still my denim shorts style of choice for 2026. I’m wearing my blue Cos ones from last year (love them, perfect shorts material) but they have them in dark charcoal this year, which I also like, or they have a bit of a baggier version.

Beauty

I’ve switched up my fragrance now it’s so hot and am dousing myself in Penhaligon’s Solaris eau de parfum. The name demands it. And it doesn’t go rancid in the heat, it just smells lovely (notes of blackcurrant, ylang ylang, and cedarwood).

Do you still burn candles in summer? I like to in the evening. Diptyque’s Citronelle candle has a beautiful, summery lemongrass fragrance that, rest assured, smells nothing like those citronella candles that ward off mosquitoes.

I’ve been spritzing Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir on throughout the day for a refreshing skin boost, I love it.

A good, old fashioned cold shower before bed is a must. Put on a fan in the bedroom while you shower. Light Citronelle candle. Refreshing AF.

Miscellaneous

Speaking of, a fan in this weather is a necessity. We wanted one that was powerful but didn’t take up too much room as it’ll be in storage (something we’re lacking in) for most of the year. This Dreo one is super effective, has various strength settings, is fairly compact (it’s about 30cm high) and only costs £50.

I got this basic IKEA lounge chair for reading in the garden this summer and I love it. Can confirm that it is super comfy, you can literally curl up in it and read for hours. It’s also lightweight enough so that you can haul it around, moving it into the shade throughout the day. I was reading on my chair at 9pm on Monday (light evenings are here!) when I could STILL hear people partying in various surrounding gardens at the end of the long weekend. Pack it up, people! Tuesday evening on my chair in the garden was decidedly quieter. Everyone was finally broken from Heat Wave Bank Holiday '26.

This paddling pool is probably the best £40 you can spend on kids in this weather. I even fit in it. You’ll need an air pump for this bad boy though.

I first read about Two Weeks In August, the new BBC drama about a group summer holiday gone wrong, because it received five stars from The Guardian (and four from the FT). First things first: this is three star television at ABSOLUTE best. I think the heat might have gone to the reviewers’ heads. But did I still basically inhale this show? I sure did. A bunch of friends vacation on a Greek island where things go south almost immediately, with secrets, infidelities, financial worries and jealousies all making an appearance.

A friend *may* have dubbed this ‘The Shite Lotus’

Over eight episodes, Two Weeks In August gets more and more ludicrous, with some seriously implausible storylines and a lot of extremely hammy Greek myth stuff. Still, it’s a very enjoyable, sun soaked yarn that eventually won me round. The BBC knew what they were doing putting this out right at the beginning of summer; it gets everyone excited for the lusty, sweaty promise of the season ahead. But if you really want something to get you in the summer holiday mood - and that’s actually five stars - watch A Bigger Splash, Swimming Pool, The Green Ray, Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Before Midnight.

Finally please enjoy a picture of the roses in my garden. Much like a London heatwave, they come and go in no time but I love them nonetheless.