We don't know if you've noticed, but it's a bit warm on London's streets at the moment, and while we all love a little moan about the temperature on transport or the lack of air conditioning in the city's shops and cafes, remember that it could be worse.
The Queen's Guards
As the summer tourists flock to Buckingham Palace to watch Changing the Guard, the guards themselves probably have other things to worry about — namely, the 16in tall, kilogram of black bear fur wrapped around their heads. That's material designed to keep an animal warm as it hibernates in deep snow and temperatures of -30°C , and these poor chaps are parading around with it on their heads — the part of the body from where heat is meant to escape.
There has been talk over the years of ditching the bearskin for something more ethical, but as of January 2016, spending on the traditional bearskin was soaring.
Tube drivers and bus drivers
Complaints about the high temperatures on tubes and buses — particularly Routemasters with no windows — are all too common in summer in London. Chances are that you only hop on for a few stops before hopping off, back into the beating sun and dive into the nearest air-conditioned coffee shop. Spare a thought for the drivers, stuck in their cab for hours at a time with a similar lack of air con and no chance to escape.
Mascots
We think we've uncovered the reason why the football season takes a break over the summer. It's not to give those poor, overworked footballers a break; it's to give their mascots a break from the searing heat.
Being trapped inside layers of polyester, often layered up with fur and clothing too, sounds like a bit of a nightmare to us right now.
See also: animal costume wearers at London Zoo.
Sewer worker
Much like people insist that the canals of Venice become more pungent in the summer, the heat has a similar effect on London's sewage systems. Enough said.
Whitechapel Bell Foundry
The clever people at Whitechapel Bell Foundry have to heat the furnace up to 1,150°C to melt the tin and copper which goes into bell-making. Sweaty!
See also: London Glassblowing in Bermondsey.
Royal Parks workers
It's Wednesday morning and your first task of the day is to mow the grass. Except that the grass in question is Hyde/Green/Regent's Park, and it's covered in thousands of sunbathers. To add to this, the bins need emptying way more frequently thanks to the abundance of picnic leftovers and ice cream wrappers being disposed of — and even then, the park's a mess at the end of the day as a result of those sunseekers too lazy to find a bin.
