Newark – near Coningsby, Lincolnshire, the hottest place in the UK on Tuesday – was one of several towns deserted as shoppers stayed indoors to escape the heat. There is a branch of Greggs in the market, where staff said it was “much quieter” than normal, with staff doing training to fill idle hours without any customs. By mid-afternoon they had sold very few sausages, but many cold drinks. Next door are The Works offices, which had only seen two paying customers in the last few hours. “They go in for the air conditioning and go out again,” said 53-year-old supervisor Sue Poole. “I catch up on paperwork that I wouldn’t normally be able to do.” The kitchen at The Barge pub was closed for the first time and was only serving sandwiches. It just wasn’t the time for anyone to be standing in front of a pizza oven or working a deep fryer, said cook Samantha Sutton, 55.
