By: Ryan Guo
Sweltering heat in Britain has caused many people to stay inside with their air conditioning or sit in the shade. However, those who have to work outside in the sun have found many unique ways to keep cool.
Spike Abbott is Yeoman Warder who gives tours to people at the Tower of London, and he uses ice blocks to cool off during work.
“Our uniform is from the Tudor period, and the Tudors would not have anticipated operating in temperatures like today. I think it is 32C in central London,” Spike said. “As soon as you put on a Tudor bonnet the heat builds because the hat is quite heavy and insulated. Then you’re wearing dark trousers and formal shoes.”
Due to the extreme heat and his uniform, Spike puts an ice block under his hat so he can cool off while giving people their tours.
“I use a small ice block that you put in a freezer and into your lunch box. They fit perfectly into the hat. But I don’t do a full tour with it because it’s not particularly safe to have an ice block sitting on top of your head.” Spike said.
Spike also said that he got inspiration from previous Yeoman Warders who used this strategy.
Simon Barnes has been a beekeeper for 23 years, and he knows that the way to avoid bee stings is to cover himself up. He beats the heat by using a ventilated suit.
“Beekeeping requires a thick suit to limit the risk of being stung. In this weather, wearing a thick suit is far from ideal. During visits at the moment, I press a damp towel to my neck and I have bought a ventilated suit. The suits are a new invention. They started appearing on the market last year in places like India, so I prepared myself and bought one at the start of this season.” Simon said.
The suit has three layers. The outer has the vents, there’s a thin membrane of material in the middle, with a third layer that wicks the moisture out, so the bees can’t get their stingers through.
Luke Ansley and his actor colleagues have found a way to face the heat by using a pool that they could jump into after their performances.
“We perform to up to 600 people in an outdoor arena where the actors wear full body suits, capes, masks and wigs, and some have puppets. Shows are really high energy, with lots of dancing and stage combat, with the characters weaving in and out of the audience. The shows range from 15 to 25 minutes, so we’re not onstage for too long, but it does get pretty boiling.” Ansley said. “A couple of years ago I had the idea that we should install some paddling pools for the actors to jump into after the show. We can take our costumes off and climb into the pool, and it is an instant relief. ”
Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-62168062