The British summer is a rumour that persists despite all evidence. The rain that begins in June and continues into August, the barbecue that was lit at 2pm and abandoned at 2.45pm when the heavens opened, and the Wimbledon finals that were interrupted by the drizzle for the 17th year in 20, these are as much a part of the British summer as the sun. And yet, when the sun does shine, that first warm Saturday in May, the sky blue from horizon to horizon, the temperature touching 22°C (hot enough for a T-shirt, a sunburn, and an afternoon in a pub garden that stretches into the evening), and the entire population of the United Kingdom emerging from the winter like a nation of pale, blinking animals released from a cave, there is nowhere on Earth that does summer better. The British summer is a triumph of hope over experience, and the 10 best things about it are the things that make the hope worthwhile. Here they are.

1. The Pub Garden at 8pm

The sun is still above the trees. The pint, a Sharp’s Atlantic, a Timothy Taylor Landlord, or a local ale you have never heard of, is cold, the condensation beading on the glass, and the first sip is the taste of the British summer. The pub garden is the finest institution in British life: the wooden benches, the hanging baskets, the smokers huddled at the edge, the children playing on the grass, and the sense that this, a table, a pint, and the evening sun, is all you need. The essential pub gardens: The Trout at Wolvercote (Oxford, the Thames, the peacocks, and the Inspector Morse connection), the Ty Coch Inn (Porthdinllaen, the Llyn Peninsula, the pub on the beach, the sand, the sea, and the most beautiful pub location in Wales. The walk along the beach to the pub is the essential Welsh summer experience), and the Turf Tavern (Oxford, the low ceilings, the 13th-century foundations, and the beer garden that is the best in Oxford. Bill Clinton drank here; he did not inhale). More UK →

2. The Pimm’s and the Wimbledon

Wimbledon, the tennis, the strawberries and cream, the Pimm’s, and the rain, is the essential British summer ritual. Watching the tennis on the television (the BBC coverage, the commentary of John McEnroe and Tim Henman, and the sense that the nation is collectively ignoring the weather), or attending in person (the queue, the famous Wimbledon queue, the camping overnight, and the grounds pass that gives you access to the outside courts. ~£27 for a grounds pass, the best value in British sport. The show courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, require a separate ticket, and the ballot opens in September for the following year. The queue for the show courts begins at dawn, and the dedication is part of the experience). The Pimm’s (the gin-based fruit cup, the lemonade, the mint, the cucumber, the strawberries, and the orange slice, the taste of the British summer in a glass. ~£9 at Wimbledon, and worth it for the photograph)

3. The Barbecue

The sausages, the burgers, and the rain. The essential British barbecue: the charcoal, the lighter fluid, the 10 minutes of flame, the 20 minutes of waiting, and the sausages that are burnt on the outside and frozen in the middle. The British barbecue is a triumph of optimism over competence, and the taste, the charcoal, the charred skin of the sausage, and the ketchup, is the taste of a British summer.

4. The Seaside

The fish and chips eaten from the paper on the seafront, the seagulls circling, the vinegar on the chips, and the sea, the North Sea, grey-green and cold, and the swim that takes your breath away and leaves you shivering and euphoric. Essential seaside towns: Whitby, Aldeburgh, Tenby, and Southwold, the beach huts, the pier, and the best fish and chips in Britain.

5. The Festival

Glastonbury, the mud, the music, and the Pyramid Stage. The ticket is ~£360, and the ticket day in October is the most stressful 20 minutes of the year. Latitude, the smaller, more civilised, and more literary festival, the lakeside setting, and the best festival for families. ~£250.

6. The Ice Cream on the Pier

A 99 Flake, the soft-serve ice cream, the Cadbury’s Flake, and the raspberry sauce on a seaside pier. The combination is the taste of a British childhood, and the price, ~£3, is one of the few things in Britain that has not changed significantly in 20 years.

7. The Cricket on the Village Green

The white flannels, the thwack of the leather on the willow, the afternoon tea, and the sense that time has stopped, the village cricket match is the most beautiful expression of the English summer, and the pub on the boundary is essential.

8. The Garden Fete

The bunting, the tombola, the cake stall, and the vicar opening the proceedings. The British garden fête is an endangered species, and the pleasure of the Pimm’s, the jam jar, and the sense of community is the best free afternoon of the summer.

9. The Walk in the Countryside

The footpaths, the stiles, the wildflowers, and the pub at the end. The British countryside in the summer, the South Downs, the Cotswolds, the Lake District, is the most beautiful landscape in the world, and the right to roam, the network of public footpaths that criss-crosses the country, is the most precious gift of the British summer.

10. The Sunset at 10pm

The light, the sky, and the sense that the day has been borrowed from a Mediterranean country and will be returned in the morning. The British summer sunset, the long, slow, golden evening, is the most beautiful thing in Britain, and the reason we tolerate the rain