AS WE have just enjoyed the first sunny few day in our back gardens or from balconies, the Daily Echo takes a look back at when we soaked up the rays in the city centrer parks.

There's little argument the weather can be unpredictable these day, and in 1989 it was just as erratic. A week after snow had swept across central England, the south was basking in glorious sunshine. Typically, it all happened in the week after a Bank Holiday – when everyone had returned to work. Southampton’s city centre parks provided a welcome change – if only for a lunchbreak – for staff from stifling offices and overcrowded shops.

An Echo photographer took to the streets of Southampton – armed with cameras, suncream and a hat – to take pictures of the first bare legs of summer.