So, what, is summer just something that happens to other countries now?

Question

Last summer in England was appauling; absolutely appauling. I tried to console myself with Coleridge's sentiment that 'nothing in nature is ugly', but when a school prom in a high class tudor castle is greeted by torrential rain, dark, brooding gray skies and wind that sounded like it was coming straight from Satan's backside, Romantic poetry began to lose it's knack somewhat. And with 2008 looking set to be another stinker for England I pose you meteorologists a question; why do we not get summer anymore? Is it climate change? Bad luck? Is summer officially a thing of the past for England?!

Answer 1

Climatologists are the people you want to ask, not meteorologists.

EDIT: My answer still stands, but Matt has a very good answer. I just gave him a thumbs up for it.

Answer 2

Its the law of averages.  If you look at the average high temperature for the day, you have to keep in mind it is an average.  Meaning the majority of times in the mid-latitudes, the high temperature is actually not going to match the average, but rather be some deviation away from the average.  Without looking at the data, I speculate that England probably has had some very warm summers in the past decade, and according to the law of averages, there will be some cool summers needed to make up for it.  

There are many things that drive the weather patterns that make it this way, including El Nino and other various atmospheric circulations.  Many of these have cycles that they go through which translate to the sensible weather you experience day to day.  Currently, this is resulting in a cooler pattern for England.  But rest assured, things will swing in favor of warmer weather eventually.  You just need to have patience.