British Summer Time

I dont like the shorter days and longer evenings,I hope EU decide to keep Summer time, far better than changing twice a year, its even worse here in Sweden, we will soon be getting just a few daylight hours, roll on Spring!

As there is no war on now why do we still do it. I have never seen the point.

Yes. It was introduced during the war to enable farmers to have more day time to work.

Things have changed from how they were in the 60s and 70s. Far fewer children walk to school, for a start; and streets are now much better lit. Also we have drink drive limits. Therefore using data which is over 40 years old is astonishing. We spend hours (and therefore paid time) of our economy moving those hands backwards and forwards twice a year.

I say stick with GMT, but work to the same time as France, and be done with.

Parsley3 Instead of changing the clocks, why didn't they change the school start time? Back in the 1970s, it wouldn't have been a problem because it was likely that mothers would stay home to look after their children. Nowadays, I suppose it would cause mayhem...

Sounds very odd to me re this stone moving. Whereabouts Maw? Moving Stonehenge??

I agree that there seems little point in daylight saving. Although most digital gadgets automatically update, we have watches, oven timer, microwave, landline phone, and an old carriage clock which all take ages to alter twice yearly.

It seems the worst problems would be in the far north, where it would mean only becoming light mid morning. It's difficult to know what the answer is.

twice a year to make sure the stones align correctly with the sun
Maw; those Welsh Druids must be pretty fit guys. But who works out whether they should be moved clockwise or anti-clockwise?

yes

I would be happy to get rid of BST and stay on GMT all year round.

I agree. I hate the long dark evening.

I remember going to school in the seventies when the clocks didn't change. It was pitch black walking to school just before 9 am. We had to buy bright orange arm bands or bibs and orange stripes for our school bags. We thought it was a great adventure as we were never out when it was dark at night. I notice that Turkey hasn't changed their clocks for the second year running so it must work for them.

Gee thanks, Nfk.

Maw, love it!

I think it's Avebury, Winterwhite.

I wish they would just stick to one time throughout the year, personally I prefer to stay on BST, but whatever they do I wish presenters on tv etc would stop saying we get an extra hour of daylight, we don't we just get daylight at a different time!!

I remember an experiment years ago when we stopped altering clocks. It resulted in children going to school in the dark. Even if we did not alter the clocks it would get dark earlier and earlier...that is totally beyond anyone's control...does nobody realize that?

I believe we should stick to GMT - it doesn't really make any difference and, as a country child, I believe in going to bed and getting up with the sun and the birds. In summer I love the long days, but no need to mess about with artificial time, but equally love to curl up in the warm, curtains closed, fire-lit evenings. As a Wiccan, I love the Yule Festival, knowing that the days are now lengthening and that spring is on its way. The argument that BST is safer than GMT is a total fallacy -whichever is chosen it is swings and roundabouts and the only true reason for changing is for wartime DST, allowing farmers to work longer hours when food production was important. Until a couple of years ago, I did a paper round, enjoying the summer rounds, when I could start as soon as the papers were delivered to the shop, enjoy the early morning sunshine, whereas I was terrified of dark, icy winter mornings, when I risked falling every day and if it wasn't cold and slippery, it was cold and wet and the papers were invariably sodden by the time I finished. In the end, I refused to leave my house before there was enough light to see, not starting before 8 o'clock.

I hate summer time! If people really believe that getting up an hour earlier saves daylight, let them set their alarm clocks earlier!

During the first world war it probably did save daylight, but now where it lasts from the last weekend in March until the last weekend in October, obviously we are not saving electricity or fuel.

Roll on banning summer time!

In our digital age is it really a "kerfuffle"?

Theobird Most children will still go out in the dark! Huge numbers go to Breakfast Clubs or Day Care from 7:30 and are not collected until 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening. So saving kids from dark mornings is not really relevant any more. I don't much mind one way or the other .. whenever it gets dark at the end of the day I slow down and usually take to the sofa with a book/craft/TV/film!

DH was at work in the Co-op last night, and he got the job of altering the clocks. When he arrived home he was surprised to find that I'd put the clocks back. He'd put them forward in the shop!! I asked him if he was trying to confuse the morning staff?.
He went in to put his mistake right, and nobody had noticed!

Minimoon

Thank you Jalima I can remember when at school being out with mates and it was gone 10 when it got dark thought I had imagined it

Sounds very odd to me re this stone moving. Whereabouts Maw? Moving Stonehenge??
I think they had to move the stones even further when they had double summer time winterwhite

There was a letter in an Australian paper not long ago from someone who was complaining that, whilst most states changed the clocks, Queensland did not. This man was annoyed and thought Queensland ought to change the clocks so that they could have two hours extra daylight like the other states.