Should we stop changing the clocks twice a year?

[ooo]

Personally I think we should stop changing the clocks twice a year and switch to British Summer Time all year round as lighter evenings are more useful and nicer than in the mornings for me.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Personally I think we should stop changing the clocks twice a year and switch to British Summer Time all year round as lighter evenings are more useful and nicer than in the mornings for me.

Agreed. Would also have the advantage of meaning we'd be on the same time as mainland Europe for half the year.

I don't like getting up in the dark, but changing by an hour doesn't prevent that anyway

 

[AM9]

Agreed. Would also have the advantage of meaning we'd be on the same time as mainland Europe for half the year.

I don't like getting up in the dark, but changing by an hour doesn't prevent that anyway

There are other advantages: energy consumption and road accidents could be reduced.

 

[HSTEd]

There are other advantages: energy consumption and road accidents could be reduced.

Then why not adopt BST in the Winter and BST+1 in the Summer.
The same logic applies.

 

[Ploughman]

ISTR that Double Summer Time was tried in the mid 70's
I remember watching some waterskiers still skiing on the Marine lake at Southport near 23.00.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

How many times in recent years has this matter been discussed by those with the power to change matters?

 

[Bletchleyite]

ISTR that Double Summer Time was tried in the mid 70's
I remember watching some waterskiers still skiing on the Marine lake at Southport near 23.00.

Yeah, I think the issue with that is that it's light too late which affects sleep. To me GMT+1 all year would work fine.

 

[swt_passenger]

If changing the clocks is un-necessary, why do so many other countries also do it?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

If changing the clocks is un-necessary, why do so many other countries also do it?

Has anyone got a full list of such countries referred to and what percentage are these of the total number of recognised counties?

 

[swt_passenger]

Wikipedia has a list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_by_country

As a rule of thumb, it is countries above and below the tropics that adopt DST. Equatorial regions don't seem to bother so much.

 

[AM9]

Then why not adopt BST in the Winter and BST+1 in the Summer.
The same logic applies.

Wikipedia has a list. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daylight_saving_time_by_country

As a rule of thumb, it is countries above and below the tropics that adopt DST. Equatorial regions don't seem to bother so much.

That's because the hours of daylight change very little in equatorial regions.

 

[swt_passenger]

That's because the hours of daylight change very little in equatorial regions.

I didn't want to be accused of stating the obvious...

Indeed Pauls's earlier question should probably ask what proportion of northern and southern countries do it. Is there a collective name for those countries in more northerly and southernly latitudes?

 

[HSTEd]

Moving to BST year-round is often suggested by people who believe that this will strengthen the pro-European feeling of the British people..... although honestly I am not convinced that that would make any difference.

 

[AM9]

ISTR that Double Summer Time was tried in the mid 70's
I remember watching some waterskiers still skiing on the Marine lake at Southport near 23.00.

That was between 1968 and 1971.

Yeah, I think the issue with that is that it's light too late which affects sleep. To me GMT+1 all year would work fine.

I think that's what was tried between 1968 and 1971. The clocks weren't put back in the autumn and forward in the spring so we stayed on UTC + 1 all year. According to Scottish politicians it was carnage on the roads when children were going to school in the dark. So they got their way and now their children risk life and limb on the way home, and Sassenachs use more energy again in the dark evenings.

 

[Mojo]

According to Scottish politicians it was carnage on the roads when children were going to school in the dark.

I'd never understood that argument, people could either go to school in the dark, or return home from school in the dark. Given there are more people around in the evening if you had to choose one or the other, the latter makes much more sense!

 

[ooo]

Moving to BST year-round is often suggested by people who believe that this will strengthen the pro-European feeling of the British people..... although honestly I am not convinced that that would make any difference.

Do you have any examples of this being said?

 

[Howardh]

It would make sense for those countries on the GMT meridian to have the same time (and add/subtract for the seasons) - why France and Spain have to be two hours ahead of GMT in summer baffles me; but I presume as they are further south summer daylight is shorter than here therefore why waste a couple of hours sunlight when you are asleep?

So I would look at the UK's situation and agree it would be more convenient for us to do the same (GMT+1 winter, GMT+2 summer) and align with Europe - however in Scotland the sun would still be around at, what, half-eleven? Maybe there should be a SMT....

Of course none of this applies here in Lancashire, we use the "MTR" clock...how many minutes until it rains.

 

[PeterY]

I know in mid winter, whatever happens it's 7 hours of daylight and 17 of darkness but I'd rather have the lighter evenings.

 

[thejuggler]

I'd never understood that argument, people could either go to school in the dark, or return home from school in the dark. Given there are more people around in the evening if you had to choose one or the other, the latter makes much more sense!

Around here children dont have to be at school until about 9 and finish before 3. Changing the clocks means it is light at both ends of the school day.

Leave clocks on BST and it wouldnt be light until almost 10am across large parts of the UK, but would still be dark at 5.

 

[Busaholic]

I think we need a referendum on this issue. There should only be one question - do you want more hours of daylight or not? Boris could write two more newspaper articles, one saying 'yes' and one saying 'no', and then decide which to go with commensurate with his insatiable desire to become P.M., while Chris Grayling could assure us that night need never fall again once we escape the clutches of the E.U.

 

[Bevan Price]

It is a pity we cannot stop the earth at "June" throughout the year.
But more seriously, fog is generally worse in the early morning than in late afternoon, so having GMT in winter (rather than BST) allows more time for the fog to disperse before people go to work, and makes it a bit safer.

 

[PeterC]

I am happy with the present set up. To me the only question is, post Brexit, should we be changing on dates in line with Europe as we do now or with North America?

 

[thejuggler]

Considering the mainland EU Countries agreed with the UK dates when it was standardised across Europe it is highly unlikely there will be any change.

 

[GW43125]

I prefer to keep changing the clocks as in the winter it's lighter earlier which can help with waking up and in the summer it's lighter later which is helpful for, say, an evening out. But it's certainly grim leaving at 5pm in the dark...

 

[Busaholic]

I prefer to keep changing the clocks as in the winter it's lighter earlier which can help with waking up and in the summer it's lighter later which is helpful for, say, an evening out. But it's certainly grim leaving at 5pm in the dark...

I agree with you. I used to go on walks from Chislehurst Station about forty years ago and, on one of these, chanced upon a plaque in honour of Mr Willett (if my memory's correct) who ' invented' Daylight Saving about 1916 (?) and who lived at Pett's Wood.

 

[Groningen]

Let me put it this way. Friday; it went dark at 18.30 in the evening. Now during rushhour at 17.30. Yes; many some people can not adjust to that. To the other side it will be light at 7 in the morning instead of 8 o'clock. Also nice is that french cities as Brest and Quimper are more west than Plymouth. That western part of Spain must be also something with Portugal having the British time.

 

[Starmill]

Moving to BST year-round is often suggested by people who believe that this will strengthen the pro-European feeling of the British people...

I have been advocating the move for a long time, and I have never heard this used as support for it.

It doesn't sound very realistic to me. Do you have any examples?

 

[AM9]

... That western part of Spain must be also something with Portugal having the British time.

Actually it's not 'British time', (unless it is in 'quotes'), it's UTC 0. The Canary Islands also have UTC 0 despite Mainland Spain being UTC+1. All or most European nations also have DST.

 

[whhistle]

There are other advantages: energy consumption and road accidents could be reduced.

You can't say there are other advantages, but then say "... could be reduced" - either there COULD be advantages or not. BUt nobody knows and no research will really tell. The hour makes little difference either way.

I get tired of this discussion every time the clocks change.
But if people want to get rid of the GMT/BST switch, why not get rid of the Pound? We should also get rid of History lessons from before 1900, forget about the Monarchy...

I find it a little strange how there are some people who want to erode British heritage, but then are desperate to keep HSTs and Loco hauled stock on the tracks (not getting at anyone in particular).

What's of more importance is the change with metric/imperial. There's a whole generation of people who have all sorts of different weights, speeds and other measurements in their heads. We should simply stop using the old and teach kids the new. Just costs a lot of money to change all those road signs...

 

[edwin_m]

Iceland is on UTC without daylight saving, probably because there's only a short period in spring and autumn when their day is vaguely recognisable to the rest of us. In summer it's light most of the night and in winter it's dark most of the day. The opposite problem to the tropics (where the day length stays about the same) but the same solution.

What I don't understand is why we put the clocks forward at the end of March, three months after the winter solstice, but we put them back at the end of October which is only two months before the solstice. I think the ideal for the UK would be to go to UTC for only a month or so either side. During November it gets light about 0700 when nobody really needs it and gets dark about 1630 which makes quite a big difference.