Could this weekend be the last time we alter our clocks.

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  • elliecatelliecat Posts: 9,890
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    I think it would make more sense to have permanent BST so we all get lighter nights when we can most take advantage of them. What's the point in having a lighter morning when most people would be at work anyway.

    The fact is though that our dark evenings are during the coldest part of the year when most people don't go out in the evenings. Having lighter evenings won't change the fact that in November, December and January the weather tends to be cold and miserable and people don't go out.
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    sunnymeg wrote: »
    I think the trial run happened during the late sixties. If I recall correctly the number of road accidents went up alarmingly and there was a lot of concern about children going to school in the dark.

    Yes. And exactly the same thing happened in Portugal when they did it as a trial in the nineties. I also don't like the dishonesty of the people arguing for change. They come out with things like more daylight when the amount of hours of daylight is the same. They also keep quiet when it comes to the fact we'd still change our clocks twice a year. We'd just be in the CET timezone which is probably their aim anyway.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    elliecat wrote: »
    The fact is though that our dark evenings are during the coldest part of the year when most people don't go out in the evenings. Having lighter evenings won't change the fact that in November, December and January the weather tends to be cold and miserable and people don't go out.

    True but at least we'll get to see more hours of daylight rather than going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Yeah it's still cold but if you wrap up warm you can still go for a walk if it's light. I think given the choice I'd rather have an hour taken off the mornings and given back to the evening time so we have permanent lighter evenings.

    This bi-yearly faffing around of resetting all the clocks in out house just seems so antiquated.
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    jjwales wrote: »
    It wouldn't be two timezones in one country if they do get independence!

    You know what I mean. Landmass then.
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    True but at least we'll get to see more hours of daylight rather than going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Yeah it's still cold but if you wrap up warm you can still go for a walk if it's light. I think given the choice I'd rather have an hour taken off the mornings and given back to the evening time so we have permanent lighter evenings.

    This bi-yearly faffing around of resetting all the clocks in out house just seems so antiquated.

    It would still be dark in mornings and evenings in winter if we were on BST in winter . Anyway, we are mandated to change our clocks twice a year by our masters in Brussels. All EU countries must change on the same day regardless of timezone.
  • elliecatelliecat Posts: 9,890
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    Also lets not forget how many phones, tablets, computers and systems would need to be changed/reprogrammed if were weren't to change or we swapped to some other time zone. I have just checked my pc clock and it has a little message about Daylight Saving happening on Sunday and it will change automatically.
  • SpotSpot Posts: 25,121
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    The only way we will stop changing our clocks is if the rest of the EU does so, and I am not aware of any move in this direction as there are perfectly good reasons why it is done. Even if the UK left the EU, it is very likely we would continue the practice just as non-EU countries such as Norway and Switzerland do.
  • nomad2kingnomad2king Posts: 8,415
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    Whatever "benefits" there are supposed to be of permanent BST, the same "benefits" would also apply to many other countries. why haven't those other countries permanently changed?
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    sunnymeg wrote: »
    I think the trial run happened during the late sixties. If I recall correctly the number of road accidents went up alarmingly and there was a lot of concern about children going to school in the dark.

    That was then and this is now. How many kids today walk to school? Cars are more advanced with better lighting and braking systems and safety features.

    The accident argument doesn't add up because what you gain in the mornings you lose in the afternoons when people are equally as tired from a days work yet still have to travel home in the dark. Surely the accidents that are likely to happen in the dark mornings are just as likely to happen in darker afternoons when people finish work. Only difference is you're getting more daylight when you have more free time to appreciate it and you haven't got all the faffing about changing clocks.
  • DarthGoreDarthGore Posts: 1,664
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    we could just go all Imperial on Europe's arse and point out that GMT is where the "clock" starts so CET should be renamed to GMT-1 or GMT-2
  • SpotSpot Posts: 25,121
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    The Wizard wrote: »
    That was then and this is now. How many kids today walk to school? Cars are more advanced with better lighting and braking systems and safety features.

    The accident argument doesn't add up because what you gain in the mornings you lose in the afternoons when people are equally as tired from a days work yet still have to travel home in the dark. Surely the accidents that are likely to happen in the dark mornings are just as likely to happen in darker afternoons when people finish work. Only difference is you're getting more daylight when you have more free time to appreciate it and you haven't got all the faffing about changing clocks.

    Lots of children still walk to school.

    The argument against our present arrangement used to be that children went home in the dark, but schools tend to finish earlier now and many start earlier in the morning.
  • The WizardThe Wizard Posts: 11,071
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    elliecat wrote: »
    Also lets not forget how many phones, tablets, computers and systems would need to be changed/reprogrammed if were weren't to change or we swapped to some other time zone. I have just checked my pc clock and it has a little message about Daylight Saving happening on Sunday and it will change automatically.

    I'm sure a downloadable update/patch could solve this with little effort. Most computers or phones have the option to turn off daylight saving in order to adopt a permanent timezone. I don't think it would be all that difficult to apply. In most cases it would simply involve unchecking the box that says, 'Automatically adjust clock for daylight saving' option.
  • jjwalesjjwales Posts: 48,566
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    MTUK1 wrote: »
    It would still be dark in mornings and evenings in winter if we were on BST in winter . Anyway, we are mandated to change our clocks twice a year by our masters in Brussels. All EU countries must change on the same day regardless of timezone.

    That's only if they choose to change their clocks.
  • jjwalesjjwales Posts: 48,566
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    MTUK1 wrote: »
    You know what I mean. Landmass then.

    Yep, I know what you meant - I'm just a stickler for accuracy! :)
  • exlordlucanexlordlucan Posts: 35,375
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    So it's a no-no then :D
    barbeler wrote: »
    It seems idiotic that we still put our clocks back in the autumn to comply with an idea devised during the Second World War. We have things called street lights these days.

    Actually it was the 1st world war and street lights are pretty much a rare thing to see in fields, even today.
    MTUK1 wrote: »
    And please tell me what GMT stands for?

    Grow More Turnips??
    MTUK1 wrote: »
    It would still be dark in mornings and evenings in winter if we were on BST in winter . Anyway, we are mandated to change our clocks twice a year by our masters in Brussels. All EU countries must change on the same day regardless of timezone.

    We were doing it long before Brussels came poking its noses into our affairs.
  • SpotSpot Posts: 25,121
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    We were doing it long before Brussels came poking its noses into our affairs.

    Indeed we were, and there are still quite a few people who think it's a quaint British tradition!

    However it does make sense for all EU countries to change at the same moment which is why it is one of the more sensible directives.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 8,510
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    .. because if Scotland gets its independence come September there wouldn't be the need to do it again.

    The only reason it's still being done today is for the benefit of Scottish farmers, apparently.

    No its not
  • Random42Random42 Posts: 2,290
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    Wasn't there something mentioned some time back about the government wanting to put UK time in line with continental Europe ?
    Anyone remember that ?

    Edited: Ah, just found this link about it. I should have just goggled in the first place.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15490249
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    So it's a no-no then :D



    Actually it was the 1st world war and street lights are pretty much a rare thing to see in fields, even today.



    Grow More Turnips??



    We were doing it long before Brussels came poking its noses into our affairs.

    I know that. I am saying that the masters still mandate a twice a year clock change for all EU provinces regardless of whether they are GMT CET or CET plus 1. And on the same date too. Resistance is futile. Anyway as much as I dispise the EU I don't have a problem with changing the clocks twice a year. I do have a problem with moving us to CET though and out of our natural timezone.
  • edExedEx Posts: 13,460
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    MTUK1 wrote: »
    I know that. I am saying that the masters still mandate a twice a year clock change for all EU provinces regardless of whether they are GMT CET or CET plus 1. And on the same date too. Resistance is futile. Anyway as much as I dispise the EU I don't have a problem with changing the clocks twice a year. I do have a problem with moving us to CET though and out of our natural timezone.
    It's nothing to do with the EU. Most of North and Central America change their clocks too, as do Turkey and Iran amongst others.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 32,379
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    sunnymeg wrote: »
    I think the trial run happened during the late sixties. If I recall correctly the number of road accidents went up alarmingly and there was a lot of concern about children going to school in the dark.

    Not according to wiki.


    A further inquiry during 1966–67 led the government of Harold Wilson to introduce the British Standard Time experiment, with Britain remaining on GMT+1 throughout the year. This took place between 27 October 1968 and 31 October 1971, when there was a reversion to the previous arrangement.

    Analysis of accident data for the first two years of the experiment, published by HMSO in October 1970, indicated that while there had been an increase in casualties in the morning, there had been a substantially greater decrease in casualties in the evening, with a total of around 2,500 fewer people killed and seriously injured during the first two winters of the experiment,[9][10] at a time when about 1,000 people a day were killed or injured on the roads.[11][12] However the period coincided with the introduction of Drink-Driving legislation, and the estimates were later modified downwards in 1989.[10]


    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Summer_Time
  • SpotSpot Posts: 25,121
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    Random42 wrote: »
    Wasn't there something mentioned some time back about the government wanting to put UK time more on a par with continental Europe ?
    Anyone remember that ?

    Edited: Ah, just found this link about it. I should have just goggled in the first place.
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15490249

    The private member's bill waa 'talked out' when it was debated in the House of Commons. And before anyone blames the Scots, it was a group of English MPs who did it and good for them.
  • jjwalesjjwales Posts: 48,566
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    MTUK1 wrote: »
    I know that. I am saying that the masters still mandate a twice a year clock change for all EU provinces regardless of whether they are GMT CET or CET plus 1. And on the same date too. Resistance is futile.
    As I understand it, the only mandate is that clocks in EU countries should change on the same date, IF they change at all. Which makes a lot of sense.
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    Random42 wrote: »
    Wasn't there something mentioned some time back about the government wanting to put UK time more on a par with continental Europe ?
    Anyone remember that ?

    There was an attempt to consider a trial by a Tory pm using a private members bill a few years ago. It was quite rightly talked out by a group of MPs when it reached parliament. I say well done to them.
  • MTUK1MTUK1 Posts: 20,077
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    edEx wrote: »
    It's nothing to do with the EU. Most of North and Central America change their clocks too, as do Turkey and Iran amongst others.

    I never said it was. I said that they mandate that all provinces change their clocks on the same date regardless of timezone. I am quite aware that we are not the only country in the world to do it.
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