October 26, 2008 02:00 AM
This is the day and date when the clocks go 'back'. We have an extra hour in bed on Sunday morning, and then... darkness an hour earlier until next Spring. And most of us will miss the dawning of the day as well, since the majority of people in the UK no longer keep agrarian hours. So let's do something about using daylight in the best way, in the modern world: Sign the No 10 Petition for 'better use of sun'.
The petition for 'Daylight Saving' - i.e. keeping British Summer Time (BST) all year long - is here [http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/betteruseofsun/].
We have already discussed in detail on this website the safety, energy, health, leisure and other benefits of not going into the grimness of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) every Winter. Let's make it clear that (as is in fact the case according to surveys *) most of us would welcome a continuation of 'summertime' hours.
Watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets offers aesthetic reasons for keeping summertime hours. But there are many hard-headed reasons too; and if you still doubt this, just check out for yourself with bodies such as RoSPA - or indeed read the views of Sir Stuart Hampson, who, as chairman of the John Lewis Partnership from 1993 to 2007, surely knows a thing or two about looking carefully at the facts.
Who can really argue, when the evidence is so clear? In Sir Stuart's words,
Daylight is precious. Let's stop wasting it. If we didn't put the clocks back we could cut crime, keep fitter - and reduce carbon emissions.
And enjoy more sunrises....
* 4,215 people took part in an online vote on RoSPA’s website between 24 October and 2 November 2006. The vast majority (86%) supported this change. Of those who voted, 3,625 voted ‘Yes’, 548 voted ‘No’ and 42 voted ‘Don’t Know’.
Dates for 2008 - 2011 when at 2 a.m. the clocks go back (October) and forward (March) by one hour in the UK are:
In 2008: the Sundays of 30 March and 26 October
In 2009: the Sundays of 29 March and 25 October
In 2010: the Sundays of 28 March and 31 October
In 2011: the Sundays of 27 March and 30 October
Read more about BST: British Summer Time & 'Daylight Saving'
Please post your comments below:
Comments
When Tim Yeo (Conservative) was putting his Private Members Bill forward I urged our local MP David Hanson (Labour) to support the Bill. He wrote back that there was no public support for such a measure! I was pretty sure that he was out of touch with public opinion and have taken to asking anyone and everyone whether they welcomed the "extra hour in bed" or would prefer their body clocks undisturbed and lighter evenings?
I can honestly say that the replies have been unanimous in rejecting the view of Mr Hanson and without exception each respondent has said leave the clocks alone, some even mentioning the radical trial of double BST.
The problem we have is a misplaced lobby North of the border which seems to hold sway against all logic. This is not WW2 and we are not growing turnips for the war effort! Tractors have lights, not to mention CD players and air conditioning. Cattle are kept and milked indoors and I suspect are just as confused as the majority of the population.
I won't repeat all the road safety and energy saving merits as they are well recorded elsewhere, but the time has come to show the misguided politicians that messing with the clocks has had its time (pun intended). Who knows it may even make people feel more cheerful, I know that I detest the changes as it introduces an artificial onset of gloom, of which there is plenty emanating from other sources!
You have got my vote and I will encourage everyone I can out of their apathy to do likewise.
Posted by: Ian Jones | October 27, 2008 09:22 AM
Agree entirely with the idea of change. Just signed the petition and letting lots of people know about it.
Posted by: Awen Little | November 3, 2008 06:39 PM
I agree with Mr Ian Jones, however he glosses over the loss of life and serious injuries that occur on and off Britain’s road each and every year this pointless anachronism persists.
Any explanation (or is it excuse) given by politicians or civil servants has been long been disproved or discredited.
So why is it that they, the politicians that nominally represent the wishes and needs of the people of this and many other countries, continue with this pseudo religious dogma that is the twice yearly ritual of changing the clock. It doesn't save energy (studies in the US show it actually ends up using more), it doesn't help the farmers (certainly not those that rear dairy cattle) and it doesn't help industry so WHO does it benefit?
Surely, even if it had some slight benefit to someone, it would not compensate for the grief and suffering of those suffering injuries or the families of the dead directly attributable to changing our clocks backwards and forwards year after year after pointless year.
Posted by: Paul Smith | November 8, 2008 12:45 AM
it's now high time for a change to the current time zone with advancing the clocks not one hour, but two hours the following spring to begin the start of a three experimental, or trial period to begin with at first and, then reverting back the clocks back to greenwich mean time plus one hour on the 25th of october 2009 will sound more like an excellent idea altogether.
it means more and more daylight hours will be going to more better use then as greenwich mean time is no longer the right time of the year, not for england any more even or though it may still be the right time of the year for scotland and northern ireland, because british standard time is now officially now the right time of the year for england and, also british double summer time too, will be the new english summer time for the summer months with a lot more things to go to and do, especially those with special kinds of needs for starters.
we must stop the clocks from reverting back to the old civil time of the year as enough is enough and now is the time to move on to the new english mean time for the 2010's with more daylight hours on the horizon.
MORE AND MORE LIVES WILL BE SAVED FROM FATAL ROAD ACCIDENTS BY TRAFFIC, MORE AND MORE MONEY TOO, WILL BE SAVED EACH YEAR ON THE USE OF ARTICIAL LIGHTENING AND, ALSO TOO, IT WILL BE HELPING TO REDUCING A LOT MORE CRIME RATE AROUND ENGLAND ESPECIALLY AFTER DARK.
IT'S NOW TIME TO HAVE ALL WATCHES AND TIMERS TOO, ALL RESET FOR THE NEXT COMING YEARS.
sorry to be so harsh, but greenwich mean time now must be a thing of the past and, it must always will be.
David Hughes
Posted by: David Hughes | November 24, 2008 08:21 PM