The changing daylight hours thread

[Boydie]

1 hour ago, Nick L said:

Looking forward to the clock change now, the mornings have gone from "ideal light" to "depressingly dark" very quickly.

Its horrible, I do like the darker evenings but the mornings can be hard for the body to get going. thankfully my job at least gets me out and about during the day so I at least get to see some daylight.

I pity folk during these months that are stuck in doors and travel to and from work in the dark, not really seeing daylight at all.

[Seasonal Trim]

6 minutes ago, Boydie said:

I pity folk during these months that are stuck in doors and travel to and from work in the dark, not really seeing daylight at all.

Don't pity us all mate, I love it!

[Boydie]

1 minute ago, Seasonal Trim said:

Don't pity us all mate, I love it!

Lol each to their own I suppose. 

[sarahng]

I absolutely detest dark mornings - it's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning now!  Give me those wonderful spring and summer early sunrises, when the birds are singing and there is the smell of heat in the air!

[Sunny76]

On 05/08/2013 at 12:25, noggin said:

 

The other way round from me, then. Jolly nice to know that it's darker at 5am though, it'll soon be dark for me at 6am.....something to look forward to!http%3A%2F%2Ff.nwstatic.co.uk%2Fforum%2F%2Fpublic%2Fstyle_emoticons%2Fdefault%2Fdrinks.gif

Lol its been noticeable both morning and nights for me.

The dark mornings crept in during early September, and dark evenings crept in by late september. That's what you get when you work 12 hour days.

[Sunny76]

15 minutes ago, sarahng said:

I absolutely detest dark mornings - it's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning now!  Give me those wonderful spring and summer early sunrises, when the birds are singing and there is the smell of heat in the air!

Yes I agree.

The period from late October until early March is utterly depressing. Only the Christmas period, from mid december until new years day is the tolerable. Everything else is bleak and dreary.

[Sunny76]

On 15/10/2021 at 07:58, Boydie said:

Its horrible, I do like the darker evenings but the mornings can be hard for the body to get going. thankfully my job at least gets me out and about during the day so I at least get to see some daylight.

I pity folk during these months that are stuck in doors and travel to and from work in the dark, not really seeing daylight at all.

I hate both of them.

Even during the poor summer in the south, a lighter morning and evening, even if its dull, feels a lot better than pitch black darkness.

[Sunny76]

On 14/10/2021 at 11:13, HafrenLMP1 said:

I think that is it; winter is mainly grim - with grey, wet & windy weather. I wonder what it would be like if we had more proper cold, frosty, snowy weather - would it seem as bad? The light seems different when we have snow lying on the ground.

People would still find it depressing, even if snow were guaranteed every year.

[cheeky_monkey]

There was a referendum yesterday in Alberta about keeping daylight saving time all year round..for me that would be a disaster as it would mean sunrise would be an hour later in the winter..meaning sunrise wouldnt happen until after 10am 

[MattStoke]

Absolutely hate the idea of sticking with BST. Darker mornings making it even harder to get out of bed, and evenings still dark early anyway.

[lassie23]

Too much darkness is bad for the soul.

[Weather Enthusiast91]

I personally don't at all mind the darker evenings. But I do agree about the dark mornings as it can make it more difficult to get out of bed.

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Weather Enthusiast91

[damianslaw]

Felt akin to mid winter today, under the low cloud that shrouds everything, rain as well, light levels were very low. Beginning to turn dark by half 5, and this is before the clocks go back. Oh dear in 2 weeks a similiar day would see that moved forward at least an hour.. on overcast days between November and January - it is utterly miserable.

[Nick L]

If we do stick with BST all year round, I look forward to those supporting it enjoying the wind and rain at 6pm in November but are happy to go outside because it's still light. It's a non-starter with little to no net benefit.

And no, that trial from the 1960s is not evidence to the contrary!

Edited October 20, 2021 by Nick L

[Methuselah]

19 minutes ago, Nick L said:

If we do stick with BST all year round, I look forward to those supporting it enjoying the wind and rain at 6pm in November but are happy to go outside because it's still light. It's a non-starter with little to no net benefit.

And no, that trial from the 1960s is not evidence to the contrary!

It is evidence to the contrary whether you like it or not, Nick, but a change to BST all-year-round would (IMO) cause more endless, circular arguments than it'd be worth? But, anyway, why not simply put the clocks forward on the first Sunday in March, instead of the last? Why do politicians always prefer playing with the most extreme 'solutions'?

Edited October 20, 2021 by Ed Stone

[Nick L]

5 minutes ago, Ed Stone said:

It is evidence to the contrary whether you like it or not, Nick, but a change to BST all-year-round would (IMO) cause more endless, circular arguments than it'd be worth? But, anyway, why not simply put the clocks forward on the first Sunday in March, instead of the last? Why do politicians always prefer playing the most extreme 'solutions'?

As we have explained each year at this time of year, the world has changed massively in 60 years. I'm all for another trial in the modern world to see if it does make any difference to road accidents, but to base any change on outdated evidence from a time when car ownership was less than a sixth of what it is now and a very changed world in terms of working hours would be foolish. 

I don't disagree about changing the date when the clocks going forward, doesn't make any sense currently.

[Methuselah]

10 minutes ago, Nick L said:

I'm all for another trial in the modern world to see if it does make any difference to road accidents,

Agreed!

[Premiere Neige]

1 hour ago, Nick L said:

As we have explained each year at this time of year, the world has changed massively in 60 years. I'm all for another trial in the modern world to see if it does make any difference to road accidents, but to base any change on outdated evidence from a time when car ownership was less than a sixth of what it is now and a very changed world in terms of working hours would be foolish. 

I don't disagree about changing the date when the clocks going forward, doesn't make any sense currently.

Can't see what difference it will make. It would only stay dark for an extra hour in the morning when kids are going to school and people are travelling to work. 

[sarahng]

I actually experienced the trial with constant BST - it was horrendous.  My mother used to take me to school - I had to be there at 8.40 and it was pitch dark - I never felt I woke up all day!  Please do not even think of bringing it back.  

[damianslaw]

Better to keep BST as it is.. whilst working patterns have changed.. people's ability to be more flexible with their time in the morning is less than in the evening.. school hours etc.. meetings etc tend to happen more in the morning. 

[damianslaw]

Clocks back in the early hours. We won't see such level of light in the afternoons for another 4 months. Make the most of it!

[Polar.]

On 20/10/2021 at 09:23, Nick L said:

If we do stick with BST all year round, I look forward to those supporting it enjoying the wind and rain at 6pm in November but are happy to go outside because it's still light. It's a non-starter with little to no net benefit.

And no, that trial from the 1960s is not evidence to the contrary!

Well if you never went outside because of a bit of wind and rain in November you'd be a hermit. There's a crazy invention called a coat.

[Weather Enthusiast91]

40 minutes ago, Polar. said:

Well if you never went outside because of a bit of wind and rain in November you'd be a hermit. There's a crazy invention called a coat.

I have one of those!

It even has something commonly known as a 'hood' on it. It works wonders at keeping my head warm and dry. 

Edited October 30, 2021 by Weather Enthusiast91

[Polar Maritime]

And it can be even darker with a hood up with a lot less visability.

[Summer8906]

Today illustrates well why the clocks change too early in the autumn/winter season.

It has been very wet and dull this morning. However it was still light at 0800 BST, even with all that.

To be honest, as someone who enjoys getting out in the afternoons at the weekend, I'd keep with BST all year. However I'd be prepared to accept a compromise of restricting winter time to say mid Nov to mid Feb - the minimum required. This time of year we have a very early solar noon, which leads to lopsided days on winter time. Result is that, unless you keep your clocks on summer time, you end up spending a disproportionate amount of waking hours in darkness. Who wants it lighter at 0700 than at 1700? That seems completely crazy. Granted in December you're stuffed either way as the days are so ridiculously short.

I also have a question about historic clock changes. I note that up to, and including, 1980, we put the clocks forward in mid March. This stopped in 1981, which infers it was some idea of the Thatcher government to delay BST. The question though is, why?

I also note that in 1995 we had a very early start to winter time, earlier than any other year in modern times - October 22. In other years with the same calendar from this era (October starting on a Sunday) such as 1978, 1989, and 2000, we changed on October 29. Not sure why that was.

Oh well, the days will be drawing out again in two months, and in three months, we'll have a later sunset than today - one of the good things about late winter is that it has a later solar noon, so you don't notice the short days as much as in late autumn. Winter time better suits Jan/Feb than late Oct/early Nov - though it still goes on too long into the spring.

 

Edited October 31, 2021 by Summer8906