We have been doing this since 1916. On the last Sunday in October, at 2am, we turn our clocks back by one hour to 1am. But why? Apparently it was started in 1916, during the first world war, to save energy to help the war effort. But we still do it today.
The current argument seems to be that in December it’s very dark in Northern Scotland and the farmers need more daylight earlier in the day. Obviously I’m very concerned for the plight of the Scottish Farmers, but what about the rest of us? The alternative argument is that if we do not turn the clocks back to Greenwich Mean Time in October, then children will have to go to school in the dark. Okay, that’s a problem, but in Northern Scotland on the shortest day of the year, 21st December, there are only six hours and fifteen minutes of daylight, and the children are at school for longer than that. So they either have to go to school in the dark, or come home from school in the dark! What difference does it make?
The problem, the way I see it, is that by going back to GMT every autumn, it’s dark in late December by 3.30 in the afternoon. I really hate the last Sunday in October when it’s suddenly dark at about 4.45, it’s really depressing. We need to stop doing this and stay on British Summer Time year round.
But there was talk last year of the European Union, of which, inexplicably, we are still part, moving to summer time permanently, and that they would do that by 2021. It has not happened yet, but when it does will we do the same? Who knows? It might be two years away yet. Imagine if we do eventually leave the EU at some unspecified time in the future, which might happen if Emmanuel Macron stops agreeing to yet another Brexit extension, we will be able to make up our own mind. What will we do?
The answer is simple, we will do the same as Europe and stay on summer time year round. GMT +1. Whether we are in the European Union or not actually does not matter, we are still located on this island and are still ‘next door’ to the European continent. Imagine if we didn’t follow the European decision, we would be one hour behind Europe in the summer but two hours behind for the rest of the year. Madness, however we would cope with that.
But there is a big problem if we don’t follow Europe, and once again it’s the Irish border! The island of Ireland is on the same time zone as the UK and changes clocks on the same days of the year as the UK and the rest of Europe. But it would mean that after the change, the time on the island of Ireland would be the same, but only in the summer, in the winter Northern Ireland would be one hour behind Ireland. So as you drive over the border, from Northern Ireland to Ireland, or the other way round, would the GPS on your car or truck, automatically change the time on your clock as you pass over the border? Will your Apple Watch automatically change the time by one hour? Who knows?
This would be ridiculous, we can’t have that. So in my opinion, within two years Europe, the UK, and Ireland will be on summer time permanently and we will stop this nonsense of changing the time twice a year. And about time too!
This will not suit the Scottish Farmers. Oh well, never mind eh!