Goodbye BST until March

[oldroadman]

So, today is the first dark evening of the winter. I just hate it, and noticed that yet again it's being discussed about moving the country, effectively, to CET. Which would advance all time + 1 hour over BST/GMT. Anyone fancy a race finishing in the light at 10.30, midsummer, lovely.
Yet again the arguments will be put and yet again Scotland will moan about milking their cows in the dark....
Last time this was in force (in the 70's and I'm old enough to remember, despite darker mornings, there were far fewer road crashes - people more alert in the morning dark than evenings when commuting? - and less bike accidents.
Perhaps Scotland should have their own time zone?
Opinions, anyone?

 

[Archie_tect]

Put it this way... what do Norway and Sweden do about their time zones and how do they differentiate across their even greater north-south divide?

Exactly!

 

[surfdude]

i was told i would get another hour in bed .wish someone had told the dogs that .

 

[ThePainInSpain]

<br />i was told i would get another hour in bed .wish someone had told the dogs that .<br />

<br /><br /><br />

+1

 

[jayonabike]

*Sigh* Another embarrassing trip down to the jewellers tomorrow to get the time changed on my watch. They do show me how, but that was six months ago......

 

[Maz]

*Sigh* Another embarrassing trip down to the jewellers tomorrow to get the time changed on my watch. They do show me how, but that was six months ago......

Why not have 2 watches? One watch set to be 1 hour ahead of the other.

 

[snorri]

Opinions, anyone?

I only hear the Anglos complaining, so if they want to go their own way I think they should be allowed to.

 

[al78]

Not sure I would fancy BST during the winter - it would mean getting up and cycling to work in the dark during December/early January. It would be nice if the clocks went forward again a month earlier than they do now, say, at the end of February. That would minimise the dark journeys home in the evening and would make the clock changes roughly symmetrical about the shortest day.

 

[Brains]

Leave us on GMT.

We should not be going to Berlin (CET) time.

The French and the Spanish should be moving to London/Paris/Madrid time which are within 20 mins of each other

Europe needs three time zones, Greenwich (London/Paris), Berlin, and Athens. not two just Berlin and Athens

 

[Over The Hill]

Tomorrow sunrise is at 6.57 am and sets at 4.38pm. It is simply not making the most of the light at each end of the winter by having it in the 7am to 8am period when half of us are still asleep. It would be preferable in the 4.38 to 5.38 period.

Around December/January it makes less difference as we have so little light it is less of an issue when exactly in the day we have it.

Perhaps having BST for 10 months is the answer!

 

[Coco]

I only hear the Anglos complaining, so if they want to go their own way I think they should be allowed to.

+1 


Every year they whinge about the clock change and every year in Parliament with their huge majority they do nothing about it. 

 

[the_mikey]

I'm all for either Permanent BST, or stepping entirely in line with CET. At least we get daylight in the winter

 

[Paulus]

I'm all for either Permanent BST, or stepping entirely in line with CET. At least we get daylight in the winter

I'm with you on this one. As for the farmers arguing about daylight hours, most large farms now work 24 hours, especially at harvest time, and dairy herds are all milked in doors, and there is still the same amount of daylight hours no matter what happens to the clocks, or where you are in the country. I would stay with BST and maybe call it British Standard time.

 

[MacB]

I'm with you on this one. As for the farmers arguing about daylight hours, most large farms now work 24 hours, especially at harvest time, and dairy herds are all milked in doors, and there is still the same amount of daylight hours no matter what happens to the clocks, or where you are in the country. I would stay with BST and maybe call it British Standard time.

Yep and I've never been convinced by the farmers argument as cows don't wear watches and the work lends itself to adopting hours to suit rather than 'office hours'.

 

[beanzontoast]

British Standard Time is what they called it when they did the last experiment between 1968 and 1971. I remember walking to school in the dark several winters in a run and a lot of campaigns to get us wearing light/reflective things to make us more visible to traffic. The effects on schools in Scotland was even more pronounced.

My only reservation with permanent BST would be more months of the year spent cycling to work in darkness - speaking as an early starter, I spend enough of the year cycling in the dark already. I accept that this isn't going to be a major factor in the minds of those making the decisions though. It's the effects (or otherwise) on the economy and education that will decide it IMO.