Yes, it’s that time of year when we must let go of Summer and say hello to Autumn and Winter.
Don’t forget that the clocks go back 1 hour on Sunday 28th October as British Summer Time ends. The official time changes at 2am BST, moving back to 1am Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) across the UK. British Summer Time will start again on 31st March 2013.
Did you know that British Summer Time was first established as part of the Summer Time Act of 1916? During the war, double summer time (two hours in advance of GMT) was introduced and lasted until July 1945. Initially, the practice of moving the clocks backwards and forwards was popular, however these days it divides opinion. Some campaign groups believe that British Summer Time should be maintained during the winter months in order to prevent road accidents and to conserve energy (thus reducing CO2 emissions). Some farmers and agricultural workers oppose this point of view, particularly in Scotland and Northern Ireland, as it would mean that the winter sunrise would not occur in some places until 10am or later.
Whatever your point of view, for now, at least, the practice of ‘Spring Forward, Fall Back’ prevails, so don’t forget to ‘Fall Back’ on 28th October and enjoy your extra hour in bed!
While you’re changing your clocks, why not take the opportunity to check the smoke detectors in your home as well?
