Just a reminder that the clocks go *back* tonight.

Which means I get to push the twice-a-year button on my radio alarm

Thanks for the reminder Neil, it's that time of year to screw with my body clock again.

Thee and me both... I wish the powers that be would just decide one way or t'other and be done with it.

Me too. There was an E-petition a few years back which I signed. I wish they'd leave it at BST. It's getting dark early enough as it is.

As far as I remember the reason is to facilitate school children getting there and back home in as much natural light as possible. Whilst I'd like more light too in the winter evenings the above is quite hard to disapprove of....

Aye Simon, that was the reason given, but a story I read some time ago about several school children being run down & killed somewhere in a remote village which was supposed to start this off was proved to be false. I do remember reading it somewhere but I cannot for the life of me find it again. In reality the daylight saving was down to try & save the country money.

Chap called William Willet started to look into money being lost due to the number of daylight hours being lost. There is more to the story than that, but this was the start.

Good find Jim, hadn't heard of that....still, the other one carries some weight I think...

I thought it had started due to various professions needing daylight.ie farmers etc.

Well I'm no farmer but if I were I don't think it would make any difference, if I had to be up at dawn I would be up whether it was 06:49 GMT or 07:49 BST, changing the clocks doesn't make the daylight last any longer...

AFAIK - the original idea was before WW1 with the intent of getting more light in an evening - particularly during summer. During WW1 it was introduced and then, I think, double summer time both to give more useful daylight and to decrease power generation use.

The arguments are usually to maintain summer time all year, but the argument is always made that if so, the Northern Isles never see any daylight outside work times in winter. Don't see a major issue myself; even down here in the soft underbelly of the south, for a couple of months a year I drive to work in the dark and drive back in the dark...

Nonetheless, there *will* be an increase in accidents next week, in the evening rush hour.