clock change

ras · Post by **ras** » 28 Oct 2004, 10:20

Why bother changing the clocks?
So it makes it an hour lighter in the morning for a month, so what?
It's maybe a bit of a townie attitude, but i can't help but think it is unnecessary.
I heard on the radio that 75% of the English and 67% of Scots thought we should abolish it. So why do the other 33% of Scots want to retain it?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 28 Oct 2004, 11:22

I think it was us Scots that screwed this up for the rest of the UK. I agree Ras as I detest the artificially early evenings.

Was the change something to do with the War/ Did BST used to be 2 hours difference?

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 28 Oct 2004, 12:07

Erm. they did try and get rid of it a wee while back but the Scots caused a rumpus and demanded to keep it. Not quite sure which Scots. But there was a thing on the radio a few weeks ago about it where some Highland farmer said it should be kept, or something. Something about confusing the cows?

...because of course they want to keep changing their watches every six months so they don't go out to the fields and chew cud too early.

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 28 Oct 2004, 13:35

As someone who voted against devolution, I love it when issues like this come up i.e ENGLAND (as opposed to a devolved Scotland) taking a unilateral stance on something that has a significant impact up here.
How crazy could it be if Scotland was on a different time to England.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 28 Oct 2004, 14:00

Pal of Porty wrote:How crazy could it be if Scotland was on a different time to England.

Well, that's what they're talking about doing - some MP put forward some paper or other suggesting England changes its own but everywhere else should make their own decisions, so that we might have to change our watches after Gretna!
I think it would be fun. Reminds me of that Peter Kay sketch about phoning home from abroad. I can just imagine my mother shouting "Eh up, eh, now then, what time is it there? Eh up, love, she says it's an hour different up there!" etc.

ras · Post by **ras** » 28 Oct 2004, 14:20

[quote="Bellybabe"]Something about confusing the cows? quote]

i heard that one too - WTF - I suspect that was a farmer taking the p***

i also heard that there are more road accidents in the morning - so making it a teeny bit lighter for a few days sorts that out!

how about en mass we just don't bother and see how we get on - if you have flexi time then your halfway there anyway

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 28 Oct 2004, 14:24

This WAS tried back in the 1970's. Everybody has forgotten that. The result was that a wee kid in County Durham got killed on the way to school because he, and all the others, were not used to the dark mornings at the time they had to go to school. It isn't just the Scots who object to it - it's anyone north of the Humber. My big objection is that we (ie. the island of Britain) are the place through which the world's meridian runs, and from which everyone else TAKES their time. It seems madness to stay off GMT. I've always thought we should never go on to BST in the first place. It was originally put on during the war to get more working hours in the fields.

ras · Post by **ras** » 28 Oct 2004, 14:37

[quote="Jay"] It was originally put on during the war to get more working hours in the fields.[/quote]

right enough - if you put the clocks back an hour that makes the daylight last longer

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 28 Oct 2004, 15:02

Jay wrote:This WAS tried back in the 1970's. Everybody has forgotten that.

So how did you find out?

Poppy · Post by **Poppy** » 28 Oct 2004, 15:10

This link might answer a lot of the above!!

Tick Tock

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 28 Oct 2004, 15:18

Porty wrote:
Jay wrote:This WAS tried back in the 1970's. Everybody has forgotten that.
So how did you find out?

I was alive and well and living in County Durham at the time .....

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 28 Oct 2004, 15:23

Good link, Poppy. I must keep that one. I entirely endorse the bit about sunrise occurring at 10 in the morning, and sunset about three hours later! I lived under those conditions for several years, and it is very depressing eventually.

It's absolutely true that both the suicide rate and alcohol consumption go right up.

ras · Post by **ras** » 28 Oct 2004, 15:52

sunrise 10am - sunset 1pm - really depressing

sunrise 9am - sunset.........12noon - even more depressing - what if you have a lie in?

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 28 Oct 2004, 18:45

I remember when they did it in the 70s and all schoolchildren were issued with two reflective armbands which we had lessons on how to wear

I don't remember that much about it apart from that it didn't get light for ages in the morning. I absolutely hate the short days, especially when you get to the bit when you're going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark and your curtains seem to be shut all the time and when you do have a lie in at the weekend you end up with only about 4 hours daylight before it gets dark again!

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 28 Oct 2004, 22:46

What about me? My birthday is on 22 December - the shortest day of the year!

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 28 Oct 2004, 23:03

Will someone please teach Ras how to get an Avatar.

CatzVP · Post by **CatzVP** » 29 Oct 2004, 08:00

How many other country's change the clocks 1 hour in the summer and winter??

ras · Post by **ras** » 29 Oct 2004, 08:59

[quote="Porty"]Will someone please teach Ras how to get an Avatar.[/quote]

I think I've just about got the quoting thing sorted

now working on the avatar - (I am currently a blank canvas) - don't hold your breath though

edit - nope I am still not quoting - did it on another forum by following the rules on this forum, but not working here!

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 29 Oct 2004, 09:52

CatzVP wrote:How many other country's change the clocks 1 hour in the summer and winter??

Actually quite a few, including the States - or parts of it, I believe - Daylight Saving Time? And some others in Europe.

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 29 Oct 2004, 10:49

Pal of Porty wrote:What about me? My birthday is on 22 December - the shortest day of the year!

Well, you just party 'all night'!

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 29 Oct 2004, 11:11

Jay wrote:Well, you just party 'all night'!

You are absolutely spot on Jay. It took me til I was about 18 years old to realise that the shortest day meant the longest night!

CatzVP · Post by **CatzVP** » 30 Oct 2004, 00:23

Just found out from the wife.... ours goes back this weekend aswell... Welcome to the big black

DG · Post by DG » 31 Oct 2004, 10:00

Okay, despite all this debate and deliberation...who forgot to change their clock back then make a phonecall at 8am thinking it was 9am

...every year without fail!

DG

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 31 Oct 2004, 11:55

never mind about 8 o'clock - you think 9 o'clock is OK?

DG · Post by DG » 31 Oct 2004, 14:22

Well, Mr Magnolia - yes, 9am is early for a Sunday morning call however the person I was calling was expecting a Sunday 9am call from me - honest!

DG

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 31 Oct 2004, 14:54

You mean your children let you sleep in past 9 o'clock Mr M?

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 31 Oct 2004, 17:22

er, no chance. But I am still beyond the boundaries of normal human communication at that time...

DG · Post by DG » 31 Oct 2004, 18:36

I do admit to being a bit of an early bird - it's later on in the day that communication with others should be avoided

DG

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 31 Oct 2004, 23:49

David Begg is in the Sunday Times today advocating that we stop changing the clocks. He is certain this will save lives in quantities of hundreds.

Apparently Scots are up in arms about this, farmers being one group who are against David's position, God knows why? Surely farmers can just add some luminous chemicals to their produce so that they can find them easily.

Im with David on this one.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 01 Nov 2004, 02:10

We should add luminosity to posts in which people big up their mates. Then I could light my flat by the glow coming off Porty's - hahahaha!

btw - remember to set the timezone on your profile to "GMT" as opposed to "GMT+1"

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 01 Nov 2004, 18:27

Marya wrote:You mean your children let you sleep in past 9 o'clock Mr M?

My youngest came bounding in at 7.15am (would have been 8.15am) dressed as Dracula and shouting 'Happy Halloween'. Normally I would not find this amusing but it was brilliant this time - he was on a sleep-over at his Grandads!

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 04 Nov 2004, 16:37

Am I going mad (answers please on a postcard to ....) - but is POL still operating on Summer Time? Is this a form of protest against the clock changes?

Jay · Post by **Jay** » 04 Nov 2004, 16:40

Nope - it's me, isn't it? Didn't alter my profile - derrr!