There’s good news for anyone who enjoys a Sunday morning lie-in. The clocks go back this weekend, giving us an extra hour in bed. Of course, it also means those darker winter evenings are just around the corner.
At 2am on Sunday, October 25, British Summer Time officially comes to an end and the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time.
The clocks will go back one hour to 1am, meaning we get to enjoy that particular autumn treat of an extra 60 minutes.
Whether you use it for a little more sleep, an early morning cuppa or simply staying tucked up under the duvet is entirely up to you.
And if you have a dog, cat or young child who insists breakfast is served at precisely the same time every morning, you may discover they haven’t received the memo.
Darker evenings are on their way
The clock change means sunset will suddenly appear an hour earlier on Sunday evening.
Here in West Norfolk, where autumn walks along the coast and afternoons in the garden are still very much part of life, it can feel as though winter has arrived almost overnight.
The mornings will initially be lighter too, although that won’t last long as we head towards the shortest day of the year in December.
For anyone travelling home from work, walking the dog or heading out for an evening stroll, it’s worth remembering that darkness will be arriving noticeably earlier.
And while most smartphones, computers and other connected devices will update themselves automatically, there may still be the odd kitchen clock, car dashboard or oven display waiting patiently for someone to change it.
Why do we still change the clocks?
The idea of changing the clocks isn’t new.
British Summer Time was introduced in 1916 during the First World War, when making better use of daylight was seen as a way to save fuel and reduce the need for artificial lighting.
Germany introduced a similar system earlier that year, with Britain following soon afterwards.
The idea was simple enough: move the clocks forward in spring to make better use of the longer summer evenings, then return to normal time in autumn.
There have been a few experiments along the way.
During the Second World War, Britain even introduced British Double Summer Time, putting clocks two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time during the summer.
And between 1968 and 1971, the country experimented with keeping British Summer Time throughout the year.
But eventually, the familiar twice-yearly clock change returned.
Could we stop changing the clocks?
Every few years, the question comes around again: do we really need to keep putting the clocks forward and back?
Supporters of permanent summer time argue that lighter evenings could benefit businesses, leisure activities and road safety.
Others point out that keeping the clocks an hour ahead throughout winter would mean much darker mornings, particularly in northern parts of the UK.
For now, there are no confirmed plans to change the current arrangements.
So we’ll continue with our twice-yearly ritual of trying to remember which way the clocks go.
The traditional reminder is still probably the easiest: spring forward, fall back.
When do the clocks change again?
Once we’ve settled into Greenwich Mean Time, we’ll stay there throughout the winter.
The clocks won’t go forward again until Sunday, March 28, 2027, when British Summer Time returns and we lose that hour of sleep again.
Until then, it’s time to dig out the warmer coats, enjoy the autumn colours and prepare for those increasingly dark evenings.
And if you happen to wake up on Sunday morning feeling unusually well rested, enjoy it.
It’s not often the government gives us an extra hour in bed without asking for anything in return.
Photo from Richard Dix
