When Does British Summer Time End and why do we turn back time?
On the final Sunday in October, at 2am, the clocks in the UK advance by one hour. It is October 30 at 2am when British Summer times ends.
British Summer Time, or BST, refers to the time between March and October when the clocks are one hour ahead. Sometimes referred to as Daylight Saving Time, there is more sunlight in the evenings and less in the mornings. In order to observe British Summer Time, clocks are advanced by one hour (spring forward, fall back). The goal is to take advantage of the additional light in the evenings to complete tasks like taking your dog for a walk before it becomes dark. The drawback is that you’re more likely to be late or have someone call you while you’re trying to sleep and speak loudly.
Surely British Summer Time was supposed to expire?
In an effort to better respect people’s sleep schedules, the European Commission has decided to do away with the twice-yearly changing of the clocks starting in 2019. The choice was made after 4.6 million people participated in a public survey, with 98% of respondents favouring maintaining summer time all year long. Because the EU’s member states couldn’t agree on whether to continue using winter or summer time, plans fell through.
When did the time-moving idea for the end of British Summer Time begin?
The custom of changing the clocks in late March and late October was established in 1972 by the British Summer Time Act, but the idea has been floated around for many years.
William Willett was the most determined person of his time to promote the idea of Daylight Saving Time. When he was coming home from riding his horse near his home in the 1900’s, he noticed many of the neighbours’ blinds and curtains were still closed, even though it was light. he believed in changing the time so that it would work better with daylight hours. Clocks always adopted Greenwich Mean Time which meant that it was light at 3 a.m. and dark at 9 p.m. in the summer.
His first idea was adopted the idea that clocks should move forward 80 minutes. 20 minutes each Sunday in April. In September, the clocks would be turned back 20 minutes every Sunday to give people more time to enjoy the outdoors, improve health, and save money on lighting costs.
Other articles on BST
https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/uk-time-british-summer-time-bst-daylight-saving
https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/British-Summer-Time/
Spring Forward, Fall Back
British Summer Time starts when the clocks are moved forward by one hour in the spring. When British Summer Time ends in the fall, the clocks are turned back. The UK then goes back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
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