I have just been informed that the clocks will not be going back 1 hour in October as per normal, however, they will go forward next Spring (March '07) by 1 hour and then they will not be changed again as we will then be on European Time. This is, apparantly, to create harmony throughout the European Union in respect of time zones.
Has anyone else heard of this? I have checked the media and there is no mention of it, which I thought strange as they would be splashing it across the front page if it were true.
IMHO, I think that it would be a good thing, I always forget to change the clocks each year anyway 
You are aware of the date on Saturday? 
Little flaw in the scenario. If we don’t move the clocks at the end of October we would be on the same time as most of mainland Europe then, we wouldn’t have to wait until Spring. Also it wouldn’t just be us, Portugal would have to do it as well, any mention of them in this? It would also be more difficult for the Bubbles, as Greece is in a different time zone as well, 2 hours ahead of us and Portugal and 1 ahead of most of the rest of the EU, applies to Cyprus, the Baltic States and Finland as well. Could really mess around with the times of day it is light and dark over there.
I believe there is a proposal to do this but it has already been rejected once by parliament.
I was told this last week so bit premature for April 1st. No there wasn’t any mention of Portugal. Do you think that I was been wound up? 
Here is the link, second paragraph contains relevent info:
penfold:
I was told this last week so bit premature for April 1st. No there wasn’t any mention of Portugal. Do you think that I was been wound up?
Yep. It is often discussed but rejected. It might have been more beliveable if it was just Britain, and maybe Portugal, but as it would surely cause problems for those member states on EET (East European Time.)
There you are, mrpj’s link shows it is a wind up, it has only been discussed in the House of Lords and nothing decided. It is also nothing to do with the EU and is purely a British thing.
Hang on a minute (pun intended ) but isn’t all the trime zones in the world based on Greenwich Mean Time
I’m probably going to get loads of examples of it not being so now
north surrey haulage:
Hang on a minute (pun intended
No, I’m afraid not. It’s mostly based on “Universal Coordinated Time”, the acronym for which is “UTC”, rather bizarrely. UTC is very close to GMT, but not quite.
north surrey haulage:
I’m probably going to get loads of examples of it not being so now
Your wish is granted…
penfold:
I have just been informed that the clocks will not be going back 1 hour in October as per normal, however, they will go forward next Spring (March '07) by 1 hour and then they will not be changed again as we will then be on European Time. This is, apparantly, to create harmony throughout the European Union in respect of time zones.
However, if we harmonised with CET (Central European Time - the timezone used by most of mainland Europe), we’d still have to put the clocks backwards and forwards, since they change their clocks at the same time as us - that’s why they’re always an hour different from us.
The GMT thing is important here though. The time in Portugal and the Azores is the same as the UK as well as in West Africa. you need to nick your kids globe and study it.
Different parts of Europe are using differing times. Already pointed out that Greece is 2 Hours difference, Bulgaria is 3 
Wheel Nut:
Different parts of Europe are using differing times. Already pointed out that Greece is 2 Hours difference, Bulgaria is 3
Err, it’s 2 hours Malc. Check here
They are 3 hours ahead of GMT at the moment but 2 ahead of us. the same as Greece.
OOPS 
I had not checked that
MrFlibble:
However, if we harmonised with CET (Central European Time - the timezone used by most of mainland Europe), we’d still have to put the clocks backwards and forwards, since they change their clocks at the same time as us - that’s why they’re always an hour different from us.
not so
germany i know do it a month after us so at the moment we are at the same time as them, the next change we’ll have 2 hours difference to them, or is it the other way round 
Its somat like that anyway 
David5l:
MrFlibble:
However, if we harmonised with CET (Central European Time - the timezone used by most of mainland Europe), we’d still have to put the clocks backwards and forwards, since they change their clocks at the same time as us - that’s why they’re always an hour different from us.not so
germany i know do it a month after us so at the moment we are at the same time as them, the next change we’ll have 2 hours difference to them, or is it the other way round
David, it has been a few years since that was true. It used to be that at one of the changes, and I can’t remember which one, we changed three or four weeks before mainland Europe, not just Germany. However for several years now that hasn’t been the case. Everybody changes the clocks at the same time now, last Sunday in March and last Sunday in October.
spring forward and fall backwards
a bit american but its easy to remember
Some info from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_summer_time :
Starting in 1916, the dates for the beginning and end of BST each year were mandated by the British Parliament. In February 2002, the Summer Time Order 2002 permanently changed the dates and times to match European rules for moving to and from daylight saving time. The European compromise was closer to previous British practice than to the practice elsewhere in Europe.
More interestingly:
Portugal moved to Central European Time and Central European Summer Time in 1992, but reverted to Western European Time in 1996 after concluding that energy savings were small, it had a disturbing effect on children’s sleeping habits as it would not get dark until 22:00 or 22.30 in summer evenings with repercussions on standards of learning and school performance, and insurance companies reported a rise in the number of accidents.
and
In 2005, Lord Tanlaw introduced the Lighter Evenings (Experiment) Bill into the House of Lords, which would advance winter and summer time by one hour for a three-year trial period. The proposal was rejected by the government. The bill received its second reading on 24 March 2006; it is unlikely to pass as it is not supported by the Government.
Coffeeholic:
David5l:
MrFlibble:
However, if we harmonised with CET (Central European Time - the timezone used by most of mainland Europe), we’d still have to put the clocks backwards and forwards, since they change their clocks at the same time as us - that’s why they’re always an hour different from us.not so
germany i know do it a month after us so at the moment we are at the same time as them, the next change we’ll have 2 hours difference to them, or is it the other way round
David, it has been a few years since that was true. It used to be that at one of the changes, and I can’t remember which one, we changed three or four weeks before mainland Europe, not just Germany. However for several years now that hasn’t been the case. Everybody changes the clocks at the same time now, last Sunday in March and last Sunday in October.
I knew I’d get it wrong again 
I’m going to hide again now
Why do we changs the bloody clocks anyway. Doesn’t matter what you do with them there is still the same number of hours of daylight. 
pointless excercise.
north surrey haulage wrote:
Hang on a minute (pun intended ) but isn’t all the trime zones in the world based on Greenwich Mean TimeNo, I’m afraid not. It’s mostly based on “Universal Coordinated Time”, the acronym for which is “UTC”, rather bizarrely. UTC is very close to GMT, but not quite.
On a school trip to the national physical lab in teddington years ago, we went and saw the nations atomic clocks. spoke to a couple of people there, one of whom essentially checked the clocks against other clocks across the world this this portable one. It was explained to us that UTC was bascially GMT by another name. the difference between the two is something like 0.00001 of second per year or somthing, when you have a ceaseum clock running to several decimal places that matters, but in practice it’s the same time for any normal clock. Basically GMT is based on the average rotation of the earth, sun etc whereas UTC is based on the time keeping of an atomic clock.
Ironically the worlds primary master clock is in France.
Even the US manages with multiple time zones, see no reason why europe couldnt.
A driving related question though, should a tacho be set to GMT or be changed to BST?
dennisw1:
A driving related question though, should a tacho be set to GMT or be changed to BST?
Analogue tacho clock should be changed when the clocks change, if you happen to be in the middle of a shift when the clocks change do it at the end of the shift. The time should also be set to that of the country of registration of the vehicle and should remain so, even if you cross into a different time zone…
The new Digital Tachos will run on UTC and will not need changing.