We conducted an informal poll of people in the UK to gather insight into how they spend their time, from work and rest to leisure activities and seasonal clock changes.
England didn’t invent time, but the first standardised clock – railway time – was created here and helped standardise clocks across the nation.
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) was the standard world time zone used in Britain until 1972. It is based on the Prime Meridian, which passes directly through Greenwich Royal Observatory. Unlike many time zones, GMT does not have an offset from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
Before the mid 19th century, most towns maintained local solar time that they set by observing the sun; this resulted in various timings including Bristol Mean Time and Cardiff Mean Time. As railways developed and communications networks expanded, however, standardising time measurements was increasingly essential; hence the introduction of GMT (Railway Time at first) in 1847; by 1880 it had become Britain’s legal national clock time.
In 1884, the Prime Meridian was chosen as the world’s time measurement center. From that point forward, all other meridians of longitude could be measured against it and their distance east or west measured in hours. The zero degree line of longitude, often referred to as the Prime Meridian divides both Eastern and Western hemispheres of Earth just as the Equator divides North from South.
At the Royal Observatory Greenwich, a brass strip and laser beam symbolize the zero degree line of longitude that marks GMT standard, as seen on all clocks displaying it. This line also serves as the basis for its definition: how days should be divided up. GMT remains legal time zone throughout most parts of United Kingdom during winter.
As the UK transitions from wintertime (GMT) to British Summer Time (BST) during summer months, most broadcasters – including BBC – continue using GMT throughout the year. BST began on March 23 and ran until October 5.
The United Kingdom adheres to GMT as its reference point for international broadcasts, and uses it as the foundation of most domestic timekeeping systems. Furthermore, legally-enforced public clocks that follow British Summer Time (BST) or British Summer Time (DST) rules have also been put in place throughout its territory.
Daylight Saving Time (DST)
On March 26th, British summer time (BST) clocks began shifting forward one hour earlier allowing an extra hour of light during evening hours. This tradition, commonly referred to as daylight saving time or DST, allows people to make the most of longer summer days; but it has its critics too.
Benjamin Franklin first mentioned daylight savings in 1784; however, its first serious proposal didn’t surface until 1907. Builder William Willett proposed this idea and self-published a pamphlet entitled ‘The Waste of Daylight’ which received widespread skepticism until World War I broke out; Germany became the first country to implement DST in 1916 while Britain followed suit shortly afterwards so their factories could keep working late into nightshifts.
Deferred Daylight Saving Time, commonly referred to as DST, is implemented each March and back again at the beginning of October in the Northern Hemisphere to maximize sunlight during summer holidays, but less widely utilized in countries with colder climates.
Critics of DST point to energy savings and increased opportunities for outdoor activities as reasons in its favor, while supporters point out it can save energy while opening up more outdoor activities. Proponents contend it disrupts human bodies’ circadian rhythms causing issues such as sleep disturbance, mood changes and even increased risk of heart attacks.
Waking up in the dark can also be disorienting for children and animals. Therefore, it’s important to keep an eye on how your child acts as well as monitor signs of stress or distress from your pet as he/she could become disoriented due to time change.
International students find changing clocks particularly challenging, as they must adjust their sleep and routines to match local time zones. This makes staying connected with friends and family back home difficult – reminding them in advance can help avoid missing phone calls and emails; modern phones should update themselves automatically anyway but to double-check kitchen and car clocks that they too have been updated is wise.
Summer Time (Summer Time)
British Summer Time (BST) allows Britain to make use of additional daylight during the summer by changing clocks by one hour; BST begins on the last Sunday in March and continues through to 2am on October. Also referred to as GMT+1 or Double British Summer Time, or abbreviated as BDST.
William Willett, great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin, first proposed daylight saving in 1907. A builder from southeast London named Willett was frustrated at having to cut short his golf games at dusk, so self-published The Waste of Daylight pamphlet and claimed it would save energy by altering clocks. Although initially disregarded, World War One changed everything: Germany introduced daylight savings first then Britain soon followed suit in 1917.
In the UK, rules governing clock changes are set out by government Acts and Orders in Council, including Channel Islands and Isle of Man legislation. Devolved lawmaking powers don’t appear to extend to this area so it remains unclear whether Scotland and Wales could legislate accordingly.
Though some argue against BST, others view its many advantages. For instance, it provides us with an extra hour of daylight in the evenings for outdoor activities like gardening and sports, as well as having morning lights come on earlier which helps wake us up earlier and reduce sleep disturbance which has been linked with an increased risk of heart attacks and accidents.
Current rules regarding clock changes were first laid out by the Summer Time Acts of 1922 and 1925, then confirmed permanently through an act passed in 1925. Since that time, dates on which these regulations apply may vary slightly from year to year.
Winter Time (Winter Time)
UK winter time follows Greenwich Mean Time, lasting from October to March when clocks are turned back one hour. Days become shorter as night falls early each morning – an annual switch that was initially introduced by government as an energy saving measure in 1916.
At this time of year, weather can often become cold and damp with frequent frosts and snowfall, creating conditions which necessitate more passengers travelling by rail than usual due to cold temperatures and dark evenings.
Once spring arrives in the UK, everything changes dramatically as flowers blossom, trees regain their leaves, and animals give birth. While southern England usually experiences warm and sunny conditions during this period, northern Scotland and parts of Scotland often experience bitterly cold winters with lots of precipitation.
The winter solstice, which this year falls on Friday 22 December at 3:27am GMT, marks the official beginning of winter and is celebrated worldwide. Prehistoric monuments like Stonehenge often align their sunset to this date – which falls eight hours and 49 minutes earlier than its counterpart, the summer solstice in June.
Once the longest night is past, daylight hours begin to increase again and people start planning vacations and summer activities. The equinox, when the sun crosses over from one hemisphere into the other during summer and vice versa during winter months, marks another important event with festivals and traditions taking place worldwide to commemorate it.
There have been calls for the UK to cease using DST, particularly during winter, yet no decision has yet been taken to change this policy. One argument against using DST during this season could disrupt circadian rhythm and cause sleep issues; additional concerns include safety and cost factors.