• Image showing funny clock and sun

8 Facts about British Summer Time

  • 1. The date changes from year to year

    Although the date changes from year to year, it always falls on the last Sunday in March of the Gregorian Calendar when the clocks go forward. An easy way to memorise which way the clock should be altered is to remember the phrase ‘Spring forward, Fall back’ (in America Autumn is referred to as ‘Fall’)

  • 2. George Vincent Hudson first suggested daylight saving hours

    Daylight saving hours was suggested first by a New Zealand Entomologist named George Vincent Hudson in 1895. A businessman named William Willett initially suggested its use in Britain in 1907. (William Willett is the great-great-grandfather of Chris Martin from Coldplay)

  • 3. We should make more of the brighter mornings

    William suggested that we should make more of the brighter mornings that come with the summer, by getting up an hour earlier which would give people an extra hour of daylight after work. He produced a pamphlet entitled ‘A Waste of Daylight.’

  • 4. Britain didn’t adopt the practice until 1916

    Britain didn’t adopt the practice until 1916, unfortunately after the death of Willam Willett, as a result of Germany and Austria-Hungary implementing it as a wartime measure. It was believed it might help the war effort by adding an hour of natural light and improve the economy by boosting working hours. (contrary to the thoughts of William Willett).

  • 5. 1970 before the daylight saving hour was adopted around the World

    Since its introduction, the UK has maintained the practice of the daylight saving hour, but it wasn’t until as late as the 1970s that it became widespread around the World, and this was predominantly due to the 1970s energy crisis.

  • 6. There have been changes to ‘British Summer Time’

    Historically there have been changes to ‘British Summer Time’ it was temporarily discontinued by the UK government in 1940 when they introduced Double British Summertime instead (Double BST). They added one hour to GMT in the summer and 1 hour in the winter. The idea being that it would increase productivity and allow the workers to get home before the blackout during the 2nd world war. Double BST was reinstated in 1968 by Harold Wilson’s Labour government as an experiment but was abandoned three years later, partly because of protests from Scotland claiming that it left Northern parts of the country in darkness until 10am.

  • 7. 1981 daylight saving hours synchronised across Europe

    It wasn’t until 1981 that a European directive ensured the synchronisation of daylight savings time across the member states. Up until then, many member states had different start and end dates, which made trading between the countries difficult. Iceland, Belarus and Russia opted out of this system and remained at the same time all year round.

  • 8. Children benefit from longer evenings!

    Scientists have found that children benefit from longer evenings. They suggest that this can result in up to 20% more activity, but the dangers of children walking to school in the darker mornings are a concern and outweigh the benefit.

So, what do you think?

Would you rather lighter evenings or lighter mornings? We would love to hear from you here at The Crocky Trail.

What are the benefits of being in natural daylight?

Natural light boosts your body’s vitamin D storage; this is important for absorbing calcium and promoting bone growth; it also increases the feeling of wellbeing. Many children/people have a vitamin D deficiency due to the lack of outdoor activity and exposure to natural daylight, brought on by modern living.

Natural light can lead to higher levels of energy

Natural light can lead to higher levels of energy than being indoors. It also benefits vision. Computer screens, smartphones and fluorescent light can be the cause of eye strain. Natural light and being outdoors helps the eye produce dopamine, which aids in healthy eye development.

Natural light helps you sleep

Natural light helps you sleep. Research shows that exposure to daylight has an impact on your sleep at night. Sunlight, especially in the early morning is described as having the most benefit for a good night’s sleep. Artificial lighting has little to no effect, in fact, it is advised that you should avoid screen light from your computer or phone at least an hour before you go to bed, as this can affect your quality of sleep.

Natural light improves your mood

Natural light improves your mood. You may have heard of ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ (SAD), which can affect people who have insufficient access to sunlight. Scientists believe that the “happy” hormone serotonin increases when we are exposed to sunlight.

The Crocky Trail is an outdoor adventure and activity park dedicated to getting the whole family outside to enjoy the fun of being together as you discover and enjoy the famous ‘Crocky Trail’ and its activity park. Being outdoors brings about many advantages, and there is no place better to enjoy it than The Crocky Trail.