Should we turn the clocks back?
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Cottage tales | 28 comments
Photo: Swing seat in winter
My ex husband B used to start fretting in August about the shorter days in Winter. The grizzling drove me nuts and spoilt the summer for us both.
“I can’t bear the thought of tramping round a muddy field with Fly under a cold grey sky.”
“But what about the good things about winter? Roaring fires, Christmas, crumpets and snow.”
“It’s January and February that are the worst.” He’d gloom.
After we split up I heard that he’d invested in a SAD Lightbox. 18 years ago they cost a few hundred pounds – luckily they have dropped in price since then.
I must admit that I’ve been feeling a bit like B for the last couple of weeks. Tending to garden in the afternoon, dusk gently stops play just as seem to be making some progress. ATM I’m still digging rubble out of the new long border the runs from the gate to the cottage in the front garden. I’m longing to play in the solar tunnel but creating this border has made such a mess of the front that finishing it and clearing the piles of rubble and roots is a priority.
And on Sunday the clocks will go back and it will soon be dark by 4 pm. Arrgh. In yesterday’s Costing The Earth I was delighted to hear that a private bill is going to be debated in Parliament in December that requests that the clocks are not turned back. This will save on fuel, our carbon footprint and lives amongst other benefits. Not turning the clocks back was tried in the late sixties for three years and was voted out without the results of the research being known. More children died in accidents in the morning but far fewer actually died overall. Cutting our carbon footprint wasn’t a concern in those days. You can listen to this programme again on the BBC iplayer here.
I, along with the children interviewed, would prefer darker mornings and lighter evenings. Have you any thoughts on this?
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With the clocks changing it won’t be long until I don’t see daylight during the week. I’ll go to work in the dark and come home in the dark; so I’d vote for darker mornings and lighter evenings, though as we go into December,and January I’m not clear what real difference it will make.
Think I’d prefer to vote for shorter working days – say 10am to 3pm in the winter months, bet that would get me elected!
I’ve been sticking to BST for years. When the clocks go back I use the hour I gain in the morning to use my SAD therapy lamp while I read, write and plan. A nice slow start to the day.
I like the way changing the clocks marks the passage of the seasons. Living in the north west of the UK, we could be looking at mid-Winter sunrises of 10:30 to ll:00. I would find the morning commute even more of a chore than It already is.
I would love the clocks to stay as they are now, I would prefer darker mornings. I work outside for much of the year, and it seriously shortens my working afternoon.
Heather E – I have to admit I’m with you on this – that the clocks changing emphasises the seasonal change – perhaps we should invent a festival celebration for a positive boost at this time of the declining year!
As a SAD person, the special lights do help, but it is always a personal joy once we pass 21st December and the nights start getting lighter again.
Overall, I guess I vote for staying in step with the clocks changing – for very many of us, ONE HOUR perhaps makes little difference – though I need more details of the origin and circumstances of broadcast statistics (for either argument) to be fully convinced.
I always forget anyway and when you have a baby, you’ve just got them into a routine and then the clocks go forwards/backwards, it’s infuriating!
Hi, I have to vote for NOT turning the clocks back, hate being ‘shut in’ on miserable dark nights, makes winter appear to be even longer, give me the lighter nights anytime!
Lv Odelle.
I find it extremely difficult to get up when the mornings are dark. It also affects my mood badly. I do however hate the clocks forward clocks back palavar so would be quite happy just to keep gmt.
I’d vote for the change, I could cope with darker mornings to get lighter evenings – all that extra gardening/painting time. Bring it on!
Su
I hate getting up in the dark more than I hate walking home from work in the dark. I vote for lighter mornings!