Why does the time change for Summer (BST)? Winter is the default (GMT) but days are longer in summer anyway.?

Question

I've heard the answers about more daylight, etc. But that doesn't wash - the hour change is for summer (British Summer Time), not for the winter, which is reset to GMT.

Answer 1

its so that farmers get to use the brightest part of the day in each half of the year. Also it confuses the Hun or whoever we're at war with these days...

Answer 2

It had its origins during the war to make it lighter in the evenings in the summer. It is a stupid custom as the same object could be acheived by leaving the clocks alone and getting up an hour earlier but as Frank S says we prefer to fool ourselves into thinking it is later than it is.

Answer 3

It is to persuade people to get out of bed earlier, at times of year when the sun rises earlier (and to go to bed earlier as well).

For example, if the sun has risen and the clock says 6 o'clock, then some people will not want to get out of bed because they think it is still too early. If we change the clock to say 7 o'clock, some people will now consider it more reasonable to get up (even though nothing has changed apart from the number on the clock).

And, it will have a similar effect on when they go to bed, so they still get the same number of hours of sleep.

Answer 4

BST was first introduced in 1916 as part of the war effort, mainly to save lighting factories.

Answer 5

It so the farmers still get loads of light in the winter mornings.......
I personally disagree with it - they could just lie in thn work later.

Answer 6

i thought that the proper time is summer time (GMT as you put it). it has something to do with farmers.