England to move to Continental time

It was the railways that initially drove the need for standaized time - before railways mad it possible to travel quickly between towns, every town in the UK had its own time, set to solar local noon, however trying to sort out a train timetable when bristol was about 20 minutes behind london was tad difficult, so GMT was invented. Mr Brunel was the main dude responsible for this as his magnificent railways spread accross the country.

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A few years ago I spent a similar amount of time standing at the same station because the driver had managed to lock himself in the loo and couldn't get out.

At least it made a change from the normal excuses, and the look of embarassment on the drivers face when he finally emerged was well worth the wait!

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Re: Rowlocks

Just to put the record straight, the plan to aandon daylight saving was scuppered by one Michael Forsyth, the then Scottish Secretary who was using the results of a study which found the greater road-danger to kids was in the mornings.
The study has now been found to be complete tosh.
I don't know any farmer who has ever expressed the view that pushing the day back into the morning brings any real benefit. There are not that many cows being herded on busy public roads for their early milking any more.
The private members bill has been put forward on the premise that, post-devolution, the Scottish Executive and Northern Ireland Office (or Assembly) can make up its own mind about whether to follow the English/Welsh, or set up their own time-zones.
Of course... that is real tosh. It would mean every company with interests nationwide would have to set up computer systems etc. on two different time settings.
One or the other, please. Not another fudge.

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Re: Rowlocks

Hmm. I wonder if I mis-heard what was said on the radio yesterday morning (perhaps because I was bleary-eyed/half awake/distracted by what I was going to do at work). In any event, I'm all in favour of lighter evenings, so bring 'em on, I say. At the same time, why, oh why can't we come into line with the rest of Western Europe and have GMT+1 (winter) and GMT+2 (summer)?

(Runs for cover)

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho
 
Sun time

>At the same time, why, oh why can't we come into line with the rest of Western Europe and have GMT+1 (winter) and GMT+2 (summer)? <

Don't forget the UK is further west (and thus 'later' in sun time), than most of Yurp. Follow the Greenwich meridan. About 4/5ths of France is East of it, as is 1/10th Spain. Portugal and Ireland are the only Euro countries wholly west of zero degrees, both of which share the UK time conventions. In 'eastern' Yurp Berlin is over 13 degrees east, Rome and Copenhagen are 12 degrees east, Athens 23 degrees east. So most of Europe is an hour more-or-less 'earlier' in sun time than London. That's why a pan-euro time zone doesn't make much solar sense. (maybe its also why the Spaniards seem to lead 'late' lives, because their solar time is an hour or more behind their clock time.)

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.writeforweb.com/twister1>Let's Twist Again</A>
 
Re: Sun time

Agreed; I just like light evenings! I also get frustrated when I ring a colleague in Germany at 5.00 pm, only to remember suddenly that he will have left the office an hour before.

I still don't see why these things can't be regulated to suit my convenience .......... /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif



<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho
 
Re: Sun time

Have to say I think we are missing the obvious.. Tow the British Isles South to say Portuguese latitudes and hey presto we have longer winter days. When we get to spring we can always tow them back up north to present latitudes if we feel that we prefer hotter shorter days in the summer.

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Disapointment

The Heading on the front page of YBW said "England to Move to continent.......". There was me thinking about the cruising possibilities on the new Scottish South Coast only to find it is some Kent MP trying to rattle a few cages by suggesting the English change timezones.

Hawick the new rivearra: just think of all those south facing beaches.

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Re: Rowlocks

Recent stats show more Scottish kids get squashed on the way home from school than in the mornings. There's lies, damned lies and statistics - then there's stuff you read on the net.

Mornings are miserable anyway, they might as well be dark and miserable. Personally I would be happy for it to stay dark until midday in Scotland in the Winter, if we could have some light in the evenings. Lets go for BST+4 all year round.

- Nick

(NOT a morning person)

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Re: Disapointment

What about Jedburgh-on-Sea..

Only problem I can see with a Scottish South Coast is Berwick on Tweed as they can never decide who they are part of.. could they be a semi autonomous Island like Man perhaps?

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Re: Disapointment

Being an old wrinkle/crinkle I remember during the war we had BST during winter and Double BST during summer. I certainly was in favour - walking down Blackpool prom at 11 pm and it was still light, altho I certainly was not aware of all the effects, if anyone was in those days

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