Have You Noticed The Reduction In Daylight Hours Yet ?

[Bottesford]

How about if your hobby is complaining about the dark? :lol:

In actual fact I'm not in real life that bad/depressed about the darkness. Sure I miss the garden, don't enjoy rush hour cycles in the dark and get sick of dealing with/paying for the cold but I don't actually let it get me down as such. I've known some folks who need SAD lamps, pills and god knows what.. I just need the odd rant on a forum. As for clocks - if nowt else I fancy a change to the 'timetable' just see how it is... think that's half of my reasoning actually!

[Milhouse]

One good thing about the dark evenings is if its been a really grotty sort of day you can shut it out by closing the curtains at 4pm. Sadly in Summer if its one of those miserable cool and damp evenings you are stuck with it until the sun sets.

As most of my hobbies involve the outdoors i guess i will have to find an alternative until Spring. Having said that, i have quite taken to going for a jog in the dark.

[Thundery wintry showers]

My preferred solution would be to change the Earth's axis so that our daylight ranged from 10 hours in midwinter to just over 14 in summer (like they get at around 30-40 degrees from the equator). Approximate sunrise and sunset times of 8am-6pm on 21st December, increasing to 7am-9pm on the 21st June, while maintaining the 1-hour clock change between GMT and BST at the back end of March and October. I feel that the extra evening daylight would make a big positive difference in the winter, while I wouldn't miss the daylight between 5 and 7am in the summer. It's really the length of darkness in winter that gets to me after a while and I don't think moving permanently to BST would make much of a difference to that.

However, no change would be ideal for everybody and that particular change wouldn't suit those who make heavy use of the summer daylight between 5 and 7am for example.

Edited October 29, 2012 by Thundery wintry showers

[Bottesford]

I acutally like the seasonal extremes of daylight we get - I'd actually enjoy it more if it went even further as the contrast is so interesting.

So yes having short days is fine BUT it just goes on too long. If we had 6 weeks of 10am-3pm daylight then a very rapid climb to something reasonable it'd be fine. Just 4 long months of it that grates. I'd enjoy Iceland's light cycle although not their temperatures & weather!

[laserguy]

My preferred solution would be to change the Earth's axis....

I'd change it so that it was horizontal and what is now the northern hemisphere pointed permanently away from the sun. Fancy that!

[Methuselah]

I'd change it so that it was horizontal and what is now the northern hemisphere pointed permanently away from the sun. Fancy that!

I'd move to Antarctica!

[Essan]

What dictates people's outdoor activities is the weather not light.

Exactly!

Of course, if you want it darker in the morning and lighter in the evening and you live in the SE, for example, then the answer is simple: move to Cornwall for the winter!

Or, better still, move to Ireland which is mostly an hour east of it's 'natural' time zone as it is ..... (much of the country should really be on November time - so an hour behind Britain). You'll get all the benefits of being on CET without inconveniencing the rest of us

(Arguments for moving to Alpha time would be more vaild if 95% of Britain wasn't west of the Greenwich meridian)

[stewfox]

Moan moan moan, here's an idea to people who start cutting themselves as the prospect of reduced daylight hours - find a hobby, occupy your mind, that is what ordinary people do.

Why can't we moan ?

I get up in the dark and go to work and get home from work in the dark. I only get to see the garden at weekends.

My garden wants to see more of me but I cant.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

certainly noticed it now, coming home in the damn dark, feels too early and mild just yet, coming home in dark at 5pm reminds me of cold, exciting models, snow and Xmas

[Jax]

while the change in "time" affects us the amount of daylight still remains *seasonal* and if we did not have that we would not get the changes we need for snow for a start, just one of many contributers to our weather here in the UK.

The only gripe I have with the clocks changing is my energy bill.

[Keraunic]

Moan moan moan, here's an idea to people who start cutting themselves as the prospect of reduced daylight hours - find a hobby, occupy your mind, that is what ordinary people do.

Some unfortunate people suffer crippling depression as a result of reduced daylight. Think before you type ok. And what do you consider 'normal' pray?

[Essan]

Some unfortunate people suffer crippling depression as a result of reduced daylight. Think before you type ok. And what do you consider 'normal' pray?

This is true. But obviously the only solution for that is to move south. Unfortunately, we can't yet increase the hours of daylight at mid latitude in winter. And for such people, whether it is light in the morning or early evening makes no difference. I'm sure if we changed the clocks such that it didn't gat light until 9am they'd be complaining just as much (and, as an aside - imagine if that was what did happen in the autumn? I wonder what people would say: that since it's usually cold or wet anyway, an hour of daylight when they get home from work is of no use and they'd rather it wasn't dark when they went to work?)

[Methuselah]

This is true. But obviously the only solution for that is to move south. Unfortunately, we can't yet increase the hours of daylight at mid latitude in winter. And for such people, whether it is light in the morning or early evening makes no difference. I'm sure if we changed the clocks such that it didn't gat light until 9am they'd be complaining just as much (and, as an aside - imagine if that was what did happen in the autumn? I wonder what people would say: that since it's usually cold or wet anyway, an hour of daylight when they get home from work is of no use and they'd rather it wasn't dark when they went to work?)

Indeed we can't, Essan. But we can use the clocks to maximize the times when waking and daylight coincide...

Edited October 30, 2012 by Rybris Ponce

[itsnowjoke]

I love winter but the reduction of daylight hours can get you down. you get up when its dark then go to bed when its dark plays havoc with the mind

[Bottesford]

Indeed we can't, Essan. But we can use the clocks to maximize the times when waking and daylight coincide...

Well that's the crux of it really...

Have to admit though it has been nice having lighter mornings this week - this morning I even saw sunlight inside my house! The budgies were in full chirp instead of the usual slumber.

But I just think it'd 'feel' less difficult if the progress was steady instead of this sudden leap. The dark mornings just slowly crept up whereas the dark afternoons jumped on us suddenly. The offset to that is late March 'jump' when suddenly you feel like you have ample time again after work.

[Thundery wintry showers]

Instead of moving permanently to BST, one idea would be to shift traditional living and working patterns back by one hour, so the most common working hours would be 8am-4pm and evening parties would typically start an hour earlier. Achieving that, though, would require a significant shift to the UK culture, something that is always difficult to achieve due to social inertia.

[cheeky_monkey]

I love winter but the reduction of daylight hours can get you down. you get up when its dark then go to bed when its dark plays havoc with the mind

Don't most people go to bed when its dark all year round?

[Essan]

Indeed we can't, Essan. But we can use the clocks to maximize the times when waking and daylight coincide...

True, but all depend on where you live and what your lifestyle is.

Whatever our clocks say, the sun rises (and sets) around half an hour later in winter in Cornwall or Newcastle than it does in Kent. Should British time be based on what's most convenient for people in SE England?

I would expect most working people not on shifts to be up by 7am? As it's just getting light for most of us.

[Essan]

But I just think it'd 'feel' less difficult if the progress was steady instead of this sudden leap. The dark mornings just slowly crept up whereas the dark afternoons jumped on us suddenly. The offset to that is late March 'jump' when suddenly you feel like you have ample time again after work.

Yes, I think that's why we have this every year - it's the sudden change. And as I said before, I'm sure if the change were in the other direction we'd have just as much argument on why it's done.

In spring, the effect means it's darker in the morningm but still getting light by the time most head to work, so the impact is less. Plus, of course, we know whatever sunrise and sunset times, the hours of daylight are on the increase, so the change is easier to bear.

[Jax]

True, but all depend on where you live and what your lifestyle is.

Whatever our clocks say, the sun rises (and sets) around half an hour later in winter in Cornwall or Newcastle than it does in Kent. Should British time be based on what's most convenient for people in SE England?

I would expect most working people not on shifts to be up by 7am? As it's just getting light for most of us.

What ever anyone does suggest will qualify for some and fail for others (as stated above, we all live differently this is not a poke athe post just agreeing the points made), so starting early for some may mean a dark start but a light end to the day, others start late and in the light but come home in the dark, then the middle ground in winter get dark at both ends of the day but get a far better chance to enjoy the light in the summer.

unless we have universal agreement on working hours, and time conventions then we must all share the burden that is "light" because as I said before all we are doing is moving our perception of light by meddling with time, but we still only get that same amount of light no matter what.

We all want on call service providers, well if you work 9-5 then they must work 6-2 or 2-10 to give you that, like wise for shops or any other business you want access to outside of "your working hours".

the only option to please all is we all work the same hours and agree the same time.

can you imagine that?

"hello ambulace?" ..." sorry we are only working 9-5 now, call back in the morning"!

these people all need to see the daylight once in a while, so I say carry your burden for a few months and then welcome back the light when it arrives.

Edited October 30, 2012 by Jax

[Milhouse]

I suppose if the daylight hours never decreased we would never appreciate the increase when it did occur. I cant think of anywhere in the world that has ideal hours throughout the year to suit my preference. I will have to just deal with it and appreciate the lengthening days when they arrive in the not to distant future. In a location that gets sunsets at 10pm in the summer you are always going to suffer the short days in winter. At a latitude similar to Barcelona you will get greater daylight hours in the winter but the drawback will be in the summer when the sun doesnt stay up as long in the evening. I guess you have to take the rough with the smooth.

[Snowy Easterlies]

the dark doesn't bother me at all like it does with the i want it to be daylight all the time brigade, i don't suffer SAD or get down about it, however now i don't get a chance to go to my allotment in the evenings as its dark, even though i don't grow much in the winter, i like it when it gets dark early if we just had some snow fall during the afternoon though and there is no chance of it melting from the sun. anyway the main part of the day is still light, its not like it gets light at 11am and dark at 3pm is it, well apart from the shetland isles maybe

[Essan]

We all want on call service providers, well if you work 9-5 then they must work 6-2 or 2-10 to give you that, like wise for shops or any other business you want access to outside of "your working hours".

OT but one of my frequent tirades is about shop opening hours - they're only ever open when I'm at work! What good is that? No point in being open in the day, they should open at night instead!

(I run a shop )

(that not meant to be taken seriously btw!)

[Jax]

OT but one of my frequent tirades is about shop opening hours - they're only ever open when I'm at work! What good is that? No point in being open in the day, they should open at night instead!

(I run a shop )

(that not meant to be taken seriously btw!)

*reads small print

see, my point

[Bottesford]

I suppose if the daylight hours never decreased we would never appreciate the increase when it did occur. I cant think of anywhere in the world that has ideal hours throughout the year to suit my preference. I will have to just deal with it and appreciate the lengthening days when they arrive in the not to distant future. In a location that gets sunsets at 10pm in the summer you are always going to suffer the short days in winter. At a latitude similar to Barcelona you will get greater daylight hours in the winter but the drawback will be in the summer when the sun doesnt stay up as long in the evening. I guess you have to take the rough with the smooth.

Actually in Barcelona it gets dark around 9:30pm with it totally dark only by about 10pm due to it being on CET despite a similar longitude to the east of the UK. I remember as I was there in late June this year- plenty of evening light but it only got light about half 6 or so in the morning. All they loose compared to us is 0430-0630 daylight + the lingering twilight (oh and the naff British summer weather!).