The changing daylight hours thread

[LeeB]

I have to be honest.... From about the middle of March until about half way through August, I stay well clear of the Forums. I hate the Summer and the hot nights that come with it! But once the nights start pulling in, keep my eyes peeled for the resurrection of the Snow and Ice thread. Then I start checking Google for long range winter forecasts. I hate the electric bills during winter, but there is something I absolutely love about going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. All summer I dream about jumping in the car after work starting the engine and rubbing my hands until the heater defrosts the windscreen!! Not long now!

Pretty sad I know!

[laserguy]

LeeB, you're a man after me own heart!

[LeeB]

LeeB, you're a man after me own heart!

At least I'm not the only one. I don't think the love of winter can be pinned down to any specific individual thing. I really enjoy the build up!! For me the build up starts with the Snow and Ice thread!!!

[Bluebreezer54]

Some very strong views being expressed here. I know we all have differing weather preferences but can't we all just accept that without the need for such forceful opinions from one or two posters ?

[gsteruk]

I have to be honest.... From about the middle of March until about half way through August, I stay well clear of the Forums. I hate the Summer and the hot nights that come with it! But once the nights start pulling in, keep my eyes peeled for the resurrection of the Snow and Ice thread. Then I start checking Google for long range winter forecasts. I hate the electric bills during winter, but there is something I absolutely love about going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. All summer I dream about jumping in the car after work starting the engine and rubbing my hands until the heater defrosts the windscreen!! Not long now!Pretty sad I know!

Haha im the exact same, people do tend to get upset for some reason when people start looking forward to winter - although i notice long range guesswork (which of course is what it is), seems acceptable when people look ahead to summer etc. Ah well.  But yeah, ive been just lately checking for long range winter forecasts, and there are a few out there - but always better when it kicks off in here.  Of course its speculation, and means nothing, but it is fun times.  When generally do "those" threads appear around here?

Edited August 7, 2013 by gsteruk

[syed2878]

sad i know but i for some reason started searching for w2013-2014 lrf's, i know they don't mean nothing but it makes a good reading and it gives the fieling we getting closer to that time of year. I do enjoy reading laserguy's posts they do chear me up. There's been alot of talks about u.k moving to cET WHAT DO FOLKS THINK ABOUT THAT?

[Tony27]

Some very strong views being expressed here. I know we all have differing weather preferences but can't we all just accept that without the need for such forceful opinions from one or two posters ?

agree, the nights draw in and out every year so unless you are about 10 years old you should be used to it by now, its all psychological not physical, unlike heat or cold where it's harder to get used to, people don't like the early sunsets in october when it still gets dark later then than it does in march, but in march people are happy that the days are getting longer and that spring has arrived, now it is getting dark just after 9pm about the same time as may but i didn't hear anyone complain in may that it is getting dark to early, like i said it's all psychological, i only dislike it getting dark early in september october as i can't see what im doing at my allotment in the evening, in the winter im not bothered about it getting dark early, in fact i prefer it early cos if we had longer days in winter then the sun would melt the snow

Edited August 7, 2013 by Tony27

[Weather-history]

It's Lughnasadh today. The nights will draw in quicker and quicker from now onwards.

[Coast]

It's Lughnasadh today. The nights will draw in quicker and quicker from now onwards.

 

We had our Lamas festival a couple of weeks ago in Eastbourne, a sure sign Autumn is around the corner.

 

Very dense cloud this morning has added to the sense of the shorter days. Add to that a little drizzle  it's the first morning for months I've had to have the car headlights on - quite a depressing thought that daylight is diminishing.  

[hillbilly]

I have to be honest.... From about the middle of March until about half way through August, I stay well clear of the Forums. I hate the Summer and the hot nights that come with it! But once the nights start pulling in, keep my eyes peeled for the resurrection of the Snow and Ice thread. Then I start checking Google for long range winter forecasts. I hate the electric bills during winter, but there is something I absolutely love about going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. All summer I dream about jumping in the car after work starting the engine and rubbing my hands until the heater defrosts the windscreen!! Not long now!Pretty sad I know!

I guess you havnt spent the last 27 years working outside ,probably pushing a pen in a nice warm office.

[Radiating Dendrite]

I guess you havnt spent the last 27 years working outside ,probably pushing a pen in a nice warm office.

 

That's a bit harsh.

 

I think you will find that a lot of people on this forum "push a pen" in an office.

[Bottesford]

I work in an office but rarely push any pens!

Agree though that someone who goes from the centrally heated warm home into their warm car and into a warm office then home again might not find winter so bad as someone who has a cold house, walks/cycles to work and works outside all day.

[Radiating Dendrite]

Lets be honest though - winter in this country is rarely extreme.

 

The average temperature is around 4-5c. 

 

Somewhere like Canada for example can have temperatures below 0c for weeks on end.

[cheeky_monkey]

Lets be honest though - winter in this country is rarely extreme.

 

The average temperature is around 4-5c. 

 

Somewhere like Canada for example can have temperatures below 0c for weeks on end.

Yep spend a winter in Canada and the novelty of cold and snow wears thin pretty rapidly

[summer blizzard]

It's a 15 min cycle to work or a 25-30 min walk or a 10 min walk + 10 min bus journey or 15-20 min drive (traffic+limited routes) but I don't own a car anyway. My options are limited... Even in the snow/ice I'll try to cycle although sometimes I'm forced to walk.

 

I do like the cycling and winter cycling improves loads after early December when traffic volumes drop a bit. I cycle right through an area 90% students and the university is a lot of the traffic with the autumn term is by far the busiest. They're off mid Dec to mid Jan then exams keep them revising a lot till end of month. Soon after in Feb the light returns so things improve anyway. 

It's just that post clock move to second week of Dec that's the worst. Although with major work going on to build a new tram line it might go on longer this time.

Of course at the moment its practically a ghost town - no students & half the work force on holiday. I can cross what are normally the busiest of roads without waiting for the lights quite often at the moment!

 

Off topic but this is why a lot motorists hate cyclists and its also illegal.

[summer blizzard]

Yep spend a winter in Canada and the novelty of cold and snow wears thin pretty rapidly

 

If anything Jan 10 and Dec 10 over here simply increased my appetite for extreme cold. There's nothing better than sub-zero all day but clear skies with snow lying on the ground.

 

Of course i don't drive though and walking is not a problem with correct footwear.

[Radiating Dendrite]

Off topic but this is why a lot motorists hate cyclists and its also illegal.

 

Completely agree.

 

The amount of times I have nearly been knocked down in London by cyclists thinking they own the roads.

 

A lot are their own biggest danger.

Edited August 7, 2013 by Radiating Dendrite

[Bottesford]

Woah hang on.... this is a cycle/pedestrian crossing where I would normally press the button and wait to cross. If its clear I go. You saying if you need to cross the road at a crossing and its clear both ways for some distance that you'd press the button and wait for the lights anyway?

I don't skip lights when I'm on the road as I agree it's wrong. Just don't get my mate started on this as he thinks bikes can do anything they please!

[Radiating Dendrite]

Woah hang on.... this is a cycle/pedestrian crossing where I would normally press the button and wait to cross. If its clear I go. You saying if you need to cross the road at a crossing and its clear both ways for some distance that you'd press the button and wait for the lights anyway?

I don't skip lights when I'm on the road as I agree it's wrong. Just don't get my mate started on this as he thinks bikes can do anything they please!

 

Ok - fair enough then

[summer blizzard]

Completely agree.

 

The amount of times I have nearly been knocked down in London by cyclists thinking they own the roads.

 

A lot are their own biggest danger.

 

Aye. I had a lot of sympathy for cyclists (i'm not a motorist anyway so that probably helped) until i watched a documentry about them. They often ignored the cycle lanes and blocked the main roads, 2 failed to stop at a roundabout and many were recorded running lights.

 

Woah hang on.... this is a cycle/pedestrian crossing where I would normally press the button and wait to cross. If its clear I go. You saying if you need to cross the road at a crossing and its clear both ways for some distance that you'd press the button and wait for the lights anyway?

I don't skip lights when I'm on the road as I agree it's wrong. Just don't get my mate started on this as he thinks bikes can do anything they please!

 

That's not too bad then but unfortunately there seems to be a significant number of cyclists who think the law does not apply to them. If the traffic light is red then safe or not it is illegal to go and i agree, afterall i'd be sued to high heavens if i drove a car through red.

[cheeky_monkey]

If anything Jan 10 and Dec 10 over here simply increased my appetite for extreme cold. There's nothing better than sub-zero all day but clear skies with snow lying on the ground.

 

 

that's was for 2 or 3weeks at a time at best..you try dealing with 6 months worth..and it is not clear blue skies day after day..you get those horrible dull very cold mid winter days that can last a week or more at a time..only compensation is that it never rains during the winter.

[Bottesford]

Sounds horrid. Some days earlier this year were like that - very cold & gray with an endless cold wind blowing. Soon gets boring not to mention expensive.

[Jax]

Sounds horrid. Some days earlier this year were like that - very cold & gray with an endless cold wind blowing. Soon gets boring not to mention expensive.

The extra dark hours I can cope with , but weeks and weeks of endless cold...

 

 

...that I do not like.

[Tamara]

but I think we all know that you tend to dislike weather that is considered dangerous or possibly life-threatening, except snow of course.. lol.

 

Anyway, these arguments seem to be cropping up a lot, and much like debates about weather preferences, they're quite pointless. Some people like the dark - some people find sun nauseating, some associate it with burning, fire and destruction - some are allergic to it and break out in a rash whenever they are exposed to it. Lots of reasons - all valid. No point in making people feel weird or that their social life is 'lower quality' because of it.

If it comes to keeping a roof over my head, not having to pay for weather damage and many other reasons then, yes, there is definitely a cut off point with the risks and consequences of more extreme weather that goes beyond the enjoyment of weather watching.On that basis being careful what you wish for has sense attached to it - as boring as it might sound

 

And whilst something like a tornado might be exciting to watch, it is quite another thing to be actually under or inside one in your own back yard. Even storm chasers keep a safe distance - so on that basis, then yes I will draw a line on dangerous or life threatening weather

 

I love snow its true, but that doesn't mean I want to be blocked inside my house for days on end - so again, there is a cut off limit as to where enjoyment of it meets a point where too much a good thing becomes disruptive to everyday life and is counteractive to the whole enjoyment in the first place. Same principle as above really - it seems to make sense to me anyway

[hillbilly]

That's a bit harsh.

 

I think you will find that a lot of people on this forum "push a pen" in an office.

What I was trying to say is that those who wish for the cold probably do not work outside for a living ,if they did I think they would look forward to summer months more