Monday 27 October 2014

Thinking in old money.

Well the hour has been taken off and the nights are dark by around 5pm.   At present the mornings are an hour lighter, the rooks fly over at the time I am drinking my morning tea again, but that always seems to disappear more quickly.   By 5pm yesterday, because it was a cloudy day, it was dark here in the Dales.   And we have another eight or so weeks before there will be any sign that things have changed and it is beginning to get light again.

In the far North things are so much worse - even the North of Scotland suffers long hours of darkness and Shetland even worse, although I find it interesting that they liven up their dark days with all kinds of celebrations and festivals - I suppose it is called 'making the best of it'.

In the middle of Summer the reverse is true of course.   We spent mid-summer's day and the surrounding days way up above the Arctic Circle one year and in Tromso in Norway folk were sitting in pavement cafes and children were playing around their feet at one o'clock in the morning, the sun still just visible on the horizon.

I suppose one gets used to it.   We accept our British Summer Time of one hour forward and our Winter time of one hour back.   And it does make a difference.   Now I see there is a move afoot to make it two hours forward for British Summer Time and just one hour back in the Winter.   What are the advantages and disadvantages?

The farmer immediately jumps into the argument and tells of the times during the war years (when there was a two hour 'daylight saving' for a year or two), to tell how at the time the farm had a huge flock of free range chickens, who wandered around the fields all day and went into their huts at dusk.   Dusk? Around midnight!  Who wishes to stay up until then when they have to milk the milking herd at 6am the next morning?   They used to have to 'round up' the hens with the sheep dogs to get them to bed.

I must say that I do find the long dark nights quite depressing.  Alright, it is rather nice on a cold Winter's night to have all the curtains drawn, the wood-burner ticking over and toast by the fireside at 5pm.   But it does make for a very long evening.

But maybe the lighter mornings would be better for children going to school.   I would like to know the pros and cons.   Can you provide me with a few?  (not that it will make any difference, the politicians will make up their minds and land us with a fait accompli, whether we like it or not.

16 comments:

Joanne Noragon said...

For years it hasn't mattered to me, either way. But now I have two little girls leaving for school in the morning, it's better for it to be more light in the morning.

Sue in Suffolk said...

I think they have this discussion every year, but nothing changes!

Heather said...

They tried to bring it in a few years back but nothing came of it. However, lighter mornings make early commutes safer and it is better for children going to school. Unless we are in line with the rest of Europe and most of the world I can't see that having a different timescale will be of much use.

mrsnesbitt said...

I despised going to work in the dark and returning in the dark!

Mac n' Janet said...

If you went forward 2 hours in the spring and back only 1 hour in the fall wouldn't it all get out of whack eventually?
I wish they would leave it one way or the other. When I had to go to work it took me forever to adjust to the change.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

The only argument seems to be the one about children going to school in the dark - wouldn't it be possible to change the hours of the school day and let the rest of us plod along in our well-worn rut.

Cro Magnon said...

Someone wrote on my blog recently "Only a government could believe that if you cut a foot off the top of a blanket, and sew it back onto the bottom, that you have a longer blanket". I see the logic.

jinxxxygirl said...

Agree that it will not make any difference but you did ask for our two cents worth..lol...... I think they should do away with it all together.Having to change the clocks is just annoying. I agree years and years ago perhaps it made sense but not anymore. :) Just leave it be and we would adjust to it... Only humans think they can mess with Father Time.. Hugs! deb

donna baker said...

Don't like to get up before it is light and don't like the long nights. Guess I don't have an answer, but I am thinking of taking up the drinky winky to help me through those long nights. Don't know how those above the artic circle survive.

MorningAJ said...

I either have to drive to work in the dark or home in the dark, and a week from now it'll be both. People whinge about this twice a year and it makes absolutely no difference to the fact that by mid December days are short and midsummer they're long.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Do read Cro's comment everyone - it really made me laugh. It is also very true. Thanks to everyone. Pitch dark outside at 6pm. as I write this.

Hildred said...

Being a morning person and an early riser I don't find the change in time depressing. By mid-winter it will be the same, both ways, - I must say I regret the sun disappearing behind the mountains before Happy Hour....

Cloudia said...

Your nice writing helped me to inhabit Northern Autumn beautifully. Thanks for sharing the experience.




ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
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Mary said...

I love that Cro's comment - it really hit the mark this morning when I entangled myself from the duvet and realized soon I'd be changing the clocks here.
My no darkness nights spent in Antarctica were awesome, but I wouldn't want to live without that lovely feeling of dusk and then the velvet night skies for long. . . .really messes with the rhythms of daily life.

Mary -

Terry and Linda said...

I am so not a fan of winter and the long dark nights either. Sigh!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com/?s=The+Adventures+of+Fuzzy+and+Boomer&submit=Search
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

thousandflower said...

Personally I don't care whether we stay on standard time or daylight time. Just stay there. It's the change I hate. it's like being jet lagged for a week. I also like the dark evenings. I always feel so cozy and it's time to make things, to knit or sew or just read books. It's hard to find time to do things like that when it's still light outside when you live on a farm. So I always look forward to the dark inside evenings.