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Jan Harris
Deputy Group Editor
11:06 AM 29th March 2014
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Clocks Go Forward - British Summer Time 2014

 
Clocks go forward tonight as the country enters British Summer Time.

That's right British Summer Time starts this weekend. The clocks will be changing on Sunday at 1am when we put the clocks forward one hour.

Most of us struggle to remember if we put the clocks forward or back. This happens twice a year. In spring we go forward and in autumn back.

So what does this mean?
Yes unfortunately we will all lose one hour's sleep tonight but at least that means that summer should be on its way and the evenings will be getting lighter.

The theory behind daylight saving time, which dates back to 1895 and is observed by most of the Western world, is that people are generally more productive if daylight hours are extended in the evenings. British Summer Time was first implemented in 1916 and aside from a few deviations during wartime, it has remained ever since.

Experts say that because we all tend to rely on technology most of us will forget to put our clocks forward this weekend.

Samsung UK did a survey of 2,000 people and over a quarter didn't know that the clocks changed this weekend and 51% said they wouldn't remember to change their clocks unless prompted. We live in a digital world and 41% said they would check the time on their phone first which would be done automatically.

The clocks go forward by one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March - meaning this Sunday, March 30.

The clocks go back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October, to Greenwich Mean Time. This year the clocks will go back on October 26