Do clocks go forward or back this weekend? Exact date and time and why they change
26.10.2023 - 13:29
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
It's that time of the year again. Temperatures are dropping, the heating is coming on and the clocks are about to change.
On Sunday, October 31, the clocks will be going back one hour as the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), meaning more daylight in the mornings - and an extra hour in bed. The change takes place at 2am, when clocks will go back an hour to 1am.
It can be tricky to remember which way to adjust your clocks, but many people use a handy phrase to remind themselves. In spring, you 'spring' forward, and in autumn, also known as fall in the US, you 'fall' backwards.
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The clocks change on different dates each year depending on how the month falls. In the UK, clocks always go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March, and back one hour on the last Sunday in October.
The change takes place in the early hours of the morning when most people will be asleep. Luckily, smartphones, computers and other devices will usually adjust the time automatically.
Changing clocks throughout spring and autumn has been done for centuries now. Initially, the idea was to get people out of their homes and outside to enjoy the daylight hours.
Benjamin Franklin first campaigned to change the clocks during his time in Paris in 1784. His belief was that if people got out of bed earlier, they would be able to enjoy the extra daylight. GMT did not become the standardised time across Britain until 1880.
In recent years, critics have argued it is an unnecessary disruption to people’s lives. In fact, in January 2012, Conservative MP Jacob