When Do The Clocks Change And Go Forward In The UK: 2017 BST Explained

It means longer, sunnier days!
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The advancing, glorious ritual of the clocks going forward can mean only one thing – British Summer Time (BST) is on its way.

The clocks will go forward 1 hour at 1am on the last Sunday of March.

For 2017, the yearly ritual begins on 26 March, signalling longer, sunnier days and warmer temperatures.

It's nearly time...
It's nearly time...
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While in the past, clock changes meant a twice yearly panic to update all our devices, the advent of smart phones means we no longer need to bother. [Proud luddites will have to remember to reset their pocket and wrist watches.]

When the clocks go back an hour, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). This year this will occur on 29 October.

Debate over the effects of turning the clocks back (and forth) has been a British pastime for more than a century, when the first Daylight Saving Bill was brought before the House of Commons.

During the Second World War the Government moved the clocks forward one hour to help munitions factories maximise productivity and allow people to get home safely before the blackout.

Between 1968 and 1971 the Government carried out the same experiment but was forced to end it after complaints in Scotland and northern England.

Plans have also been mooted to move to Central European Time - something that would mean lighter winter evenings, which supporters claim would cut road deaths, boost tourism and reduce energy use.

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