BST - Two times at different times?

[Hodgkinson]

Hi there,
I've been wondering. Although I’m not sure on the exact times of BST changes here in the UK, suppose the clocks go back at 2AM to 1AM. What happens if you just happen to have a high powered meeting at 1:30AM in the morning? :crazy:

Also, when the clocks go forward at 1AM to 2AM, what happens to your 1:30AM meeting then? In that case it's physically impossible to turn up on time :-)

Is there any notation (In the same way as AM or PM) to show whether a time is prior or post a clock change?


On another note, I follow that seasons on this planet are due to the earths tilt relative to the sun as the earth orbits the sun. Does that mean that whilst the northern hemisphere is in winter that the southern hemisphere is in summer?
Since the event associated with Christmas took place at one finite time, then I assume that Christmas is celebrated at the same time all over the world. Does this therefore mean the countries in the southern hemisphere would celebrate Christmas in mid summer? What happens to the white Christmas? On the basis that everyone is following the same date all over the world at the same time, does this therefore mean that countries in the southern hemisphere have there summer in mid December, and winter in June/July time?

Just a few annoying questions there for you,
Hope someone could shed some light on them,
Hodgkinson.

[bloodline]

The BST changeover happens at 1am on the last Sunday of the Month... if you have a high powered meeting at that precise time... change jobs! :-)
If the person you are having the meeting with hasn't taken in to account the BST change over... DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM! :-D

What we celebrate as Christmas, was originally the ancient pagan festival of mid winter that was held on the winter solstice (shortest day, actually the 22nd of December). It's a Northern Hemisphere thing.

Countries in the Southern hemisphere, do indeed celebrate Christmas in the middle of their summer.

White Christmas is a largely a Victorian idea (Read up about a "Christmas Carol"). During the Victorian period Britain experienced a period of very cold winters where it did snow at Christmas time. Now things have returned to normal it rarely snows at Christmas... and more often than not, it snows in January, if it snows at all. Also check out the Julien/Gregorian calendar switch over to explain the celebration date moving and the change in weather at Christmas :-)

If i wasn't for Charles Dickens the celebration of Christmas would probably have died out in the UK. When Britain became a republic with Oliver Cromwell, the festival was banned, and although it was restored with the restoration of the Monarchy, it was never very popular... Until Dickens of course, only a hundred an 150 years ago or so :-)

[Hodgkinson]

DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!

Thats one way around the problem!
(When I was talking about meetings, I was suggesting a situation where this might just happen...Fortunately im a 6th form student; and up to press; I've never had to do anything like this...yet...:-D )

hasn't taken in to account the BST change over

I wonder if anyone has ever had this happen to them. Hmmm, what about transport time tables? I mean, surely they can't afford to cancel all flights for an hour just because of the time switchover? :crazy:

Countries in the Southern hemisphere, do indeed celebrate Christmas in the middle of their summer

Now that is intresting. I figured that that might be the case. So there summer is in December?

Hodgkinson.

[bloodline]

Hodgkinson wrote:

DON'T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!

Thats one way around the problem!
(When I was talking about meetings, I was suggesting a situation where this might just happen...Fortunately im a 6th form student; and up to press; I've never had to do anything like this...yet...:-D

And never shall you :-) Honestly, no one ever arranges a meeting at 1am on a Sunday morning... Unless you plan a career that doesn't quite comply with the law...

hasn't taken in to account the BST change over

I wonder if anyone has ever had this happen to them. Hmmm, what about transport time tables? I mean, surely they can't afford to cancel all flights for an hour just because of the time switchover? :crazy:

You always work to ZULU time for flights so such a situation can never occur :-)

Countries in the Southern hemisphere, do indeed celebrate Christmas in the middle of their summer

Now that is intresting. I figured that that might be the case. So there summer is in December?

Hodgkinson.

Yes, their summer is in December... if you know anyone from Sought Africa or Australia (or New Zealand), they come back from their Christmas holidays with a sun tan :-)

[bloodline]

You might find this interesting:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time

[Hodgkinson]

You always work to ZULU time for flights so such a situation can never occur

True (Come to think of it us radio hams use GMT for logs...), but what about your average train and bus time tables? I’m pretty sure that the average public will expect these to be printed in accordance with BST.
At least in a timetable these times could be printed with a big thick black line stating the time changeover, but what about displays such as those found at train stations and airports?

TBH, I don’t use trains and busses that much, hence the question – Purely out of interest.

Hodgkinson.

[bloodline]

Hodgkinson wrote:

You always work to ZULU time for flights so such a situation can never occur

True (Come to think of it us radio hams use GMT for logs...), but what about your average train and bus time tables? I’m pretty sure that the average public will expect these to be printed in accordance with BST.
At least in a timetable these times could be printed with a big thick black line stating the time changeover, but what about displays such as those found at train stations and airports?

TBH, I don’t use trains and busses that much, hence the question – Purely out of interest.

Hodgkinson.

Busses and Trains don't usually run at 1am on a Sunday night... anything that does, works on the the old time until close of business, then when it restarts will use the new time, because it is exactly an Hour offset, nothing really changes.

[Hodgkinson]

Sounds like im  :horse: then.

Thanks for the info. Now i've brought this topic up im going to wind up in this situation one day for sure...

Hodgkinson.

[bloodline]

Hodgkinson wrote:
Sounds like im  :horse: then.

Thanks for the info. Now i've brought this topic up im going to wind up in this situation one day for sure...

Hodgkinson.

Well if you do find yourself in such a terrifying situation... remember this simple rule... "Think one hour forward or one hour back" (obviously depending on the year), it can be tricky to master so you might want to practice tonight ;-)

[cecilia]

bloodline wrote:


If i wasn't for Charles Dickens the celebration of Christmas would probably have died out in the UK. When Britain became a republic with Oliver Cromwell, the festival was banned, and although it was restored with the restoration of the Monarchy, it was never very popular... Until Dickens of course, only a hundred an 150 years ago or so :-)

And, after THAT, How New York invented Christmas   :-D

[bloodline]

yes celia is quite right, one shouldn't forget the US contribution which pretty much established the lore and tradition we now accept as Xmas! Suffice to say, Xmas is really a very new festival :-)

[Speelgoedmannetje]

bloodline wrote:
yes celia is quite right, one shouldn't forget the US contribution which pretty much established the lore and tradition we now accept as Xmas! Suffice to say, Xmas is really a very new festival :-)

AND don't forget the Dutch contribution...
Without us, you wouldn't get any presents :-P

[cecilia]

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:

bloodline wrote:
yes celia is quite right, one shouldn't forget the US contribution which pretty much established the lore and tradition we now accept as Xmas! Suffice to say, Xmas is really a very new festival :-)

AND don't forget the Dutch contribution...
Without us, you wouldn't get any presents :-P

That's exactly why I knew the article was accurate. My mother always gives us chocolates on dec 6th.

[Speelgoedmannetje]

cecilia wrote:

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:

bloodline wrote:
yes celia is quite right, one shouldn't forget the US contribution which pretty much established the lore and tradition we now accept as Xmas! Suffice to say, Xmas is really a very new festival :-)

AND don't forget the Dutch contribution...
Without us, you wouldn't get any presents :-P

That's exactly why I knew the article was accurate. My mother always gives us chocolates on dec 6th.

Yes, the Belgians celebrate it on 6 december, here in NL we celebrate it on 5 december.
Btw. do remember that New York initially was New Amsterdam. :-)

[cecilia]

Speelgoedmannetje wrote:

Btw. do remember that New York initially was New Amsterdam. :-)

Of course! Every New Yorker with any pride in this cities history knows that!

The area is littered with Dutch and Flemmish names. In fact my mother INSISTS that Hoboken (an area in New Jersey that faces manhatten and has a ferry going between the 2 cities) was named after the Flemish town of the same name.

And NOT from some American Indian word. Of course, the first settlers were Dutch and Flemish and there certainly were local Indians, so who the heck knows.



by the way, there is New Amsterdam beer.