The days are getting shorter, and the nights are noticeably cooler. Yes - we're about to hurtle headlong into autumn
But why do we go through the fuss of changing our clocks twice a year?
When do the clocks go back?
In the UK, the clocks go back 1 hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October (October 26), meaning the country reverts back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the global time standard.
The period when the clocks are 1 hour ahead (which began on March 30 this year) is called British Summer Time (BST), or sometimes Daylight Savings Time.
Why do the clocks go back?
The clocks change once in the Spring and again in the Autumn to make the most of the light. New Zealander George Vernon Hudson first proposed the modern idea of daylight saving in 1895, but British Summer Time was suggested by William Willett in 1908, according to Greenwich Royal Museums.
He was a keen horse rider and frustrated by the "waste" of daylight in the early mornings during the summer months as most people were still in bed when he was out riding.
He published a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight campaigning for a scheme to change the clocks, introduced in 1916 a year after Willett's death.
Was it beneficial?
Britain and Germany were fighting each other in the First World War and any system that could save fuel and money was worth trying.
However, clocks and watches were very different back then as many could not have their hands turned backwards without breaking. Therefore, owners had to put the clock forward by 11 hours when BST came to an end.
More recently, some have argued British Summer Time is good for physical and psychological health, particularly in terms of relieving the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
People are also generally said to be more productive if daylight hours are extended in the evenings. The lighter evenings are also said to reduce road traffic accidents and crime.
What's the best way to remember which is which?
'Fall back and spring forward'
