Don't forget to put your clocks back

(JB) As winter draws near, residents will be pleased to know that they can benefit from a little more light in the evenings when the clocks are set back an hour this weekend.

From 1am this Sunday morning, clocks should be reset to midnight, so as to account for the time shift. The system of putting the clocks back, known as daylight saving time (DST), dates back to the First World War.

By putting clocks back in Autumn and forward in Spring, people benefit from longer hours of daylight during the working day.

The original purpose of DST was to allow Germany and its allies a way of conserving coal during the war. It soon caught on elsewhere in Europe and was eventually adopted by the US in 1918.

For those who like their sleep, the change means that everyone will gain an hour of rest during the night of Saturday to Sunday.