How is the mnemonic ‘Spring Forward, Fall Back’ supposed to help anyone remember whether clocks move forward or back? People are as likely to trip and fall forward, or to spring back in surprise.

Why are so many people pedantic about time and punctuality when it can suddenly change overnight? It’s like rehearsing for the wrong play or training for a race, and then somebody moving the finishing line (legitimately.)

Everyone feels cheated when the clocks go forward because they have to ‘lose’ an hour in bed, but they have the perfect excuse to be late for work. Still if they turned up at the same time the day before, they would have been early. The day the clocks go back is probably the one day in the year when most people get to work on time.

When the clocks go back everyone feels grateful for the extra hour in bed, but if they slept through it they missed it so where’s the benefit?

Adjusting all the clocks and watches at home and at work is likely to waste some or all of the saved hour, and let’s hope it’s a rotten day and not your wedding day on the day the hour is lost.