Warning: clock fiddling coming up!

Post date: Oct 13, 2018 4:11:57 PM

By Peppy Bristlebrush  

I've promised you to write about the subject of clock fiddling, so here it is. 

First the practical things that are about to happen: the period of Daylight Saving Time for this year, is about to come to an end. When? Well, that depends on where you live. East of the Big Pond ((in Europe)) it will end in the night of October 27 to 28, but west of the Big Pond ((in the USA)) it ends in the night of  November 3 to 4. 

This is important with regard to the clock we call Servertime ((which is in fact the time in Boston, Massachusetts)). At the moment, with everyone in Daylight Saving Time, the difference between East and West of the Pond is five hours. As soon as East ((Europe)) put their clocks one hour back, the difference is only four hours! This will be the case until West ((USA)) changes their clocks back one hour too. After that the difference will be what it was: five hours. 

For example: Green Dragon Friday on October 26 starts at 19:30 Bells ((19:30 UK time)), which is 14:30pm Servertime. Five hours difference.

                    Green Dragon Friday on November 3 starts at 19:30 Bells, which is THEN 15:30 Servertime. Four hours difference.

                    On the next Friday,Green Dragon Friday starts again at 14:30 Servertime, like most of the year.

So take care in the period of October 28 to November 3!

Now about new developments: Governments East of the Big Pond are planning to get rid of the half-yearly clock fiddling. Hooray! But wait.. Will they prefer to be in Daylight Saving Time all year, or in the more natural (Sun at highest point at twelve o'clock) time?

It seems that they have decided that each region ((country)) can make up their own mind about that. If you think about that, it can lead to chaotic situations where you have to adjust your clock each time you cross bounds. So, good plan, bad execution!

Anyway, whatever is decided, we at the Gazette will stick to the Michel Delving Bell tower ((UK time)) for our time indications. ((And what will happen after Brexit is anyone's guess: they may decide to keep the Daylight Saving Time, unlike Europe)) And what will the other side of the Big Pond do? Will they also abolish the clock fiddling? Or not.

So don't get your hopes up too high! In future we still may have to deal with this phenomenon and have a discrepancy in the difference between Servertime and Michel Delving time.

For now, remember the difference of four hours from October 28 until November 3!