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Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Will Hayward

When do the clocks change - and do I get an extra hour in bed?

Get your clocks out - the times they are a changing.

This Sunday marks the start of British Summer Time (BST)  - quite simply: the clocks are going to change .

Are the clocks going forwards of back?

At 1am, they'll be moved forward an hour.

That means less time in bed. Bad news if you enjoy your sleep, but good news if you're on a night shift - as you'll get an early finish.

The clocks going forwards means that the mornings will be darker but the evenings lighter. It happens on March 31 and marks the start of British Summer Time. (Bath Chronicle)

What does this mean for when it gets light and dark?

The change of clocks will mean that it will get lighter an hour later in the morning. But the longer evenings come in handy for those who love a barbecue.

How long will it be in place for?

British Summer Time lasts until October 27 - when the clocks go back and you get that glorious hour in bed. This is know as Greenwich Mean Time.

It always happens on the last Sunday on March and the last Sunday of October. The tiny Welsh village which is the envy of the world

Why do we change the clocks?

The idea to change the clocks was first introduced by US politician Benjamin Franklin because he thought that it would save money on candles.

However it was British man called William Willett who was the driver behind it.

Green plaque marking the home of William Willett, inventor of daylight savings time, on 16 Avenue Crescent, Acton. (Ealing Gazette)

Willett was a builder, and also the great-great-grandad of Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin, who campaigned to bring daylight savings in the 20th century.

His idea was finally taken up in 1916 - although Willett died the year before of flu.

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