Don't forget to put the clocks forward for British Summer Time.

Throughout Moray and the rest of the UK people will be setting their clocks one hour forward.

We decided to find out the history behind British Summer Time.

The history of daylight saving time

The idea of summer time, or daylight saving time, was first suggested in a whimsical article by Benjamin Franklin in 1784 but it was first seriously proposed in 1907 in Britain by a keen horse-rider, William Willett, who was incensed at the 'waste' of useful daylight first thing in the morning, during summer.

The year after Willett’s death, the Germans adopted daylight saving time and, not to be disadvantaged at a time of war, so did the UK within a few weeks. Summer time was first defined in an Act of Parliament in 1916 that stated for a certain period during the year legal time should be one hour in advance of GMT. From 1916 up to the Second World War, clocks were put in advance of GMT by one hour from the spring to the autumn.

Within a few years of its introduction, most countries reasonably north or south of the equator had adopted Daylight Saving Time. But it has been controversial since the day it was first proposed.

The Second World War, an exceptional time

During the Second World War, British Double Summer Time (two hours in advance of GMT) was temporarily introduced and was used for the period when, normally ordinary summer time would have been in force. During the winter, clocks were kept one hour in advance of GMT.

Mostly business as usual

With the war over, Britain returned to British Summer Time as before except for a brief trial between 1968 and 1971 when the clocks went forward but did not go back. The trial was deemed unsuccessful and abandoned.

The duration of British Summer Time was changed in 1998 to bring the date of the start of summer time into line with that used in the rest of the European Community.

The end of time

According to an EU directive, summer (or daylight saving) time will be kept between the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October, all changes taking place at 01:00 GMT.

Summer time all year round?

Campaigners have sought a return to British Double Summer Time or a permanent British Summer Time in order to save energy and to increase the time available for leisure in the evenings. An attempt was made by backbench MPs to change BST but The Daylight Saving Bill 2010–12 was not passed by the House of Commons.

Opponents pointed out that in the north this would have social disadvantages including, for instance, the problem that in the far north-west of Scotland sunrise would occur at about 10.00 in the middle of winter and over much of the north small children would have to travel to and from school in darkness.