Thank you Apple and all your techie friends for changing the way we officially end summertime and embrace dark nights and more sleep. Somehow you just ‘know’ when British Summertime ends and adjust the clocks on our phones, laptops and tablets accordingly. Spoilsports. Now we have only the memories of mishaps caused by forgetting to put the clocks back (or forward). We know it always happens at 2am the last Sunday of October in the UK but that never stopped someone you knew being an hour out of step right into the following Monday.

However, not every clock is digital and there’s something of a ritual about marking the changing of the seasons by altering the hands of a clock or watch. And come Christmas, a well- meaning relative is bound to point out the one clock no-one could be bothered to change and the rest of the family has learned to live with.

There’s an established lobby for aligning us with the continent by keeping daylight saving time all year round, but in parts of Scotland the sun wouldn’t rise until 10am in winter; farmers, milkmen and newspaper delivery kids aren’t keen. No, how much better to stay out of step until spring when the return of light evenings ushers in the sequel: Putting The Clocks Forward.