10 Ways the UK Reacts to British Summer Time

It seems that as soon as March arrives, people in the UK start to gear up for summer – or what little we see of it in Britain. When British Summer Time (BTS) comes into effect – when the clocks go forward an hour – everyone seems to think it’s almost time to hit the beach.

As much as we would like the change of the clocks to signal sudden brilliant sunshine and tropical temperatures, we’re not usually that lucky. Despite this, us Brits still get in the mood for summer as early as we possibly can.

You definitely know summer is on the way (but probably at least a month or so off) if you start to see any of these things:

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1 – You’ll suddenly start seeing a lot of people wearing shorts, even though it’s raining and they’re having to team them with a heavy waterproof coat. Those in shorts start gathering under any bit of shelter and try to wait out the downpour.

2 – Heading to the nearest park to eat lunch feels like a great idea, even though it’s freezing and the ground is wet so you end up with a damp patch on your trousers. As good as it feels to get some fresh air, a desk lunch probably beats spending an afternoon with wet trousers.

3 –  The ice cream man is out and about! That means you’ll see people walking around eating a cone that has zero chance of melting because it’s absolutely freezing. Couple that with the fact that the people eating ice cream are usually shivering from the cold too.

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4 – Day trips to the beach start to become a thing, even though you’re more likely to catch a cold than a tan. Let’s face it, if you go to the beach before August, you’ll spend most of the day wrapped in a towel hiding behind your windbreaker trying to convince everyone you’re having a great time.

5 – The bright sunshine lulls us all into a false sense of security and makes us think we can leave the house without a coat – a decision we regret almost the moment our house is out of view, thanks to the drizzle and ice cold winds. Let’s face it, leaving the house without a coat in Britain at any time of year is basically playing with fire – or ice.

6 – Similarly, sandals suddenly seem like a good idea so you’ll soon end up watching people running through rain wearing flip flops. Not only is running in flip flops incredibly difficult but they offer no protection from the rain so you might as well go barefoot. Or just wear actual shoes.

7 – That after work pint is suddenly taking place in the beer garden that has very little sun because of the heavy clouds. There’s nothing like shivering while clutching a pint to tell you that British summer has arrived.

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8 – The slightest hint of sun usually results in someone taking their shirt off and walking around town in just jeans. You might be really lucky and see the elusive business man who not only takes his tie off at the end of the day but also loses his shirt too. Aren’t we lucky?

9 – It may be cold and windy, but it’s not rained in at least two hours, so obviously it’s barbecue weather. You see the neighbours dragging there’s out from down the side of the house before shielding themselves with an umbrella and swearing as they fail to get it to light.

10 – Of course, the main sign of summer is everyone dragging out their patio furniture from the garden shed to enjoy sitting outside in the mild sunlight. Nothing says fun in the sun like having to brush cobwebs off plastic chairs, but once we’ve done it we’re going to make the most of it and stay on our deck chairs until August.

Summer will be here soon enough, but in reality the start of British Summer Time comes just a few days after the start of spring, so we suggest keeping your jackets and brollies close by for at least another month or so yet!