100 years of British Summer Time: Things you didn't know about the clocks going forward

This year marks 100 years of British Summer Time (BST). It was first introduced in the Summer Time Act 1916 following many years of campaigning by builder William Willett, the great-great grandfather of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin.

Parliament rejected Willett’s proposals many times, before eventually the outbreak of the First World War and the subsequent need to save coal prompted a re-evaluation. Sadly, William Willett never saw his idea come into fruition, as he died in early 1915.

These – and a few more – facts you might not know about British Summer Time are detailed in the video above.

What is British Summer Time?

BST is currently defined by the Summer Time Order 2002, which states: “the period beginning at one o’clock, GMT, in the morning of the last Sunday in March and ending at one o’clock, GMT, in the morning of the last Sunday in October.”

When does British Summer Time begin?

Sunday 27 March, 1am