Time Difference

[Luzzly]

OK, couldn't figure out what category to ask this in, so will try here.  Does anyone else remember for a brief time, I think sometime in the 1970s or 80s, the east coast of USA was only 3 hours behind the UK, instead of the usual 5, or sometimes 4.  It wasn't for very long, but I was a secretary at the time and my boss asked me to tell him the time difference, and we were both surprised to find it was only 3 hours, obviously for a brief time inbetween clocks going forward or backward, depending on the time of year.  It definitely happened, just wondered if anyone else remembers.

[Buenchico]

As an experiment, our clocks were put forward one hour, as usual, in March 1968 but then not put back until October 1971.  (During that period, 'British Summer Time' was renamed to 'British Standard Time').

That will have reduced the 5-hour time difference with the US East Coast to 4 hours for much of the time.  However variations in when the USA deployed daylight saving time during that period could have then reduced the difference even further still.

[Luzzly]

Thank you for your answer Buenchico, although I know it was after 1976 because of where I was living.  I just wondered if anyone remembered, or can find out when, this happened.  Because happen it did, albeit briefly.  I've tried googling, but nothing significant comes up. 

[bhg481]

Chris - haven't you got it the wrong way round? We are always ahead of the Americans, so putting our clocks forward increases the gap. What we need is a year when the Americans tried double daylight saving, not the UK.

[Buenchico]

^^^ That's what comes of me posting before going to the pub!

😁