Hello and welcome to the November issue of Soltalk. The poppies on the cover mean even more to me this year as I was lucky enough in July to go on a tour of World War 1 battlefields and war memorials with my family. It was very moving especially the daily service at the Menin Gate which has been held every day since WW1 with the exception of the second World War years.

By the time you are reading this the clocks will have gone back! For most of us that means the clock in our car will show the wrong time for the next six months! Why do we do it? The idea of daylight saving time was mentioned in 1784 by Benjamin Franklin. However, it wasn’t until  907 that a serious proposal for daylight saving time was made in Britain by William Willett. He self-published a pamphlet called “The Waste of Daylight”. In 1916, a year after his death, Germany became the first country to adopt daylight saving time. The UK did the same a few weeks later, along with many other nations involved in WW1.

Within a few years of its introduction, many countries across the world adopted Daylight Saving Time. However, the benefits of it have been an ongoing debate since it was first introduced. I’d like it to stay permanently on summer time!

Before Rememberance Sunday on 12th November we will also be celebrating the failed plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5th November. I’m never sure if we are celebrating the plot or its failure? Answers on a postcard!

Meanwhile please enjoy this issue of Soltalk and thanks for the

great feedback on Dawn’s story last month!

SARAH BROOKES