Hello darkness my old friend… Autumn has officially arrived, and the days are only getting shorter. We’ve got some bleak news for you, too, because from Thursday, October 23, many of us will head home from work in the dark. The last sunset of the year before 6pm in Bristol happens next week, and we’re already missing the sunshine.
Taking a look at Time and Date, the sun will set exactly at 18:00 in Bristol next Thursday, setting at 17:59 on Tuesday. Don’t get used to it either. That’s only shortly before British Summer Time (BST) ends on Sunday, October 23, and the clocks go back. That evening, the sun sets at 16:54! This creeping descent into darkness continues until December 8, with the sun setting at its earliest at 16:01.
If you think we’re through the worst of it by then, think again. Sunset will plateau at this time until December 16, while the shortest day of the year takes place on December 21 (lasting 7 hours, 50 minutes and 11 seconds… that’s no time to enjoy the sunshine at all!).
The next time we’ll see the sunset as late as 6pm in Bristol isn’t until March 7, 2024, arriving exactly at 18:01 this time. God, that feels like a long way away, doesn’t it? But it’s best not to think about it. Your best option in these dark times is to embrace the longer nights and get cosy on the sofa.
It’s not all doom and gloom either; the arrival of longer nights means some pretty exciting festivities. We’ve still got Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas to come, which, if you ask us, are made all the better by these darker evenings. Plus, our favourite wintery indulgences, like Sunday roasts, mulled wine, and hot chocolates. Ready or not, longer nights are here to stay…