I had an interesting conversation with a friend the other day. Apparently over on the continent, people have a more sensible, civilized method of keeping time: Central European Time!

It's an hour later than British Summer time, which means an hour more sunshine all the time for everybody including hourly worker Joe!

Yes, I know what you're going to say: "Gimpei, you are insane. Central European Time is for Central European countries like Germany or Poland. Despite the many Poles in the UK, the UK is not Poland so don't put us on their time."

And you are quite right, dear reader, I am insane: insane like a person who is actually sane! Consider exhibit 1 above. Both France and Spain use Central European time, and if I'm not mistaken, large swaths of Spain are actually farther to the West than UK. What's more the Greenwich meridian passes straight through France!

British people, I know you want to keep your distinct national identity; you like the fact that you drive on the wrong side of the road, that your beer is warm, and that you eat foods with strange names like spotted dick. But maybe it's time to recognize a bit of Europeaness, of the cultural values that you share with the continent, and most of all of your shared temporal heritage.

So rise up Britons; cast aside the shackles of BST. No need to go to Spain for your sun, you can get it in Britain! You don't even have to do any crazy things like join the Euro, but you should probably take the recipe for jellied eel and vaporize it in a controlled, underground nuclear explosion.