The half of the nation whose oven clocks are correct swapped places with the half whose oven clocks are an hour or twelve out last night.

The six monthly ritual celebrates the fact that we all have electricity and street lights and all that clever stuff but still change our clocks to save kids coming back from schools in the 1950s from having to do so in the dark and 1920s farmers get more day to work in.

Or something.

“No, no,” said Tim Porral from the Department of Antiquated Behaviour, “changing the clocks is totally still needed because… er… To reduce coal usage? Yeah, that’s it! Because it reduces energy usage by… hold on I’ve got the figures here… er, nearly half of a percent.”

Up and down the country various Clocksback festivals occur as ordinary people argue over whether daylight savings is worth the hassle and if it’s an extra hour in bed we gain or an hour we lose.

“There are of course arguments on both sides,” said Rochdalian clockmaster Dr Hoom, “but if we didn’t have it then we wouldn’t be able to make all those jokes about UKIP putting back their clocks 80 years, would we?”

Fair point.

So enjoy your pointless clock change thingy. Especially if you’re a farmer or schoolkid in the 1920s.

When the aeons of war left the gods dead and the universe decimated, a single duck rose from the ashes and stood for justice and freedom! It wasn't me, that duck, but we look quite bit alike.