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It was only a few days ago that the clocks went forward, right? No - we are just getting old and all time blurs into one hummus-filled life sandwich. Well, it's come around again: that ridiculous day when we change the time to confuse ourselves, employers and all the clocks in our lives. This momentous occasion will occur on Sunday October 25, just in time for the Monday morning back-to-work panic. So please diarise and follow this checklist which includes all the clocks you will have to change or not – otherwise the second half of your weekend will turn into a chaotic time mess and Doctor Who will be just too busy to sort it out:
The Line-Up - Spot the Impostor via photopin (license)
Your Apple devices?
THESE WILL CHANGE AUTOMATICALLY. This is very important because one extra hour in bed makes for a lovely complexion, two extra hours in bed makes for an angry boss. Steve Jobs never wanted to be late for anything: he always wanted enough time to press his black polo-neck before wearing, so he kindly sorted all your Apple devices by syncing them with Greenwich Mean Time. Thus, you do not need to change your phone clock. If you haven't cottoned on all day Sunday just remember when your alarm goes off on Monday morning – if you use your phone as an alarm, of course – that it's the real time and you still need to get up. Do not, repeat, do not hit snooze for the next hour. You will regret it and so will the people in your 9am meeting. You can check that this will all go smoothly by going to Settings, General, Date and Time and make sure Set Automatically is switched on and the time zone reads London.
Your Android devices?
Even though they don't involve polo-necks that need ironing each morning, Android devices will also update automatically. Yes they may not have access to the same scope of applications as their fruity brothers but they know how to manage the clocks going back, thanks very much. Double check they are ready to go under Settings, Date and Time.
Palindrome day via photopin (license)
The watch on your wrist?
Unless you are fancy and have one of those Apple watches that live their own lives and change their own clocks, this is the biggie. YOU WILL HAVE TO CHANGE THIS ONE. You don't want to get into the whole malarky of your alarm clock going off, you see the time, and think everything is fine, then double check the time against your wrist watch, panic and think 'I have woken up an hour late! All hell will now break loose and my polo neck will have creases'. Set a reminder on your phone or put a little note by your bed when you're tucked up on Saturday night with your sugar-free hot chocolate. Alternatively you could lie awake going through this list in your mind until you waste the extra hour of sleep worrying. Completely up to you.
Not vintage, but quirky via photopin (license)
The kitchen clock?
You've woken up calmly at the right time and you are making your breakfast and your eyes flick to the kitchen clock to double-check how long you have to eat your almond milk porridge and then... panic. You don't want to be choking on those blueberries thinking you are an hour late for your Sunday date with that guy off the internet who really does seem too good to be true. To avoid date disaster, put the kitchen clock back while you're making that sugar-free hot chocolate before bed on Saturday. If you live with others I would ask them to brush up on their heimlich manoeuvre technique, just in case.
Nick of Time (247 / 365) via photopin (license)
The oven clock?
Many will overlook the oven and microwave oven clocks, but these will have you choking on those blueberries just as quickly as the kitchen one. Your hot chocolate might be getting a little cold by now but do take a few moments to change the oven clock. Especially if you have left something cooking overnight on a timer. That extra hour could mean burnt edges and we all know every time something burns, a Mary Berry somewhere cries.
Military watch. via photopin (license)
Those manual digital clocks in cars?
If you haven't got one of those swanky cars that speaks to you and likes to be touched, you will have to do the manual clock change. The manual clock change on a digital clock is one of life's trials: inevitably you will go too far to number nine rather than stopping on eight and then you will have to carry on pressing that tiny ridiculous button for another 23 hours – in clock changing time that's 23 button pushes - until you come back around to the number eight, and that's just the hour setting. Of course, not too many Londoners have cars so you'll be saved this button-pressing ordeal – unless you need to change the oven clock.
The designated clock changer?
If you live in a house with other people, you will need to appoint a designated clock changer for these time-altering duties. Should this not be organised in advance in a shared house of five Time Out readers you could be looking at a time difference of around four hours, accounting for the lazy guy who never does any household duties. Should you not designate a time-changer you could find that your flat has its very own time zone and you will feel the jet-lag come Monday morning.
Now that winter's around the corner, have a look at London events in November.