Hello darkness my old friend… Autumn has officially arrived and the days are only getting shorter. As of next week, we’ll all be heading home from work in the night. Birmingham’s last sunset of the year before 6pm happens this Saturday (October 21) and we’re already missing the sunshine.
Taking a look at Time and Date, the sun will set exactly at 18:00 in Birmingham on Saturday. This will get incrementally earlier until October 29 when the clocks go back and (no, I don’t believe it) the sun sets at 16:44! This slow march in darkness will continue until December 9, with the sun setting at its earliest at 15:53.
If you think we’re through the worst of it by then, think again. Sunset will plateau at this time until December 17, while the shortest day of the year takes place on December 22 (lasting 7 hours, 39 minutes and 29 seconds… that’s no time to enjoy the sunshine at all!).
The next time we see the sunset as late as 6pm again in Birmingham isn’t until March 8, 2024, arriving exactly at 18:00 again. God that feels like a long way away. But it’s best not to think about it. Our 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…