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Original poster

To hate the nights drawing in ..

99 replies

Marchintospring · 06/08/2023 21:27

in August. I mean this is the height of the summer holidays. Festivals, bank holidays, kids off school but by the end of August it will be dark at 8pm down south. It’s just so depressing knowing that in 2 months it will be dark before ai finish work

By October I’m over it as it’s clearly time for winter but it’s so horrible feeling the sunny days slip away before the actual end of summer.
I love the long evenings but the weather is temperamental in Spring and it’s hard to make the most of them when things are just warming up.May and June are great and then it’s all downhill. I really noticed the earlier sunset tonight and I’m not ready for it.

OP posts:
Gymnopedie · 07/08/2023 01:55

Because it's been so cloudy we haven't even had a lot of really late night light either. It stays lighter much longer when the sky is clear.

And as the days get shorter, the time between sunset and the last of the light also decreases. At the end of June (on a clear night) there can be two hours between sunset and complete darkness, in winter (when the days are already darker because the sun is so low in the sky) it's less than 40 minutes. So the nights are drawing in now for that reason too.

I always cheer up on the 19th December. It's complicated, it's the 19th not the 21st when it starts to get lighter at night, even if only by a few seconds to begin with.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 07/08/2023 03:02

Marchintospring · 06/08/2023 21:27

in August. I mean this is the height of the summer holidays. Festivals, bank holidays, kids off school but by the end of August it will be dark at 8pm down south. It’s just so depressing knowing that in 2 months it will be dark before ai finish work

By October I’m over it as it’s clearly time for winter but it’s so horrible feeling the sunny days slip away before the actual end of summer.
I love the long evenings but the weather is temperamental in Spring and it’s hard to make the most of them when things are just warming up.May and June are great and then it’s all downhill. I really noticed the earlier sunset tonight and I’m not ready for it.

Yes, I feel the same. Depressing.

angharadsgoat · 07/08/2023 03:43

'It's always the same. After midsummer (longest day) all the days that follow will be shorter. Until winter solstice.

We have many weeks to go until it's dark early evening.

Original poster
Marchintospring · 07/08/2023 07:39

It’s currently a lovely morning here. Bright sunshine at 7am so hopefully I can get lots done before work this afternoon. Putting the washing out to dry on the line and knowing it will be done by lunch is one of life’s small wins.

As I said I’m over it when the clocks go back in October. Its winter and you just have to suck it up until February when you can see it getting lighter .
It’s the noticeable loss that’s really hard especially when August is considered the hight of summer in many respects. I just get used to lovely long evenings and then, they’re not.

OP posts:
mydogisthebest · 07/08/2023 07:50

I absolutely hate the dark mornings and evenings. In the summer I am up at 7am but in the winter I struggle to get out of bed by 8.30am.

I find it so depressing. I could easily live with it being light all the time. Went to Sweden in the summer a couple of years ago and loved that it never really got dark

NancyJoan · 07/08/2023 07:57

Definitely worse this year, with this dreadful weather. I usually quite enjoy the crisp mornings and bright days in September, but this year, with barely four weeks of decent weather, I feel like I cannot face going into months and months of going to work and coming home again in the dark.

Tessisme · 07/08/2023 07:58

I completely agree OP. August is my least favourite month because of the nights starting to close in. And similar to you, I feel ok and resigned once it's all settled into the dark nights etc. It's that melancholy sense of loss. I'm in NI and the summer holidays start at the very beginning of July, so I always think there's a weariness that accompanies the last two weeks or so of August. Before we had DC we used to go abroad on holiday in September and enjoy a bit more sunshine. It always helped my mood.

TabithaHazel · 07/08/2023 09:08

I'm an autumn lover, but even I think it's come too early this year. There is a definite crispness in the air and a sense of the natural world slowing down that I don't usually notice until the kids have been back at school for a few weeks.

Fizbosshoes · 07/08/2023 13:19

TabithaHazel · 07/08/2023 09:08

I'm an autumn lover, but even I think it's come too early this year. There is a definite crispness in the air and a sense of the natural world slowing down that I don't usually notice until the kids have been back at school for a few weeks.

I took my kids out for the day yesterday. We dithered about taking jackets, in the end 2 teens took hoodies (DD also took an umbrella) and I wore a jacket. We all needed our long sleeves on until about 3pm when it was lovely. It rained twice but for less than 5 min. When we got home around 7pm it was really sunny but definitely felt like there was an autumn chill in the air and had to close the back door. I sometimes feel aggrieved about this at the end of August but the first week of August seems way too early to feel autumnal....especially when we haven't had a long or convincing summer!

megletthesecond · 07/08/2023 13:33

Yes. It's already getting me down. It wouldn't be so bad if we'd had a warm (not dangerous) summer.
I worry about house maintenance, hate the winds keeping me up at night, the endless layers....

EvenlyDetermined · 07/08/2023 13:36

I agree, I'm not a huge hot weather fan but I love long light evenings for going out walking, sitting in pub gardens or our garden, going to the allotment. I'd like it to stay light till 10 all year round, I'm not one for candles, hot chocolate on the sofa etc.

LoobyDop · 07/08/2023 13:46

Oh behave. It’s August, not November. It’s like the people who start moaning about how short the weekend is on Sunday morning.

MaidOfSteel · 07/08/2023 13:50

I'm with you, OP. I love the light nights and I'm feeling fed up to see the days are getting shorter already. I'm in Scotland so it's darker a bit later than down south, bit I'm already dreading Autumn & Winter.

mydogisthebest · 07/08/2023 14:02

LoobyDop · 07/08/2023 13:46

Oh behave. It’s August, not November. It’s like the people who start moaning about how short the weekend is on Sunday morning.

Doesn't feel like August though and after the shit weather we have had this year so far it is very very depressing that the nights seem to be drawing in quicker than usual.

I don't find dark evening cosy in the slightest. I absolutely hate it

Version12 · 07/08/2023 14:06

Tacocatgoatcheesepizza · 06/08/2023 22:33

Yes I feel exactly the same. I love summer. I suffer so badly from SAD I feel like I’m a totally different person over winter. As the season starts to turn I feel quite ill at the thought of what’s to come.

Same. Part of me wants to just move to somewhere in the southern hemisphere for our autumn and winter. I can't stand 16 hours of darkness a day.

JamSandle · 07/08/2023 14:10

I suppose a lot of what you think about the seasons depends on lifestyle. I love that the UK has seasons but I really enjoy things that are better in the spring and summer.

Sea and lake swimming.
Sitting out by a fire.
Long light evenings.
Bbqs and Al fresco meals.
Long walks.

I love autumn and winter for snuggling months but I need the light and fun of spring and summer. I have a holiday booked so I'll make the most of it then I think!

FourTeaFallOut · 07/08/2023 14:11

I'm in the N.E, it's a bit of a relief that the days are shortening a bit. It feels like you never get to wind down when you go to bed when it's still light out. An 8pm sunset at the beginning of September suits me fine.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 07/08/2023 14:12

I hadn’t noticed!

I always take my summer annual leave at the end of the school holidays because that’s how I split them with exh (at kids’ requests, I take the second half). So I don’t even think about autumn til that’s over with!

I don’t like it when everyone starts talking about “back to school” etc before I’ve even had my time off though 😂 (sorry Scottish friends!)

Abracadabra12345 · 07/08/2023 15:29

DappledThings · 06/08/2023 22:42

I love it. I find it makes me tense it staying light so late. I get a little boost from the the first day sunset is a minute earlier after the longest day, the days drawing in means a calmer feel.to everything for me.

We are kindred spirits! I feel exactly the same. I bought a Summer Solstice card to remind myself that from then on, it would start getting dark earlier- from the horrendous 10 pm to where we are now. I feel exactly the same, I carry a kind of tension until it starts getting dark. Then I relaaaax

As for this summer- it's still early August and September is often warm and sunny so it's not like summer is over. I'm counting down the days personally! We've just got used to endless sunshine starting early and I for one am deeply relieved that this hasn't been the case this year, unlike other parts of Europe

Abracadabra12345 · 07/08/2023 15:31

Gh12345 · 06/08/2023 22:58

I’m the complete opposite and always feel drained by August of too much light

Another kindred spirit!

loreau · 07/08/2023 15:32

There are much more immediate reasons to be miserable..cost of living, climate crisis, state of education, politics..why waste your time on something that won't happen for 2 months

FourTeaFallOut · 07/08/2023 15:38

loreau · 07/08/2023 15:32

There are much more immediate reasons to be miserable..cost of living, climate crisis, state of education, politics..why waste your time on something that won't happen for 2 months

Yeah, op, why not fill your boots and just be miserable the whole year round? Lean into the doom a little, huh?

Abracadabra12345 · 07/08/2023 15:40

EvenlyDetermined · 07/08/2023 13:36

I agree, I'm not a huge hot weather fan but I love long light evenings for going out walking, sitting in pub gardens or our garden, going to the allotment. I'd like it to stay light till 10 all year round, I'm not one for candles, hot chocolate on the sofa etc.

Stay light all year to 10 pm?! You have just described my worst nightmare!

stayathomer · 07/08/2023 15:44

I adore autumn but I feel like it’s harder this year to accept it because it does feel too early. In Ireland we’ve had rain for nearly three weeks now and so dark just feels wrong!! Our neighbours had their fire on yesterday and I shuddered at the thought (and also because I was cold!!)

Motorcycleemptyness · 07/08/2023 15:48

I actually love autumn and winter but I feel panicky and depressed by their approach this year as we barely had a summer, weather-wise! Just horrible horrible weather. Haven’t had one evening where I’ve sat out in flip flops and a summer dress enjoying the weather. London had a few days of baking hot in June where you could barely breathe, or pissing with rain for the rest of the season. I feel very short changed.