With the clocks going forward an hour this Sunday

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

I had a peak at the map showing different time zones.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Time_zones_of_Europe.svg/340px-Time_zones_of_Europe.svg.png

Why are Spain and France in a different time zone to the UK despite them being in geographically the same lines of longitude? Is it just to be awkward?

[Kitty]

It's part of the 'Scottish question', I understand  Scottish farmers and others north of the border have traditionally blocked moves to have round the year British Summer Time.  Or so my local UK MP told me when I was in England a couple of years ago.

[Chancer]

Central European Time (C.E.T)

Given that we are all part of the C.E.E and on the same landmass can you imagine the confusion if we all used time zones according to our longitudinal position?

One thing to be aware of is that in summer (daylight saving time) the sun is at it's highest at 14.00 hours not midday in France yet all the government health warning about skin cancer say to avoid the mid-day sun [8-)] Not that they need to as 99.9999% of the population will have found an abri to eat in at that time.

Its also my defensive response to those that ridicule me for the hour that I get out of bed. 

Editted. What has Scotland got to do with France and Spain?