How to use the online alarm clock
Getting the flowers wrapped and water buckets checked at 7:36 am leaves breathing room before they are needed at Columbia Road Flower Market. With 8:00 am approaching, labels, change and the route to the pitch can all be sorted without turning the final minutes into a rush. The alarm marks the point when preparation should give way to loading up and setting off.
While both hands are busy arranging flowers, the sound destination deserves a quick check. Wireless headphones may still be connected even after they have been put in a pocket or left in another room, quietly taking the alarm with them. A short test at the intended volume shows where the sound will emerge. If the browser is no longer running when the alarm is due, it will stay silent, which could leave the flowers waiting instead of heading towards the market.
Columbia Road and the surrounding streets may still feel subdued at 7:36 am, but delivery vans, shutters and early traders can make the background noise rise quickly towards 8:00 am. Keeping the phone nearby on a firm surface makes vibration more noticeable as that change begins. A second cue, such as placing the keys beside the wrapped stems, also ties departure to something that cannot be overlooked while loading.
Common questions
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?
No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.
What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 7:36 am?
The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.
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