php.ini date.timezone setting ignored

[microchip]

Hello. I have set the date.timezone to "Europe/London" (Symfony 2 insists). Setting isn't read. phpinfo reports the date.timezone setting as 'no value'.
I have tried the line with and without quotes and with and without the preceding ';' with no change.
There is only one version (5.3. of php installed and only one php.ini.
Any suggestions?
Thanks

[egami]

no need for quotes.

date.timezone = Europe/London

[microchip]

I've tried all combinations of quote and no quote. System sees the default but won't accept my typing into php.ini.
Am trying to load LAMP onto an Ubuntu workstation to see how that works, cos on Windows in doesn't.

[egami]

Windows should have never been a "server", ever.