[News] Johnson to bring back Imperial units to honour the queen

[Bodian]

I'll look it up. Anyone got a link?

I actually have a Gunter's Chain.

 

[Bodian]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

Mid-50’s age group here, I remember for many, many years post-decimalisation sweets being sold in ounces, cheese/butter in pounds weight, fruit & veg in pounds weight, petrol in gallons, building materials in hundred weight. Seemed to be early 90’s? …. when there was a sea change. Possibly accelerated by some legal enforcement and court cases?

Same age and experience here. And actually, my local greengrocer only started displaying kilos alongside pounds about 10 years ago. My butcher still to this day lists the specials on the blackboard as 3lb mince, 2lb stewing steak. And my milk is delivered in glass pint bottles.

 

[birthofanorange]

Mid-50’s age group here, I remember for many, many years post-decimalisation sweets being sold in ounces, cheese/butter in pounds weight, fruit & veg in pounds weight, petrol in gallons, building materials in hundred weight. Seemed to be early 90’s? …. when there was a sea change. Possibly accelerated by some legal enforcement and court cases?

I would suggest it was accelerated by sheer common sense. Much as I have a fondness for the 'old ways', it really is daft to cling to such a bizarre system, let alone attempt to go back there.

 

[Blue3]

I have to take issue with that; I'm approaching 60, and I grew up using lsd (no, not that), feet and inches, pounds and ounces etc. and being perfectly honest, I'm just as comfortable using them now as the metric system.
That said, the metric system is far, far easier to learn and understand and this ridiculous piece of misdirection by Bozo et al is such a blatant attempt to swerve us away from all his misdeeds. It amazes me that anyone could possibly be concerned about this nonsense, let alone let it overshadow the utter ineptitude and crassness of our so-called leadership.
What will his next ploy be?

To be fair I am also in my 60’s and while I also remember imperial weights and measures for the past 40 years I have pretty much only used metric

 

[birthofanorange]

To be fair I am also in my 60’s and while I also remember imperial weights and measures for the past 40 years I have pretty much only used metric

That only goes back to the 80's - both were used in abundance back then. Some favoured the new, some the old, and some (like myself) were equally happy to use either.
It makes sense that we moved steadily towards a fully metric system, as it's so much easier to grasp.
I'd still like to buy 2 oz of sweets, though.

 

[severnside gull]

All those generations who’ve grown up with metric being told they don’t matter. Bizarre

 

[Bodian]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

Mid-50’s age group here, I remember for many, many years post-decimalisation sweets being sold in ounces, cheese/butter in pounds weight, fruit & veg in pounds weight, petrol in gallons, building materials in hundred weight. Seemed to be early 90’s? …. when there was a sea change. Possibly accelerated by some legal enforcement and court cases?

That only goes back to the 80's - both were used in abundance back then. Some favoured the new, some the old, and some (like myself) were equally happy to use either.
It makes sense that we moved steadily towards a fully metric system, as it's so much easier to grasp.
I'd still like to buy 2 oz of sweets, though.

I have never really got to grips with centigrade though - apart from low temperatures. The difference between 60 & 70 degrees is marked - not so much 15.5 to 18 or whatever it is.

 

[Weststander]

I would suggest it was accelerated by sheer common sense. Much as I have a fondness for the 'old ways', it really is daft to cling to such a bizarre system, let alone attempt to go back there.

Luckily maths including Imperial measurements comes fairly easy for me, I also find the whole thing kind of quaint eg old farming area units, acres, furlongs, strips etc.

But it’s so complex and illogical for gen’s of youngsters to learn, many of whom have the challenge of Dyscalculia. Metric simply makes sense.

I just missed out on pre-Decimalisation money, but remember the old coins hanging around for a while.

 

[birthofanorange]

I have never really got to grips with centigrade though - apart from low temperatures. The difference between 60 & 70 degrees is marked - not so much 15.5 to 18 or whatever it is.

Oh, I just double the centigrade and add 30 - gives the fahrenheit as near as dammit.

 

[Weststander]

I have never really got to grips with centigrade though - apart from low temperatures. The difference between 60 & 70 degrees is marked - not so much 15.5 to 18 or whatever it is.

I know both inside out, but there’s one great descriptive thing about using Fahrenheit …. “weather in the 70’s, 80’s” etc accurately gives a feel for a spell of weather. In the 20C’s or similar would cover too wide a range.

 

[Bodian]

I know both inside out, but there’s one great descriptive thing about using Fahrenheit …. “weather in the 70’s, 80’s” etc accurately gives a feel for a spell of weather. In the 20C’s or similar would cover too wide a range.

Yes - I think that's exactly what I mean.

 

[GT49er]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

Post metrication (and post calculator) mental arithmetic skills coming a cropper here? ................. anybody starting secondary school, or in the last year or two at primary school would have known all about £sd* in 1971.

Now try doing the maths again.



*Other imperial measures continued in use for many years after the official change began in 1967 (and an 11 year old then wouldn't be 70 yet); compulsory changeover came later. Imperial measures for alcoholic spirits consumed on the premises (gills) were not phased out until 1995, for example - served and drunk by youngsters now still in their fifties!

 

[Baldseagull]

Mid-50’s age group here, I remember for many, many years post-decimalisation sweets being sold in ounces, cheese/butter in pounds weight, fruit & veg in pounds weight, petrol in gallons, building materials in hundred weight. Seemed to be early 90’s? …. when there was a sea change. Possibly accelerated by some legal enforcement and court cases?

The good old 112 pound hundredweight.
Some King decided a Stone would no longer be 12 and a half pounds, but would now be 14 pounds, I don't know why. But a hundredweight would still be 8 stone, even though that would not be a 100 pounds anymore.

 

[SuperFurrySeagull]

Farthing
Ha'penny
Penny
Thruppeny bit
Tanner
Bob (shilling)
Florin
Halg a crown
Crown
Ten bob
Paaaahnd
Guinea

Sorry, haven't really been paying much attention, but is that next season's line up announced already? Well within budget, by the looks of things; credit where it's due. Florin back in midfield I see. Still, wouldn't bank on that lot doing well in the coming months, maybe ok ATM, by all accounts.





..just getting my coat.

 

[warmleyseagull]

Is it 80

Some recollection that a chain is the length of a cricket pitch.

Indeed on both.

 

[Weststander]

The good old 112 pound hundredweight.
Some King decided a Stone would no longer be 12 and a half pounds, but would now be 14 pounds, I don't know why. But a hundredweight would still be 8 stone, even though that would not be a 100 pounds anymore.

I used to shift hundred weight bags of cement as part of my school/uni holiday jobs.

H&S/EEC later reduced them to 25kg. Saving the knees of future builders.

 

[Weststander]

Post metrication (and post calculator) mental arithmetic skills coming a cropper here? ................. anybody starting secondary school, or in the last year or two at primary school would have known all about £sd* in 1971.

Now try doing the maths again.



*Other imperial measures continued in use for many years after the official change began in 1967 (and an 11 year old then wouldn't be 70 yet); compulsory changeover came later. Imperial measures for alcoholic spirits consumed on the premises (gills) were not phased out until 1995, for example - served and drunk by youngsters now still in their fifties!

1/6th of a gill in England and Wales, 1/5th in Scotland.

Then on holidays to the Med or Canaries, barmen just took a wild guess with spirits, that amounted to getting drunk very quickly.

 

[Baldseagull]

I used to shift hundred weight bags of cement as part of my school/uni holiday jobs.

H&S/EEC later reduced them to 25kg. Saving the knees of future builders.

Came in 50kg bags when I first worked on sites, about 2 pounds lighter than a hundredweight, still effing heavy for a 15 year old lad.

 

[Baldseagull]

Sorry, haven't really been paying much attention, but is that next season's line up announced already? Well within budget, by the looks of things; credit where it's due. Florin back in midfield I see. Still, wouldn't bank on that lot doing well in the coming months, maybe ok ATM, by all accounts.





..just getting my coat.

Always thought that the nickname of "three bob" for Florin And-One would have been apt.

 

[Weststander]

Came in 50kg bags when I first worked on sites, about 2 pounds lighter than a hundredweight, still effing heavy for a 15 year old lad.

I started at 15 too, after school good money, shifting materials. Soon builds you up.