[Politics] It was 50 years ago today................

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

The UK went decimal. (Apologies to younger readers.)

Any memories? Does anyone still use pre-decimal terms - e.g. 'a few bob'?

I worked at an old style Sainsbury's (on the cheese counter as it happens). We had loads of training. My abiding memory is of the older customers (this was in Goring) simply handing over their purses and asking me to give them the right change. They were totally flummoxed and also rather angry. There was also the view that retailers used the change-over as an opportunity to mark-up prices.

 

[RossyG]

I’ve only even known decimal, but I’d like it if we went back to shillings and Guineas. It sounds more fun.

At the time, Max Bygraves introduced this handy rap song to tell people all about new pence.

 

[blue-shifted]

I think decimalisation was a good thing

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

I’ve only even known decimal, but I’d like it if we went back to shillings and Guineas. It sounds more fun.

At the time, Max Bygraves introduced this handy rap song to tell people all about new pence.

Classic! I'm guessing that would have cost 7s 6d. Sorry, 37.5 new pence!

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I went from being worth 2 and 6 to being priceless.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

I still refer to 50p as 'ten bob' and being scared s***less as sixpence, half a crown!
A few times my daughters have said something to me in their modern lingo, I've asked them what that meant in old money....they didn't understand me.

 

[World of Sport]

I thought you were going to say something interesting, like that we had lost again this time at home to Shrewsbury Town 50 years ago!!
Saward OUT

 

[B-right-on]

I used to say "10 Bob" until about 20 years ago for 50p. But the older I got the more I realised that the younger generation hadn't a clue what I was talking about.

So subconsciously I guess, it's fallen from my vocabulary.

 

[Jack Straw]

Just after decimalization came in, I got a part-time job (I was still at school), selling food in an outlet by the Palace Pier. After telling customers how much their purchases were, every one of them asked, "How much is that in old money?" I got very good with the new money in no time!

 

[happypig]

My uncle was a shopkeeper in London and he hated decimalisation; before you could get a Yank tourist in and say "that's fifteen and ninepence three farthings please guvnor", get given a fiver, give them half a dozen thrupenny bits, a half crown and two sixpences as change and they left without a clue.

 

[GT49er]

The UK went decimal. (Apologies to younger readers.)

Any memories? Does anyone still use pre-decimal terms - e.g. 'a few bob'?

I worked at an old style Sainsbury's (on the cheese counter as it happens). We had loads of training. My abiding memory is of the older customers (this was in Goring) simply handing over their purses and asking me to give them the right change. They were totally flummoxed and also rather angry. There was also the view that retailers used the change-over as an opportunity to mark-up prices.

Mark up prices - certainly! Inflation busting price rises too, cunningly introduced on occasional goods, i.e Christmas cards, 6d one year, 6 new pence next year (two and a half times the price), Easter Eggs half a crown (two shillings and sixpence, thirty old pennies) one year, 25 new pence next year - just twice the price.
Over a couple of years, there was massive inflation on small purchases - things that cost a few old pence quickly became the same number of new pence.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

I still refer to 50p as 'ten bob' and being scared s***less as sixpence, half a crown!
A few times my daughters have said something to me in their modern lingo, I've asked them what that meant in old money....they didn't understand me.

A real challenge for home schooling would be to explain to your kids (or grandkids more like!) how the old 'Imperial' system worked. And good luck with that for anyone who tries. I do rather regret the passing of thrupenny joey.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Just after decimalization came in, I got a part-time job (I was still at school), selling food in an outlet by the Palace Pier. After telling customers how much their purchases were, every one of them asked, "How much is that in old money?" I got very good with the new money in no time!

You could well have made 'a few bob' for yourself had you been so minded.

 

[Jack Straw]

As an aside to my previous post on this thread, where I worked, the prices in 1972 were as follows, and they were more expensive than shops or cafes away from the seafront;
Cup of tea - 4p (10d)
Cup of coffee - 6p (1s 2d)
Small ice cream - 6p
Large ice cream - 10p (2s)
Fish and chips - 26p (5s 2d)
Donuts - 3p (7d)

 

[banjo]

It went from having the nine Bob bits to having a number two.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

I thought you were going to say something interesting, like that we had lost again this time at home to Shrewsbury Town 50 years ago!!
Saward OUT

Apologies for the disappointmen!. But how much was it to get into the Goldstone in old money? (Nice football related one for yo to chew on. Any ticket stubs in the loft?)

 

[Jack Straw]

You could well have made 'a few bob' for yourself had you been so minded.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

As an aside to my previous post on this thread, where I worked, the prices in 1972 were as follows, and they were more expensive than shops or cafes away from the seafront;
Cup of tea - 4p (10d)
Cup of coffee - 6p (1s 2d)
Small ice cream - 6p
Large ice cream - 10p (2s)
Fish and chips - 26p (5s 2d)
Donuts - 3p (7d)

Bloody hell: I hope you didn't come up with this from memory! I wouldn't pay those prices even today.

 

[Change at Barnham]

It's strange that our distances and speeds haven't been decimalised. Yet our fuel has.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

Thank god we got rid of such a stupid system. The whole thing is incomprehensible to anyone under 50