Reintroducing Imperial measures…..

It would be cruel for the young to have to learn the 12, 14, and 16 times tables, like we had to.. How far back do you want to go, 240 pence in one £1. Not forgetting sixpences, florins, half crowns etc.and the there is temperature and liquid measurements. No thank you.
The US measurements are not similar to those in the UK.

I always convert metric measurements back to imperial measurements so I’ll be more than happy if we formally revert.
I had to do my very first online grocery shop 12 yrs ago following surgery and didn’t give it a though about the use of metric rather than imperial measurements. Needless to say the amount of fruit and vegetables delivered was far exceeded what we were able to eat and ended up in the bin. Lesson learned for my next order.

I still can't believe we caved so easily! Imagine USA going metric because Canada says so?! Yeah right...... We should have said thanks but no thanks ? now we have no option and that's ok too.younger gens use metric so it stays!

I am at 73 nearly all metric. The only bit Istruggle with is cm, mm and knitting needles!! The young have been brought up to think metric so why change it, after all we are a dying breed

I grew up using imperial units - I still work things out in miles, feet, inches, pounds, ounces; it’s just the way I was taught. There’s no denying, however, that the 10x table is a lot simpler than 12x, 14x, 16x, etc!

sigh

Others, however, were sharply critical of Schulz’s vision. Alexander Dobrindt, a top lawmaker for the Christian Social Union, called the SPD leader a “Europe radical.”

“Someone who wants to create the United States of Europe by 2025, who wants to dissolve nation states in the next seven years, and who wants to throw anyone who doesn’t submit to this dictate out of the EU, must be called a Europe radical,” Dobrindt said.

I believe Shultz said this just after the SDP's worst defeat since the war. So hardly resounding backing from anyone at all, really.

All sorts of party leaders can make all sorts of suggestions. Doesn't mean they are anybody's policies.

As for the EU working out a framework for 2022 - well I hope they would, that's planning, isn't it?

Just to point out to those who think I am suffering from paranoia simply for mentioning the term United States of Europe, a United States Of Europe by 2025 was proposed by Martin Shultz when head of the SDP in Germany in 2017.

www.theguardian.com/world/2017/dec/07/martin-schulz-united-states-of-europe-germany-sdp

The concept was thought of sufficient interest for You Gov to organise a poll which showed 30% of Germans and 28% of French agreed with less than 15% agreeing in other countries.

Like it or not, the proposal has been raised. I suppose 'ever closer union', is a more acceptable term which may or may not amount to the same thing. The EU is even now examining its navel and working out a framework for the future by 2022. Allegedly, even it doesn't know what path it will take.

Normally, when faced with a view opposed to one's own, I would expect critics to point out factual errors or logical flaws rather than question the author's mental health. Sadly, not on GN.

Fashionista1

No I wouldn't think so. Several generations have grown up learning the metric system and personally I find it much easier. They may just allow some traders to use Imperial measures as was suggested above.

Officially allowing traders to use imperial measures is nowhere near as simple as people seem to think it is. It adds a whole new layer of administration/bureaucracy to ensuring that the laws regarding weights and measures are properly observed and it lays consumers open to being ripped off by rogue traders.

Someone earlier said, in effect, why should we care about the younger generations? Well, why should we care about a few selfish oldies who can't accept that things have changed and have moved on?

And considering that the 1950s/60s generation is the most pampered generation in the history of the British Isles, and that they have pulled the rug out from under the feet of subsequent generations by voting to make them pay for what we got free of charge, and Brexit, I think that the belief that we shouldn't consider the young is appalling.

Anniel

I get so mad when I read how important the young are! When I was very young we just got on with life. We lived through a devastating war and all the hardship after that. So we can enjoy imperial measures again which i welcome. All you much younger women can think Metric and I don't mind but for goodness sake stop moaning over trivia. Its anything to criticise the Tory govtamong most of you. Well think again as Labour will be a long time in opposition according to most political commentators.

What the heck has Labour got to do with Imperial measurements?

PS. I must be one of the "much younger women". I didn't live through the war, although I fail to see what that's got to do with Imperial measurements either.

Daffydilly

vegansrock

Wel obviously this is the most important issue facing the country.Forget climate change, food prices, housing, pollution,………….

Relax, it's just a discussion.

How patronising.

And lacking in any comprehension of sarcasm, it seems.

I use and think in a mix of metric and imperial.
I measure fabric and wood etc in metric.
But babies weights & lengths, recipes, liquids, weights and distances in imperial. I still ask for a pint in the pub, a pound of sausages, a quarter of sweets etc. I have no idea how far a kilometer is, our car shows distance in miles. I know how tall I am in feet and inches and what I weigh in stones.

I hope we're not being coerced into the American measuring system. I find their stupid (and inaccurate) Cup and Stick measurements in recipes really frustrating, even though I bought two sets of American measuring spoons. They are each different!!

vegansrock

Wel obviously this is the most important issue facing the country.Forget climate change, food prices, housing, pollution,………….

Relax, it's just a discussion.

Well, we still mostly buy eggs in dozens, although there are a few in tens.

No I wouldn't think so. Several generations have grown up learning the metric system and personally I find it much easier. They may just allow some traders to use Imperial measures as was suggested above.

My overall thoughts on this - it's smoke and mirrors / sleight of hand by the Johnson cabal, so he can continue to get us all exercised over the trivial as we forget about the 1,000s of people who have died due to his Government's incompetence.

I guess one of the real problems with the UK not fully committing to the metric system is everyday life.

My generation were taught the intricacies of the "Imperial" system, and the complex calculations needed to determine the weight of water in a cylinder, and the relationship between work and force in foot-lbs and poundals, and BTUs.

Then in secondary school we were introduced to the CGS and MKS systems - the SI system was adopted in many large industries, and especially in science from around the mid 1960s. I worked for over 20 years in laboratories in various industries and from around 1969 onwards never used anything but metric measurements.

I suspect the reason that people still think in terms of pounds, ounces, gallons, yards, rods, poles, perches and stones, amongst many others - has been the lack of education from political circles.

Someone else - more than one - has already commented about the "special relationship" with the USA, and its obsession with Imperial ,measures - they actually still use BTUs in thermodynamic calculations, and have even corrupted the standard imperial pint/gallon and fluid ounce.

The metric, or SI system is simple and very, very effective - the UK still has a long way to go to catch up in public.

But reverting to Imperial concoctions will never happen - it is too costly, and just a jingoistic flag waving exercise - surely??

Yammy

The Americans have never given up Imperial measures fully and can they be said to be backward thinking? All their scientific papers are written in Imperial and having relations there they talk in cups never mind ounces or grams.
We still use miles and drive on the opposite side of the road to most countries, so have we fully embraced metric and what's wrong with a mix?

Yes, Yammy, I do think that in this matter the Americans are backward thinking.

There is nothing wrong with a mix IMO, but one system is historical and one is more logical, and we should be able to use either or both. The idea that one system waves the Union flag and the other is a foreign imposition is just silly.

Tizliz

It is impossible to go completely metric. Our engineering workshop is stock with imperial tools which will not wear out for many years and tooling imported from USA is imperial. It is getting harder to buy things like screws in imperial and I spent a frustrating time looking for a particular size just this week - but that is how the product was designed (found screws on e-bay, bit expensive though).

And yet we build nuclear submarines under the SI system.

Must admit I'm surprised you are still able to get hold of imperial standard tools - would that include BSW, BSF, BA, or is it in order to deal with the USA in AF sizes?

Urmstongran

“The iconic Crown Stamp proudly adorned British pint glasses for more than 300 years and was a guarantee that the pint or half pint glass you were handed was genuine.

It was introduced in 1699 in the reign of King William III to stop unscrupulous publicans ripping off their punters by serving drinks in smaller glasses.“

Ah that would be after the Dutch were asked to invade by the English then.

I get so mad when I read how important the young are! When I was very young we just got on with life. We lived through a devastating war and all the hardship after that. So we can enjoy imperial measures again which i welcome. All you much younger women can think Metric and I don't mind but for goodness sake stop moaning over trivia. Its anything to criticise the Tory govtamong most of you. Well think again as Labour will be a long time in opposition according to most political commentators.

Oh, and 1.65 km in a mile ?

@Supernan

We buy our fuel in litres and our cars tell us mpg. confused

Approx 4.5 litres in a gallon.... just saying in case it helps

Oofy

For those set on damning Brexit, interesting that Hungary are now considering pulling out because they are set to become net contributors, no longer net recipients

That's just not true though, is it?

Folk need to stop reading the Daily Express and taking what they print as gospel.

I love metric and hate the thought of ever going backwards and having to use imperial measures.

I was at secondary school in the early 80s and we were taught metric measurements not imperial, in fact, we actually embraced a European schoolday (8.30 - 2.00 with lunch after school).

I do know how to convert most weights/ measurements in both directions and do ask (mainly 40s+) people which they prefer to use if I need to give them some information.

@Zoejory...My sons were 3.182kg and 4.943kg or 7lb and 10lb14oz respectively. The midwives weighed them using imperial scales and I calculated them to metric, confirmed it with them and had the metric weights noted on our records. So yes, I embraced using metric with my babies' weights.

My Slimming World group weighs in stones, pounds and ounces!