Reintroducing Imperial measures…..

MaizieD

^but he was apoplectic with rage about decimal currency and said it would never last.^

My grandfather predicted that decimalisation of the currency would drive excessive inflation. I think he was partially correct (though OPEC oil price hikes did more) though I scoffed at the time...

I remember my father saying that things would only be able to go up in price by a minimum of half a 'new penny', which was equivalent to 2d, as opposed to the then current minimum increase of a halfpenny - so a quarter of the new minimum price rise.

He was right, of course, but as you say, the rampant inflation of the 70s made it all fairly irrelevant.

I say hooray - at 64, I still use Imperial measurements!!

I hate the idea of having a mixed bag of shopping such as groceries sometimes in kg and sometimes in lbs and oz.
At least when everything is prices in one unit they are easy to compare.

Why can't we stick with using both if we must revert to an ancient weights and measures system?

I can’t believe we’ll go back to the imperial system. It would be so much hassle and cost so much.

I learnt imperial at school and took Maths O Levels with imperial, with a section on decimals. I later worked in pharmacy which was metricated. Didn’t think twice about it, to be honest. When my dd were born the older ones measurements were given in imperial, the younger two were weighed in lb & oz but length and head circumference in metric!

I move between the two systems pretty easily and can convert figures in my head - gives my brain a work out. I fear I’m going to be disappointed next week, though. I’m moving to have a home milk delivery service and the milk will come in one pint glass bottles. I suspect I’m going to find them very small after 1L/2L containers!

but he was apoplectic with rage about decimal currency and said it would never last.

My grandfather predicted that decimalisation of the currency would drive excessive inflation. I think he was partially correct (though OPEC oil price hikes did more) though I scoffed at the time...

Change is scary. Dare I say it, especially for the elderly.

Alegrias1

^My point was wondering why we didn't go fully metric at the time and abandon Imperial.^

Too many people saying that they knew their bra size in inches and weren't going to change that for anybody?

That might have been amusing, but it sounds just like my father in 1971.

Obviously not for bra size but he was apoplectic with rage about decimal currency and said it would never last.

There was a lot of upset people at the time

Oh yes, Claretjan, there is a handy conversion chart in Delia Smith's cookery books which I use to convert gas marks and ºF to ºC, and then I have to remember to subtract something for the fan oven - so how many systems does that involve? I'm sure it's good for mental agility.

DH and I are both 69. My school taught science subjects in metric and his in Imperial (changed the following year, I think). When we got to university they were still using Imperial for physics, and I was completely lost as it seemed totally illogical (fortunately I only did it for one year).

Our babies' weights were given in both units. I weigh myself in kilograms (it isn't any better in stones, so there's no point in changing). I buy wool in metric and can measure my knitting in whichever side of the tape measure comes up first. The weather forecasts I watch give the temperature in Celsius, and for years that's how I've thought of temperatures. If I ask for a quarter of ham in the local deli, I expect to get 100g, weighed and priced as that. Our DGC work in metric but obviously understand miles as well.

I cannot see any attraction in going back to an antiquated system, and would resist to the last centimetre.

Has anyone else noticed that recipes nowadays often only have oven settings in centigrade? I have a gas cooker and often have to check what the equivalent gas mark is!

I'm a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to this. I know my height and weight in Imperial, and have to convert if necessary, which I can't do in my head.

I know that a kitchen cabinet is 60cm wide (and although I do know to divide by 30 to convert back to feet and inches, I don't do that when it comes to white goods.

Sugar comes in 2lb bags and butter in half pound packs in my head, but petrol in litres, and wine in 70cl bottles.

I definitely think in pennies and pounds, not lsd, but I could convert - I was quite good at adding up pretend shopping lists and working out the change from a ten bob note when I at schools nd could probably do it again ??.

I could go on, but you get the idea. It's nothing to do with being well educated or otherwise, IMO - it's about when you learned to do the relevant things. I didn't need to know about wine quantities or kitchen cabinets until long after decimalisation, but I knew my height from when I was 3' 4" ?.

Oh, and my babies came in inches and pounds, and they were born in 1991 and 1993.

If the idea were to revert to an Imperial standard (which I don't think is happening) I think it would be daft, though. Generations of people have learnt to do things in metric, and there is no point in undoing all of that. Plus, we import more than we did when I was a child, and more things come pre-packed (when we can get them) and printed with metric weights. It would add yet another layer of bureaucracy to trade.

Look what I found. Thank you Mr Google.

In the mid 1960s, British industry and the government were concerned about our continued use of old-fashioned (non-decimal) currency and measurement units. The government decided to reform both currency and measurement units, announcing its intention to convert to metric in 1965. This was at a time when accession to the European Economic Community (EEC) seemed very remote. The UK joined the EEC in 1973 along with Ireland and Denmark.

ukma.org.uk/why-metric/myths/british-metrication/#britain-forced

Zoejory

*Nothing stopped us using both systems apart from the sheer lunacy of using two systems*

Exactly. It has been lunacy to use the two systems.

And I've no idea why we do.

We use two systems because we oldies are in the habit of it. And where we use them it really doesn't matter - dress & shoe sizes, weighing veg etc.

The real nittygritty stuff, industry, mostly does use metric because of standardisation, compatibility issues and exporting to countries which do use it (which is all but about three, worldwide).

I can handle both, so can most of us who had to change. Younger generation wouldn't thank us for upsetting the applecart though.

I stick to my earlier thoughts. Government is spouting jingoistic, insular, populist nonsense to divert our attention from something...

25Avalon

I am amazed. It’s a dictat if it’s from Boris but not from the EU. The EU made various regulations and laws which all member states had to follow. As we were the only country using imperial our vote would have counted for nothing. We weren’t allowed to opt out. Dictat by any other name.

The UK opted out of at least three things.

One was the Schengen business. The UK kept border checks.

Another was the Euro.

Another I remember was the then Education Secretary really pleased that the UK had got an opt out that children in the UK would only learn one foreign language while every other child in the EU would learn two foreign languages.

My point was wondering why we didn't go fully metric at the time and abandon Imperial.

Too many people saying that they knew their bra size in inches and weren't going to change that for anybody?

growstuff

Zoejory

Nothing stopped us using both systems apart from the sheer lunacy of using two systems

Exactly. It has been lunacy to use the two systems.

And I've no idea why we do.

Because the UK is (was?) a trading nation and it would be lunacy not to use the same measurements as the majority of trading partners. The metric system is far easier to use anyway.

It is indeed.

My point was wondering why we didn't go fully metric at the time and abandon Imperial.

We managed it with decimal currency.

One peculiarity of the mixed system is that some greetings cards are A5 but I have found it impossible to buy a frame for A5. Frames tend to be sold mostly as photo frames, so for 6" by 4", 7" by 5", 10" by 8", together with A4 frames intended for use as frames for certificates as they are often A4 these days.

I can`t see anything changing,it will cost too much money.
Tbh,i have never weighed any item whilst shopping,if i need it i buy it.

Zoejory

*Nothing stopped us using both systems apart from the sheer lunacy of using two systems*

Exactly. It has been lunacy to use the two systems.

And I've no idea why we do.

Because the UK is (was?) a trading nation and it would be lunacy not to use the same measurements as the majority of trading partners. The metric system is far easier to use anyway.

Zoejory

growstuff

How does anybody think people outside the UK or US measure bra sizes?

I don't actually care how people outside the UK and US measure their brassieres!

We just haven't embraced metric with regard to our lingerie.

The British use different measurements from nearly all of the rest of the world, but I do know my bra size in EU/international measurements because I often buy from EU manufacturers. I have to convert from EU to British, if I buy a bra from a British retailer.

Nothing stopped us using both systems apart from the sheer lunacy of using two systems

Exactly. It has been lunacy to use the two systems.

And I've no idea why we do.

Alegrias1

^topping us using both systems and the crown on pint glasses was a dictat by the EU.^

We were members. Nobody dictated anything.

Selective memory there.

It wasn't a 'dictat' anyway. We were perfectly free to put the crown on whatever size the glasses are, just not as a guarantee of it containing the correct measure.

Nothing stopped us using both systems apart from the sheer lunacy of using two systems. We have been committed to going decimal since 1965 apparently. Nothing to do with the EU.

So easily lied to... ?

growstuff

How does anybody think people outside the UK or US measure bra sizes?

I don't actually care how people outside the UK and US measure their brassieres!

We just haven't embraced metric with regard to our lingerie.

You still can.

25Avalon

I am amazed. It’s a dictat if it’s from Boris but not from the EU. The EU made various regulations and laws which all member states had to follow. As we were the only country using imperial our vote would have counted for nothing. We weren’t allowed to opt out. Dictat by any other name.

Our vote did count. We voted to use metric measurements