After brexit

Ok once we are out lets go back to our original measurements and weights. Get rid of this terrible metric stuff , no one understands it anyway.

Re: After brexit

Except the younger generation - they wont be too happy (are they ever? )

Re: After brexit

I am afraid metrication was a complete stuff up in the UK.

In Australia they changed over here when I first arrived and I, like many, whinged and whinged about being made to go metric and having to learn something new.

The law was changed banning the production and import of rulers with imperial measurement on them, all temperatures and measurements referred to on the media HAD to be in metric only. (Police notices of suspect's height being the only exception) and all the road signs were changed over night, new cars had only kph on the speedo.

Now I am so glad they did it that way and forced us Luddites to use metric; no more Fahrenheit, miles, pints, gallons, pounds and ounces and all those absurd and incompatible measures. Metric is so much better. I have one ruler left with inches on one side, what a bloody nuisance that is; you can only use one side to measure anything so it has to be constantly turned round.

I must admit that occasionally I might say to my kids something like, "Help me move this a few inches toward me". Big mistake - the object could move a centimetre or a metre, they have absolutely no concept of archaic imperial measurements.

You would be better off making Brexit a clean break and stopping anything being referred to in imperial measurements and changing to metric properly at long last (for gods sake I was in the 4th or 5th form at Grammar school when it started).

Stop being a case study of the worst possible way to go metric.

Re: After brexit

So nothing to do with the EU Bruce.

I was brought up on metric here. It wasn't anything to do with the EU because I was learning these measurements before we joined. This was the domestic policy for educating children from the early '70s onwards. It left me totally confused as the UK continued to use pounds and feet, while teaching us about metres and kilos.

Looking at the history now it seems the debate was going on for 100 years and it was our businesses that requested the change in the UK.

Personally I far prefer the imperial measures, even though I grew up not understanding them as a child. It used to be convenient for some retailers to interchange between imperial and metric when they wanted to confuse customers. I still think in feet and inches when looking at height or pounds and pints when cooking. But if I measure a room I will do it in metres. KM and kilo are beyond me, although litres seem obvious for some reason. This confusion is the result of having been brought up with two systems. But it's not the fault of the EU, because we decided to implement metric ourselves and inflict it on our children.

Re: After brexit

Definitely nothing to do with the EU - I was first learning metric at school when De Gaulle was still saying "Non".

Even the introduction of metric was stuffed up as I recall in the 4th form we started to learn CGS units (Centimetres, Grams, Seconds) the following year we were told that was all a mistake and that from now on it would be MKS units(Metres, Kilograms, Seconds). BTW it might have been the other way round, it was a while ago.

I hope by now that Britain has gone to SI Units like the rest of the world (except the USA)

Re: After brexit

That is the problem, too many want this metric system and is helping the UK to loose its identity. Imperial measure made one think, something impossible now due to metrification. No wonder or children are growing up like they are just moving a dot to another place.

I will still use 12 inches as a rule. At least we still have a yard of ale

Re: After brexit

If the identity of the UK depends on its system of measurement then it is in a far more parlous state than I thought.

300mm is still a foot even if it is 300mm

Re: After brexit

no its not 300mm is 300mm and unable to relate to it. We still even have inch worms thank goodness

I went to school in the 1950/1960 era and metric tables wern't even thought of

Re: After brexit

Then they would have to put their brains in gear and do some learning, away from a calculator..

Re: After brexit

I agree, I still work everything in Imperial not Mertric. Last time I was at the Vet he wanted to weigh my dog and he told me the weight in metric, I said ok fine....Now what's that in proper weight. He just looked at me blankly while I sadly shook my head at him lol..