Re: Back to how we were?

I was 14 in 1966 when Australia replaced quids with bucks..or..actually the ten shilling note was replaced with the dollar and the pound was replaced with two dollars. Miles per hour with KPH, inches with centimetres and quarts with litres. One of only two things I will say is I'm glad we did. 100 cents = 1 dollar....lots of dollars = happiness ..and...Morris dancing is a crime here. Perps are punished by being thrown to wild dingoes until they promise to stop*


* Joke - just.

Re: Back to how we were?

The maths revolving around £ s d was a bloody nightmare when I was a kid, no way would I go back to the old system, decimals are brill.

Re: Back to how we were?

Just for you keezoy, you'll enjoy this!

Re: Back to how we were?

I still think of temperatures in farenheit...but one thing I've never understood....
How come from mathematicians to engineers they still talk of their newborn babies weight in Pounds and Ounces?

I still have fond memories of my first car running on Jet petrol at 4 gallons a quid.

Only one thing I can remember costing a farthing at a very early age was small bottles of orange off the milkman....four for an old penny so in decimal currency today that's 960 for a quid....not bad eh??

Re: Back to how we were?

Can someone explain the maths to me? My knowledge of this comes from a "Room with a view" which has left me totally confused!.:

""I do not feel myself an ordinary visitor," said Miss Bartlett, and looked at her frayed glove

"All right, if you'd really rather. Five shillings, and I gave a bob to the driver."

Miss Bartlett looked in her purse. Only sovereigns and pennies. Could any one give her change? Freddy had half a quid and his friend had four half-crowns. Miss Bartlett accepted their moneys and then said: "But who am I to give the sovereign to?"

"Let's leave it all till mother comes back," suggested Lucy.

"No, dear; your mother may take quite a long drive now that she is not hampered with me. We all have our little foibles, and mine is the prompt settling of accounts."

Here Freddy's friend, Mr. Floyd, made the one remark of his that need be quoted: he offered to toss Freddy for Miss Bartlett's quid. A solution seemed in sight, and even Cecil, who had been ostentatiously drinking his tea at the view, felt the eternal attraction of Chance, and turned round.

But this did not do, either.

"Please--please--I know I am a sad spoilsport, but it would make me wretched. I should practically be robbing the one who lost."

"Freddy owes me fifteen shillings," interposed Cecil. "So it will work out right if you give the pound to me."

"Fifteen shillings," said Miss Bartlett dubiously. "How is that, Mr. Vyse?"

"Because, don't you see, Freddy paid your cab. Give me the pound, and we shall avoid this deplorable gambling."

Miss Bartlett, who was poor at figures, became bewildered and rendered up the sovereign, amidst the suppressed gurgles of the other youths. For a moment Cecil was happy. He was playing at nonsense among his peers. Then he glanced at Lucy, in whose face petty anxieties had marred the smiles. In January he would rescue his Leonardo from this stupefying twaddle.

"But I don't see that!" exclaimed Minnie Beebe who had narrowly watched the iniquitous transaction. "I don't see why Mr. Vyse is to have the quid."

"Because of the fifteen shillings and the five," they said solemnly. "Fifteen shillings and five shillings make one pound, you see."

"But I don't see--"

They tried to stifle her with cake.

"No, thank you. I'm done. I don't see why--Freddy, don't poke me. Miss Honeychurch, your brother's hurting me. Ow! What about Mr. Floyd's ten shillings? Ow! No, I don't see and I never shall see why Miss What's-her-name shouldn't pay that bob for the driver."'

"I had forgotten the driver," said Miss Bartlett, reddening. "Thank you, dear, for reminding me. A shilling was it? Can any one give me change for half a crown?"

"I'll get it," said the young hostess, rising with decision.

"Cecil, give me that sovereign. No, give me up that sovereign. I'll get Euphemia to change it, and we'll start the whole thing again from the beginning.""

http://www.online-literature.com/for..._with_view/14/

Re: Back to how we were?

I remember silver sixpences in Christmas pudding at school

Re: Back to how we were?

I have a jap Motorcycle, but think imperial because decimal can lead to premature thinking loss.
Some imperialists are holier than thou.

Re: Back to how we were?

Some folks find imperial a pain, and get a Tens Machine.

Re: Back to how we were?

Decimal for money is fine, but I can't measure in grams, etc, nor can I work out measurements in kgs or cms. I like feet & inches & I like yards etc & acres & miles. I don't like litres either.
America still have F & we have C, I have got used to C now, but my America pal & I have fun working out what the weather is like in our respective countries.

Re: Back to how we were?

We now have choice, some folks think choice is the best thing since sliced bread, medium or thick?