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I have just read through this thread & was amazed that anybody wants to make a fuss about whether measurements are Imperial or Metric.
Back in 1971 currency went decimal and people soon learned the new currency....because they had to & the government offered lots of help to do so.
With weights & measures the government realized that they didn't need to invest so much to help people convert, as people could work it out for themselves......you couldn't do that so easily when paying for goods!
That's the problem. Britain allowed the two systems to run side by side so there was no need to learn the new system.
In Australia when they went metric they immediately stopped all references to the old system even going so far as to ban the import of rulers with imperial measurements. On the nightly news the weather forecast was only in Celsius and mm, road signs were changed to km and speed limits to kph etc (thank god we don't have those daft speedos with both kph AND mph).
That worked, so it didn't matter what you learned at school you soon became familiar with the metric system because there was no alternative.
That's the problem. Britain allowed the two systems to run side by side so there was no need to learn the new system.
In Australia when they went metric they immediately stopped all references to the old system even going so far as to ban the import of rulers with imperial measurements. On the nightly news the weather forecast was only in Celsius and mm, road signs were changed to km and speed limits to kph etc (thank god we don't have those daft speedos with both kph AND mph).
That worked, so it didn't matter what you learned at school you soon became familiar with the metric system because there was no alternative.
You may be right Bruce, but we didn't! This is an older persons forum and most of us have used Imperial measures all of our lives, so I just don't see the reason for anybody to criticize!
Our heights aren't hardly life & death statistics are they?
I always thought I was 5.6 , however I was measured at the doctors surgery a month ago I was 5.7 No it’s to late to change so I’m staying with 5.6 Mr Ripple 6.1
You may be right Bruce, but we didn't! This is an older persons forum and most of us have used Imperial measures all of our lives, so I just don't see the reason for anybody to criticize!
Our heights aren't hardly life & death statistics are they?
You seem to have forgotten that I was not the one complaining it was the imperial luddites complaining en masse however my last post means that you are now better informed.
Personally I don't care if you use cubits or knotted pieces of wet string, metric is so much easier.
You seem to have forgotten that I was not the one complaining it was the imperial luddites complaining en masse however my last post means that you are now better informed.
No. It wasn't the Imperial people complaining at all Bruce.
If you read the whole thread it was Besoeker complaining.
We were/are quite happy as we are thankyou.
That's the problem. Britain allowed the two systems to run side by side so there was no need to learn the new system.
In Australia when they went metric they immediately stopped all references to the old system even going so far as to ban the import of rulers with imperial measurements. On the nightly news the weather forecast was only in Celsius and mm, road signs were changed to km and speed limits to kph etc (thank god we don't have those daft speedos with both kph AND mph).
That worked, so it didn't matter what you learned at school you soon became familiar with the metric system because there was no alternative.
The government of the day would have had their own agenda (probably money orientated) and didn't consider the working classes. They still don't.....
So it's not our fault Bruce, it is what it is......
Of Course, it's what we were taught at school. as far as I'm concerned it's the correct way. My young Vet gets all grrrrr with me if she weighs Dageus and I always ask her...…."what's that in proper weights" She has to get the calculator out.
I was also taught Ft and inches,..the only time I don't is when I cook,as all the recipes are in Kg and grams,..I prefer lbs and ounces,I know when they used to weigh me at the gym,..I wanted to know what it was in stones and ounces,they had to go and look it up.
Exactly! What the hell does that mean? When they mould the number into the sole, why not mould the imperial equivalent as well. that would save having to put conversion signs up in the shop.
No. It wasn't the Imperial people complaining at all Bruce.
If you read the whole thread it was Besoeker complaining.
We were/are quite happy as we are thankyou.