Despite the metrication project instigated by our masters in the European Federation, we are still predominantly an imperial country but despite the European Federation graciously allowing us to use imperial measurements beyond their forced-metrication deadline, efforts to wipe out imperial measurements are being stepped up.
When I went to primary school 20-odd years ago we had two types of maths lessons – “mathematics” and “practical maths”, the former using metric and the latter using imperial. Now they don’t teach imperial measurements despite them being the only legal form of measurements in America and being used in many countries worldwide, mostly in the Anglosphere. Kids now are only taught metric.
Some local authorities have tried putting up metric road signs but these are illegal and they’ve been forced to take them down. This applies to road signs, footpath signs and bridleways. This explains the road signs you sometimes see sited at 110yds (100m), 328yds (300m) or 383yds (350m) from it’s destination. However, it doesn’t seem to apply to the British government.
The Terrorism Act bans unauthorised protests with 1km of Parliament. That’s one kilometre, not one mile. The foot and mouth regulations DEFRA have put in place specifies exclusion zones and observations zones in kilometres, not miles.
The BBC have recently started using metric in place of imperial rather than giving the metric measurements in brackets afterwards or vice versa. The British government pulls most of the strings in the BBC, the EU pulls the rest of them through it’s propaganda funding of state broadcasters.
There is no need to replace imperial measurements with metric. Most people are still unfamiliar with metric and we still do more trade with the Anglosphere than we do with Federal Europe so imperial is much more relevant to English people than metric. Metricating road signs will cost billions and it will take years (and millions of pounds of speeding fines) before people get to grips with the foreign measurements. It is a thoroughly pointless exercise.
Like you I grew up using both measurement systems — no problem. In fact they quite compliment one another.
There will never be a day when we order our drinks in metric, its so much easier to say a pint!
Our local council shoved up 10k signs (the ‘k’ was very small next to the 10) in their car parks. My mate pointed out to them that if someone had a crash, because they thought it was a 10mph zone rather than the 10k then they would be entitled to sue the arse off said council and retire to Barbados.
Needless to say, the signs came down quicker than a nympho’s nicks – to be replaced by Imperial ones.
BTW, have you tried to buy a ruler with Imperial measurements on it lately?
1. The UK metrication programme was not imposed by the EU. It was implemented by the democratically elected UK government in 1964, long before we joined the Common Market.
2. The UK is not a predominantly imperial country. It is basically a metric country with a few exceptions – notably speed limits and road signs. Everything else, except for for beer and milk retail, is metric. Imperial units may not be used for trade except for those two cases.
3. If imperial was taught in your school 20 years ago, you either had a seriously maverick teacher or you are lying about your age. UK schools have been metric-only zones for at least 40 years.
Well said Dave, just shows hoe deluded these slightly mad right wingers are just paranoid.
Metric makes sense, imperial is too cumbersome and rather complex. Metric is much more simpler.
1. Forced metrication has come courtesy of the European Federation
2. More people still use imperial than metric, this is confirmed by the DfT who have a timetable for metrication of roadsigns with a projected date for when more than half the country uses metric
3. I’m not lying about my age and I didn’t have a maverick teacher. I was taught both imperial and metric at school.
Calum, most people in this country grew up with imperial and still use imperial measurements rather than the foriegn metric measurments the European Federation is forcing us to use. What you find cubersome and complex is second nature to most people.
Dave – I went to school between 1958 through to 1972. During the entire time, everything we did was in Imperial. I don’t know whether you were there Dave, but I most certainly was – and it was wall to wall gallons, pints, ounces, yards and miles…. I have the exercise books to prove it.
Hope that’s OK with you Dave….
So you’d rather do mental arithmetic in a combination of base 4, base 8, base 12, base 14 and base 16, just because the mere mention of anything that might perhaps have a connection with Europe makes the veins in your temples throb? Even when, as Dave pointed out, the programme of metrication was a UK government decision more than forty years ago?
And anyone who thinks `the British government pulls most of the strings in the BBC’ really hasn’t been paying attention.
Whether it’s base 10, base 12 or base 564 doesn’t make any difference. It’s what I was brought up with, it’s what most people in this country were brought up with.
As I said in reply to Dave, the British government started it but it was the EU that introduced forced metrication.
I was brought up with the farthing and the threepenny bit. Do I want them back? No. Is there any sensible, logical reason for wanting them back? No. Would you be more at home among the duffers in the letters page of This England magazine, yearning for the return of an antediluvian England that may never even have existed? Quite probably.
That’s your choice and I’m sure there are still people out there who would be more at home with “old money” but after several decades of being forced to use decimal currency they’ve got used to it. No doubt people will get used to foreign metric measurements when they’ve been forced to use them for several years but the point is, if most people still use imperial, why should they be forced to use something else because it suits eurofederalism?
And touching back on the BBC – of course the British government pulls most of the strings within the BBC. There are campaigns to abolish the licence fee and all it takes is for the British government to decide to “listen to the people” and get rid of it and that’s the BBC up the creek without a paddle.
Saying `of course’ before something doesn’t make it true, y’know. Certainly doesn’t in this case.
And just because it says “Allie Says” above the comment doesn’t make it true either. Certainly not in this case.
The fact that the BBC have just been pulled up for being partial against UKIP and the SNP in the last few weeks says nothing to you?
Wonko, we only use imperial for a few things. Most other things are metric and are far more simpler as a result of it.
No Calum, you and a minority use metric for most things. Most people use imperial.
Not true. Metric is used for most thinks, all drinks bar booze. Petrol. Food. etc…
Calum, read my first comment.
I would contend that the majority of people use metric, even if you don’t realise it i’d say you use metric as much as imperial. Metric wansn’t imposed upon us by the EU as you claim. Metric has been taught for ages, since before the EU said metric is better, which it is. Metric is far more simpler and is more commonly used.
Calum, even the British government says most people still use imperial and that’s why our road signs are still in English rather than foreign measurments. I didn’t say metrication was the work of the EU, I said forced metrication was, which it is. Metric is far simpler if you’re taught to work only, or primarily, in metric. I was taught both but find imperial easier unless it’s for very small measurements. If I was looking at a stretch of road and guessing how long it was it would be in miles or yards. If I was looking at a piece of wood and guessing how long it was it would be in feet and inches. If someone gave me a piece of cardboard and asked me to guess how thick it was I would use millimetres because it’s easier for me. I know how heavy a pound and a stone are, I don’t know how heave a gram or a kilo are (not to estimate a weight, obviously I know how to convert it from foreign to English).
I use both, yet mainly metric. I’m not saying replace all imperial with metric. I’m saying that you are wrong in saying that metric is imposed upon us. I think that things such as a pint and miles should stay as they are, yet where it makes sense metric should be used, equally where it makes sense imperial should be used.
But I’m not wrong, metrication is being forced on us by Federal Europe. It might make more sense to you as someone who uses metric to use metric but to me and the majority of my fellow citizens who use imperial it makes more sense to use imperial.
Ok whatever. You are wrong, but if you think you are right, then you can think that if you want to. Live in your little false world if you want to, where all our ills are the fault of the EU foreginers and scots.
[…] I say “caught up” because this is old news – this decision was made a month ago but it’s taken the eurofederalists this long to realise that they can use it as “evidence” that Federal Europe isn’t that bad after all. […]