Monthly Archives: February 2008

“Best bananas. Two pounds for a pound!”

An item on a BBC Radio 4 programme today included some interviews in a Tyneside market. A market trader was heard selling his wares with the cry, “Best bananas. Two pounds for a pound!” [Article by Martin Ward]

Posted in Consumer affairs | 22 Comments

Lsd – another memory of the seventies

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Posted in Consumer affairs | 4 Comments

Delia goes metric

Delia Smith’s new book, “How to cheat at cooking”, was published on 15 February, and it is ALL METRIC! Not an ounce, pint, cup or Fahrenheit is to be found between the covers of this latest volume, targeted as it … Continue reading

Posted in General, Media, Recipes | 16 Comments

The stone – now comes with a health warning

The Local Authority Coordinators of Regulatory Services (LACORS) have recently announced that they are launching a nationwide project to deal with inaccurate hospital weighing scales. The project follows studies which found hospital staff using inaccurate and unsuitable scales to calculate dosages … Continue reading

Posted in Health | 6 Comments

A view from across the pond

Metric Views has received a contribution from a reader in the USA. “Just off-the-cuff ramblings” he says, “but no less interesting for that”, we reply. With upwards of 30,000 people crossing the Atlantic each day, other readers may be able … Continue reading

Posted in Views from abroad | 2 Comments

Spain to wreck European clothing sizes initiative?

According to a BBC report the Spanish government is proposing a new clothing sizes initiative which conflicts with the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) proposal described in MetricViews last year. If this report is true it threatens to undermine the … Continue reading

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, Health | 3 Comments

Language and measurement – an enduring relationship

One objection to metrication that I often hear is that the imperial system is embedded in the English language. If we were to lose the old measurement system, we would lose a lot of our language with it, they say. … Continue reading

Posted in Education, General, Myths | 12 Comments