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Monthly Archives: May 2015
The white heat cools
We review the events that followed the announcement in May 1965 of a change of Government policy on the adoption of metric weights and measures. Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, History, Road signs, Technical
Tagged Education, imperial measures, measurement units, metric, metrication, UK Parliament, weights and measures
13 Comments
50 years on
Sunday 24th May will be the 50th anniversary of the announcement by the British Government that the UK was to “go metric” within 10 years. However, 50 years later we are still little more than half way there. Why has … Continue reading
Posted in General, History, Law, Media
Tagged metrication, Road signs, weights and measures
29 Comments
1963 and “white heat” in Scarborough
Fifty years ago, the Government made a low-key announcement of a change in policy in relation to the use of metric units by industry. We consider how a speech by the Leader of the Opposition two years earlier had signalled … Continue reading
Posted in General, History, Science, Technical
Tagged Douglas Jay, Harold Wilson, industrial policy, science, technology, white heat, Winston Churchill
6 Comments
Towards a metric Britain (in fits and starts)
We highlight some events during the UK’s prolonged transition to a single, simple, rational and universal measurement system, and look forward to an important anniversary later this month. Likes(0)Dislikes(0)
Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Law
Tagged imperial measures, metrication, Select Committee, UK Parliament
1 Comment