Author Archives: derekp

It’s trade or bust for Britain

Posted on 2013-04-27 by derekp

This is the title of a recent article by Robert Peston, the BBC’s Business Editor. Clearly, successive UK governments over the years have failed to steer the country away from the latter and towards the former. We suggest a simple … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, Road signs | Tagged current account trade deficit, exports, metric, metric road signs, metrication, skilled workforce, trade | 11 Comments

World trade – who are the top three?

Posted on 2013-02-15 by derekp

On 11 February, Bloomberg reported that China had overtaken the US in global trade. One of our readers has now drawn our attention to additional information on this subject.

Posted in General, Views from abroad | Tagged metric, metrication, UK USA metric USC imperial | 4 Comments

A UK metric time line from 1980

Posted on 2013-02-01 by derekp

In June last year, we published a time line up to 1980 showing progress towards the adoption of a single, simple, logical and coherent measurement system in the British Isles. We now bring this story up to date.

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, Health, History, Law, Road signs, Science, Sport, Technical | Tagged Britain, imperial, metric, metrication, time line, UK | 7 Comments

A trip to the Imperial Scrapyard

Posted on 2013-01-25 by derekp

When consulting a reference book from 1896, we came across an article about imperial measures which provides a timely reminder that, even in its heyday, this ‘system’ was not as straightforward as some would now have us believe.

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, History, Science | Tagged Education, gallon, imperial measures, weights and measures | 7 Comments

Tips for cooking that turkey

Posted on 2012-12-25 by derekp

Most of us buy our Christmas turkey from a supermarket, trussed and accompanied by cooking instructions. But for those of our readers who have obtained a bird elsewhere, and are wondering how to cook this unfamiliar monster, we have some … Continue reading →

Posted in Consumer affairs, Recipes | Tagged cooking times, turkey | 6 Comments

Metric traffic signs – an issue that goes round in circles but will not go away

Posted on 2012-12-14 by derekp

The reply to a recent parliamentary question prompts thoughts about joined-up government in relation to measurement units.

Posted in General, Road signs, Transport | Tagged joined-up government, measurement muddle, measurement units, metric road signs, metrication | 49 Comments

Surprise choice for transport

Posted on 2012-11-30 by derekp

This was the headline in a back number of a trade magazine that recently came to our attention. So who was this choice, why the surprise, and when was he or she chosen for transport?

Posted in History, Road signs, Transport | Tagged Department for Transport, DfT, imperial road signs, metric road signs, metrication | 10 Comments

Supersized Earth

Posted on 2012-11-24 by derekp

A new series on BBC1 shows how our planet is being “re-engineered”, and it provides pointers to the future, some of them unexpected.

Posted in General, Media, Technical, World Records | Tagged measurement units, the future, UK USA metric USC imperial | 5 Comments

Thinking of buying a fridge?

Posted on 2012-10-30 by derekp

A recent survey of their web sites leads us to speculate on where retailers see themselves: most plump for the present, but a few appear to favour the last century.

Posted in Consumer affairs, General | Tagged confusion, food volume, fridges, imperial measures, measurement units, metric | 9 Comments

The Cardinals Hat calls time

Posted on 2012-10-02 by derekp

A pub in Worcester, that for ten years served draught beer by the litre, has now closed due to rising costs.

Posted in Consumer affairs, Health, Law | Tagged alcohol, beer, litre, pint, UK, weights and measures | 11 Comments