Category Archives: History

43 years late

Posted on 2018-08-31 by Ramsden

One of the editors of Metric Views has been reading a book entitled “Eleven minutes late” by Matthew Engel. The book is subtitled “A train journey into the soul of Britain”, and may provide a clue to why the UK … Continue reading →

Posted in General, History | Tagged beer, British, cricket, global Britain, metric, misty-eyed nostalgia, railways, UK Metrication Board | 3 Comments

Isolationist or Imperialist?

Posted on 2018-07-05 by ronniec

On the eve of a showdown Cabinet meeting on Brexit, one of our frequent contributors, Ronnie Cohen, asks if British attitudes both to the EU and to this country’s metric changeover are part of the same mindset. Likes(19)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Technical, Views from abroad | Tagged cakeism, EEC, EU, imperial, isolationist, metric | 6 Comments

Energy units – muddle in the making?

Posted on 2018-06-30 by Ramsden

It was decided early in the 1990s that the unit for pricing of domestic gas should change from the therm to the kilowatt hour, which is a metric unit but not SI. We ask if this made ‘metric sense’. Likes(19)Dislikes(1)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Science | Tagged electricity prices, energy, gas prices, joule, kWh, therm | 1 Comment

Metric Underground

Posted on 2018-06-22 by Ramsden

We note the latest contract for the renewal of London Transport’s Underground fleet. Likes(13)Dislikes(2)

Posted in General, History, Technical, Transport | Tagged London Underground, Piccadilly Line, Siemens, trains | 2 Comments

Liberia joins the club

Posted on 2018-05-31 by Ramsden

We comment on reports that Liberia intends to adopt the metric system. Likes(15)Dislikes(0)

Posted in General, History, Views from abroad | Tagged Liberia, measurement, measurement units, metric, metrication, USC | 5 Comments

Metric vs Imperial. Which?

Posted on 2018-04-04 by Ramsden

We comment on a letter and the reply recently published in Which?, the magazine of the Consumers Association. Likes(46)Dislikes(4)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Technical | Tagged CRT, inches, metric, screen size, smartphone, TV | 1 Comment

A wrong turning that led British Leyland to a dead end

Posted on 2018-02-15 by Ramsden

We reprint an article that was first published ten years ago and illustrates the risks of using a mix of metric and Imperial measures. Likes(41)Dislikes(34)

Posted in History, Technical, Transport | Tagged dual-unit, imperial, Leyland National Bus, metric, metrication | 10 Comments

Then and now

Posted on 2018-02-02 by Ramsden

We take a look at a film from 1973 made with the aim introducing the metric system to the general public. Likes(48)Dislikes(47)

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, History | Tagged "Simply Metric", metric, metrication, muddle, UK, UK Metrication Board | 7 Comments

Acres made easy

Posted on 2018-01-27 by Ramsden

We look ahead to the 400th anniversary of an innovation that simplified the measurement of land area, initially in England and later in the UK, by introducing decimals. Likes(44)Dislikes(44)

Posted in General, History, Technical | Tagged acre, decimal, Gunter's chain, imperial measures, metric | 11 Comments

Diaries, and a glimpse into the past

Posted on 2018-01-20 by ronniec

Many of us have probably bought a diary for 2018 recently. Ronnie Cohen takes a look at the conversion tables found at the front of many sold in the UK. Likes(46)Dislikes(44)

Posted in Consumer affairs, History, Technical | Tagged conversion, conversions, diary, factor, factors, imperial, metric, obsolete, unit, units | Leave a comment