Category Archives: History

Straight bananas and the metric system – the EU legacy?

Posted on 2017-07-06 by ronniec

With Brexit still dominating the news, Ronnie Cohen looks at one of the biggest obstacles to completing our transition to the metric system: its perceived link to the European Union. Likes(7)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Law, Media, Myths | Tagged 1862, 1895, 1965, 1992, anti-EU, anti-metric, Britain, common market, decimalisation, EEC, EU, European Coal and Steel Community, European Union, europhobe, eurosceptic, euroscepticism, imperial, metric system, metrication, Metrication Programme, Select Committee, Single Market, standardisation, standards, transition, UK, weights and measures | 13 Comments

The American Influence on Canada’s Metrication

Posted on 2017-05-18 by Ramsden

John Frewen-Lord, a frequent contributor to Metric Views, has just returned from one of his regular trips to Canada. He gives us his thoughts. Likes(7)Dislikes(1)

Posted in Consumer affairs, History, Views from abroad | Tagged Canada, metric, metrication, UK USA metric USC imperial, USA, USC | 4 Comments

A Dickensian surprise

Posted on 2017-05-11 by Ramsden

Charles Dickens is enduringly popular for his memorable characters and his portrayal of the social evils of Victorian England. One of our regular readers, Martin Vlietstra, draws attention to an unexpected contribution he made to Britain’s long-running metrication debate. Likes(10)Dislikes(3)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History | Tagged All the Year Round, Charles Dickens, decimal, Education, metrication, numeracy | 1 Comment

Global Britain or Imperial isolation?

Posted on 2017-04-02 by ronniec

On 29 March, Sir Tim Barrow, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the European Union, handed a signed six-page letter from the British Prime Minister to the President of the European Council, invoking Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and … Continue reading →

Posted in General, History, Myths, Views from abroad | Tagged agreement, Article 50, barriers, Brexit, Brexiteers, British, commerce, deal, Empire, EU, European Council, European Union, Eurosceptics, imperial, imperial measures, isolation, Leave, Lisbon Treaty, measurement units, metric, myth, negotiations, negotiators, populism, populist, rules, standards, trade, UK, vision, withdrawal | 21 Comments

Then there were two

Posted on 2017-03-16 by Ramsden

We ask if it is time for supporters of so-called British weights and measures to come to terms with the fact that only two systems of weights and measures are recognised world wide, and British aka Imperial is not one of … Continue reading →

Posted in General, History, Views from abroad | Tagged imperial, imperial measures, metric, US, USA, USC, weights and measures | 15 Comments

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

Posted on 2016-12-31 by Ramsden

We take a look at the past year on Metric Views and speculate about what the future holds. Likes(6)Dislikes(0)

Posted in General, History | Tagged measurement units, metric, metrication | 18 Comments

Isolationist thinking behind Trump and Vote Leave

Posted on 2016-11-17 by ronniec

UKMA did not takes sides in the EU referendum campaign – the UK would have to do business with a world that is predominantly metric whatever the outcome. However, one of our regular contributors, Ronnie Cohen, detects a theme of isolationism … Continue reading →

Posted in General, History, Myths, Uncategorized, Views from abroad | Tagged Brexit, Brexiteers, campaign, election, EU, policies, referendum, Trump, UK, US, USA | 9 Comments

Why ten and not twelve?

Posted on 2016-10-10 by Ramsden

This is a question that often arises during discussions on the merits of the metric system. Martin Vlietstra, one of our regular readers, provides some thoughts on the matter, coincidentally on 10 October. Likes(7)Dislikes(12)

Posted in General, History, Science | Tagged decimal, duodecimal, measurement units, metric | 7 Comments

Measurement units and the European Economic Community

Posted on 2016-08-19 by Ramsden

In the third of our series of articles we look at EU involvement in the UK’s prolonged metric conversion. Likes(2)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, General, History, Law, Myths | Tagged EEC, EU, imperial measures, metric, muddle, Road signs, weights and measures | 1 Comment

How the UK created a measurement muddle

Posted on 2016-08-11 by Ramsden

The series of four articles on the outcome of the EU referendum continues with a look at how the current measurement muddle came about. Likes(3)Dislikes(0)

Posted in Consumer affairs, Education, General, History, Law, Road signs | Tagged Department for Transport, Education, EU, imperial, measurement units, metric, muddle, UK, weights and measures | 6 Comments