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Tag Archives: imperial
A wrong turning that led British Leyland to a dead end
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(16)Dislikes(34)
Posted in History, Technical, Transport
Tagged dual-unit, imperial, Leyland National Bus, metric, metrication
10 Comments
Diaries, and a glimpse into the past
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(20)Dislikes(44)
Posted in Consumer affairs, History, Technical
Tagged conversion, conversions, diary, factor, factors, imperial, metric, obsolete, unit, units
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Straight bananas and the metric system – the EU legacy?
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(11)Dislikes(1)
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
15 Comments
MOTD writes metric but speaks imperial
At last, the General Election campaign is over. And now, as we wait for the results, Ronnie Cohen looks at something completely different: Match of the Day. Or is it? Likes(10)Dislikes(0)
Posted in Media, Sport
Tagged BBC, football, graphic, imperial, information, Match of the Day, metric, MOTD, Premier League, pundit, statistics, TV
8 Comments
Then there were two
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
32 Comments
Supplementary Indications revisited
Supplementary indications received a reprieve in 2007, and will now, subject to the Brexit deal negotiated with the EU, need to serve only the needs of the UK economy. Ronnie Cohen wonders where US influence is likely to lead us. Likes(4)Dislikes(1)
Posted in Consumer affairs, Law, Myths, Views from abroad
Tagged EU, Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, FPLA, imperial, ingredients, label, labelling, metric, nutrition, Pringles, Regulations, requirements, supplementary indications, UK, US, USA, USC
28 Comments
The influence of traffic signs goes way beyond transport
During the past few weeks, there have been many news stories about the removal or modification of certain metric traffic signs by an elderly gent from Huntingdon and his friends. Their inability to see beyond the narrow remit they have set themselves has … Continue reading
Posted in General, Media, Road signs, Transport
Tagged Department for Transport, DfT, imperial, metric, metric road signs
34 Comments
Quirks of US Customary Units
Some would argue that the decline of manufacturing industry in the USA contributed to Mr Trump’s surprising victory in the Presidential election*. Others might say that manufacturing’s decline was due in part to the tardy adoption of the international system … Continue reading
Brexit – where next?
Our series of articles on Brexit concludes with speculation on the future for the UK and its measurement muddle. Likes(3)Dislikes(0)
Posted in General
Tagged Brexit, EU, imperial, measurement units, metric, muddle, trade, UK
52 Comments