Imperial or Metric

Goldengirl - you must have the same name as me (very French though)

Bags Canada has been metric for decades.

Just over 3kilos I think.
The worst I knew was when I went away on holiday and while I was away the hospital converted fron F to C for temperatures!
I thought all my patients were hypothermic!
Nobody had thout to tell me.

When our DS was born my DH put a notice on our door to tell the neighbours and put his weight as 3 point something kilos [which translated to 8lb 10oz approx]. Many of the neighbours thought he was so tiny!!!!!!

How lovely, pammy.

How wonderful pammygran Congratulations on her arrival. I hope you're getting lots of cuddles

Congratulations, pammygran!

Just had a grandaughter, 15th May...6lb 7oz...no idea what that would be in metric...long live Imperial

8 stone 3 - yep that was a long time ago - about same time metrication came i LOL

Wot's 53kg in 'real' weight? [devilish emoticon]

LOL, agreed. I remember my weight being 53kg- once- a long time ago!

I agree - I mix and match, too. It's not that hard - but I do refuse to use centigrade when talking about the weather temperature!

I am surprised to hear that people still think in old money though. That really is making things hard for yourself!

I agree that being able to use both systems is good for the brain. The thing is, it's actually quite useful to be able to use both because the US (and Canada????) still use pounds and ounces, miles, and the one I hate most, Fahrenheit! So we're not really out of sync with the rest of the world. It's out of sync with us!

How bloody British is that?

I use both. I remember my height in imperial (5'3") and my weight in metric (53kg). You can see why I do that — only two numerals to remember. Very efficient . I use inches when I'm doing patchwork quilting because cutting boards and templates are mainly made in the US, but I buy fabrics by the metre or fractions of metres. I cook from recipes in pounds and ounces or grammes depending how old the recipe is. And so on. Nothing disastrous about that. It's just two different ways of measuring the same things.

I came to London for 6 months in 1970- so had to learn all the Imperial system and old money. Then went back home, only to be wooed back to UK- and straight into the metrification saga and new money, lol. Had to do driving license again, on 'wrong' side of the road. As said, it is good for ze little grey cells.

As a mother I had to adjust fast to help my daughters, first learn English correctly, then nursery rhymes, games, traditions, all great fun.

Don't we owe it to our children and grand-children to find out and learn new methods so we can best support them. What example is it to just throw our arms in the air- if we want them to fight difficulties and succeed. It shouldn't really take half a lifetime to make minor adjustments? Should it, really?

Sorry - I know this message won't be popular- but here we go, LOL

As we all die off the system will inevitably become entirely metric because that is what children and young people use at school – and have for quite a long time. It's mostly just old people who cling to imperial measurements, plus a few slightly younger ones who prefer to have 36-inch rather than 91-cm hips.

Don't get me started on homework, granjura! Never mind metric, I don't understand how they do their sums any more! Even when my daughter was at school I would try to help her with, say, long-division, only for her to tell me "We don't do it like that any more" !

I know, I know - but even the late 70 = 30+ years ago.

Either system is fine by me - I don't really care. But the mixture of the do is disastrous. I'm used to it, so again it does not bother me much- I constantly switch from 2 languages, 2 cultures, 2 driving systems, 2 measuring systems, monetary systems - that's is fine by me (it's actually very good for ze little grey cells,as Poirot would say). You must agree that selling the example of selling carpet in £ per su yard, then sold in metre widths by the linear foot was farcical and confusing, no!? But we do live in a 'global' economy, and failure to adapt is costly.

Also how can we help our grand-children with homework, etc, if we do not understand what they are supposed to learn?

I think Australia started to go metric from the seventies so we have been switched over for years. I drive in kilometres, measure in feet and inches. I have no idea how much a baby weighs unless it is in pounds and ounces. The temperature for me is in Centigrade or Celcius. What I find interesting is people who would not been born when the system was completely changed still talk about a babies weight in both pounds and kilograms.

granjura, decimalisation was introduced in the UK in 1971, but there was never a specific date to change to metric - it was largely optional until the late 70s and even now regulation is very lax. So you can't really blame us for not embracing metric measures, as we've usually had a choice!

Many of us are old biddies NOW - but we were NOT 41 years ago, were we?

Oh dear - not going to make friends here - but metric came in 1971! So you've had 41 years to adapt- and it isn't difficult, is it? I am sorry to say. 41 years.
1 kg is just about 2 lbs (give or take one bite of an apple). 1 stone give or take 7kg, and so one. There are exchange table available on the internet everywhere- for us to print and practice a bit. It really isn't that hard honest.

At least things have improved a bit. Not that long ago, carpet was advertised in £ per square yard, then sold in 3m, 4m, etc width and by the linear foot. WHAT? Many in the computer world agree that imperial is better as 12 is more infinitely divisible than 10.

Personally, I am very adaptable - have had to be! But make up your mind and stick to it. Go metric, or go imperial. One OR t'other- the mixture is a nightmare.

Of course in a world-wide business context- where machine, goods, etc, are constantly exported or imported- it would make much more sense to go properly metric for ease of exchange.

I told you I was an Oldie Anagram

Farthings, goldengirl? Didn't they go out in the olden days?

I think the problem is that we've still got both! If we'd totally switched over on 'Decimal Day' then I think life would be much easier. Also children adapt very quickly. Not being good with figures I welcomed decimal coinage - no more ha'pennies or farthings to contend with but this duality does give me grief. As it stands an Oldie like me gets confused - and it doesn't take much to get me confused