bring back pounds and ounces, good idea...or not?

leeCal
leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
edited May 2022 in Coffee lounge
According to sky news

‘Boris Johnson is poised to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with a post-Brexit pledge to bring back pounds and ounces in Britain's shops.

Whitehall sources have told Sky News he will announce on Friday that imperial measurements are to be revived as part of a bonfire of EU regulations.’

https://news.sky.com/story/platinum-jubilee-boris-johnson-poised-to-mark-celebrations-with-post-brexit-pledge-to-bring-back-pounds-and-ounces-12623318

Good idea or have pounds and ounces had their day?

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Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 59,054 Championing
    Yes, absolutely. In my head i'll always use pounds and ounces. Never could get my head around metric.
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    edited May 2022
    I always convert metric in my head to really understand a weight or measure too @poppy123456 🙂

    it might confuse the youngsters though?
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    My reaction to this is unprintable in polite society.

    Yes many of us who are older use still think imperial and I have no objection to dual measures being displayed if some want to but switching back would make no sense at all. However this is, in my opinion, scraping around to look for ‘positive’ Brexit news and distract from more pressing matters.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    calcotti said:.. I have no objection to dual measures being displayed if some want to ..
    Which they are, I think, already allowed to do.
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    edited May 2022
    pints for just 6p! Just like 1952! (6 pennies  a pint)
    not that I want to continuously relay sky news but I can’t resist posting this as it’s relevant to the thread.
    https://news.sky.com/story/platinum-jubilee-pub-chain-to-offer-pints-for-6p-as-part-of-queens-celebrations-12623637

    Are you a green king fan @woodbine? @Teddybear12? 😄
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    will they show the cost of petrol at garages in £'s per gallon ? Our local garage would be selling it around £7.40 per gallon if they did,
    I don’t think they dare do that do you.
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    I think you’re right there. 
  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,611 Championing
    edited May 2022
    When I first saw this headline over the weekend my initial reaction was one of confusion, it seemed like a bit of an odd thing to announce. However though, I speak as somebody who is completely familiar with the metric system and would struggle with pounds and ounces, so I naturally was resistant to the idea
  • SueHeath
    SueHeath Community member Posts: 12,388 Championing
    Yes i still convert and use both, it would be a massive shock for people to see the true petrol price.
    I like many on here can remember when we changed to metric and when the money changed i found that harder, we managed to a point with conversion so it will be the same for the younger one today.
  • janer1967
    janer1967 Community member Posts: 21,922 Championing
    I use both like a lot of us but can't see the point of going back 

    Think money it would cost can be spent far more wisely in the current times and there are more important issues the gov should be concentrating on 
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    edited May 2022
    @Ross_Scope said:
    When I first saw this headline over the weekend my initial reaction was one of confusion, it seemed like a bit of an odd thing to announce
    I think you’re right, I think it’s a very odd thing to announce, though I have some fond memories of the times when we had imperial measurements I think those days are long gone. The moving finger writes and having writ moves on so to speak. It’s just another attempt to court public opinion and change the headlines from party gate in my opinion.

    janer is right, there are better things to spend the money on at the moment.
  • Cartini
    Cartini Community member Posts: 1,107 Trailblazing
    I`ve never stopped using pounds and ounces.  I always ask for a pound of this or 2 pound of that; I leave the conversion to the person behind the counter.
  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 14,985 Championing
    What’s the suggested practical benefit of switching back to pounds and ounces?

    I couldn’t see anything put forward in the article aside from “getting back our ancient liberty”, whatever that means.

    I can understand having dual figures but not switching back.

    For reference I am 28 and use both imperial and metric so am not bothered, it won’t affect me. I am just wondering what the reasons behind the proposed move are.

    That said, I think the opinion “it’s a good idea to switch back because I still use pounds and ounces” I think is a bit self-centered, better to look at society as a whole surely.
  • leeCal
    leeCal Community member Posts: 7,537 Championing
    edited May 2022
    I think it was a promise Boris made to brexiteers way back before brexit or something @66Mustang.
  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 14,985 Championing
    edited May 2022
    PS didn’t mean for my last bit to sound so aggressive, I just meant that when making decisions or voting, people should think about society rather than just their own situation. Sorry if it caused any offence.
  • 66Mustang
    66Mustang Community member Posts: 14,985 Championing
    leeCal said:
    I think it was a promise Boris made to brexiteers way back before brexit or something @66Mustang.
    Thanks @leecal, didn’t know that!
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    66Mustang said: I can understand having dual figures but not switching back.
    Which is, I think, already permitted.
  • Biblioklept
    Biblioklept Community member Posts: 5,217 Championing
    I don't have a clue about the conversion rate and use a mix of both already. Such as that I weigh myself in stone, pounds and ounces but my food is in grams and kilos. I'm quite happy with this mix and worry about how they plan to update everything to change. It seems really pointless and I don't really get why they're doing it. The older generations may be happy but it'll cause so much confusion for the younger generations. It just seems to pointless.
  • Biblioklept
    Biblioklept Community member Posts: 5,217 Championing
    An entertaining diversion that we fortunately all know won’t happen. If only he’d resurrect that other ancient measure: scruples.

    are we sure it won't happen? I've been worrying about it and the ensuing stress and confusion it would cause :(