Pounds and Ounces to Return - OK But Only If We Bring Back £.s.d. Pounds Shillings and Pence

[LawrenceChard]

The news announcements in the last few days that "'Boris Johnson to announce return of imperial measurements to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee' strikes me as totally stupid, and probably a cheap attempt as a vote winner, to plug into nostalgia, probably as a distraction away from PartyGate.

What next? Bring back £.s.d?

It could be a great play for the Government. Remember prices were so much lower before we went decimal. You could buy fish and chips for 1s.3d, and a pint in a pub for 2s.

The different media reports are interesting for their different slants on the story:

BBC: Imperial measurement review to mark Jubilee.

The government will launch a post-Brexit review next week on how and where traders can sell produce using imperial measurements.

Currently they must use metric when selling packaged or loose goods - although Britain's traditional weighing system can be shown alongside.

The review, which had already been signalled, will begin on Friday.

Labour MP Angela Eagle said it was a "pathetic" attempt to "weaponise nostalgia".

Telegraph: Return to pounds and ounces in ‘common sense’ move ahead of Platinum Jubilee.

Boris Johnson will pave the way for the return of pounds and ounces in British shops this week, in a "common sense" move heralded by Tory MPs as taking advantage of freedoms delivered by Brexit.

On Friday, the Government will publish proposals to repeal EU-derived law requiring metric units to be used for all trade, with only limited exceptions.

At the same time, ministers will issue guidance to firms on restoring the use of the crown symbol on pint glasses, after it was replaced by the CE marking to help the UK conform with EU rules.

A government source said: “We Brits measure our walks in miles and our beer and milk by the pint. And nobody knows what a 4.5kg baby looks like, but we all know a 10-pounder is a whopper.

"It’s time we held our heads high about our long history of traditional measures.

“And what better way to celebrate Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee than restoring the crown emblem back onto the side of pint glasses so that we can toast her health and service to this country.”

ITV: Boris Johnson to 'announce return of imperial measurements to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee'

Boris Johnson is set to bring back pounds and ounces in shops to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Ministers are preparing to consult on how to further incorporate imperial measurements in Britain after Brexit, with the prime minister reportedly keen to announce the move on Friday to coincide with the Jubilee.

But the move has faced criticism from the Conservative backbenches, with Alicia Kearns – one of at least 20 Tory MPs to declare they have lost confidence in the prime minister over his handling of rule-breaking parties in No 10 during the coronavirus lockdown – calling the idea "a nonsense."

Guardian: Boris Johnson to reportedly bring back imperial measurements to mark platinum jubilee

Move is an apparent attempt to win support from Brexit voters in seats Tories fear losing

Boris Johnson will reportedly announce the return of imperial measurements to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee, in an apparent attempt to garner support among Brexiter voters in battleground seats that the Conservatives are in danger of losing.

Britain currently uses a mix of imperial and metric measurements, with speed limits in miles per hour and milk and beer bought in pints.

The prime minister, under increasing pressure after further damaging revelations in the Partygate scandal, is expected to announce next week that British shops will be allowed to sell products in pounds and ounces to coincide with celebrations for the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.

‘It makes no sense’: reaction to plan to revive imperial measurements in UK

Independent: Imperial measurements will bring ‘British culture’ back to shops, claims minister

Government accused of ‘weaponising nostalgia’ with post-Brexit plan

A government push to boost the use imperial measurements after Brexit will bring British “culture” back into shops, a minister has claimed.

Boris Johnson is expected to make an announcement this Friday to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to pave the way for greater use of pounds, ounces, feet and inches.

 

What do TSF members think?

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[ArgentSmith]

For me Brexit wasn't about imperial measurements it was about accountability and Sovereignty. Something we are about to sign away to the WHO.

Just another distraction imo.

[HerefordBullyun]

When things more pressing like fuel poverty, inflation, just goes to prove out of touch Bojo and his millionaire mates are out of touch.

Just for the record Sunak is the richest serving MP recorded in history....

Goldmans are the epitome of vultures, the big short says it all, he worked there, with his billionaire wife an non dom status not paying any tax.

Beyond a joke!  

Edited May 30, 2022 by HerefordBullyun

[Bigmarc]

Most of us are imperial anyway. Being 6ft8 and 22stone 11lb with a 42inch waist and nipping down the shop which is 1 mile away to buy a pint of milk.

[Gordy]

no views, its going to be the choice of the store owners, i still ask for two oz's of peas pudding, we talk on here in oz's and also metric so its a mixed bag

i buy a pint in a pub but a 500ml can in a shop.. 

i drive mph and walk 5km

buy my strawbs by the punnet

do my measurments for work in metres/cm/mm or feet and inches

not change my life but its nice to have the choice

[Bigmarc]

12 minutes ago, Gordy said:

no views, its going to be the choice of the store owners, i still ask for two oz's of peas pudding, we talk on here in oz's and also metric so its a mixed bag

i buy a pint in a pub but a 500ml can in a shop.. 

i drive mph and walk 5km

buy my strawbs by the punnet

do my measurments for work in metres/cm/mm or feet and inches

not change my life but its nice to have the choice

What is peas pudding? Sounds vile

[Gordy]

10 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

What is peas pudding? Sounds vile

It's a northern thing, have it with ham on a stottie cake....

basically its yellow split peas cookied down with bit ham stock and seasoning etc and it ends up like a pate in consistency

[HerefordBullyun]

8 minutes ago, Gordy said:

It's a northern thing, have it with ham on a stottie cake....

basically its yellow split peas cookied down with bit ham stock and seasoning etc and it ends up like a pate in consistency

Id rather have a Naafi growler!

[GBStacking]

Bases on those quotes, I mainly see a lot of news organisations desperately trying to read something into it to have a pop at the government. I use a mix of imperial and metric for almost everything in my life and it will make no real difference to me one way or the other. All i remember when the mandate for using metric came in was my supermarket changed my 4 pint milk to 2 litres and kept the price the same.

Whilst i understand the logic for having one system of measuring things, and arguably the metric system is more widely compatible and sensible, i don't think that anyone's life is going to be negatively affected if we change from a CE mark to a picture of a crown on a glass that still holds an imperial pint of beer either way.

As for nostalgia, i see nothing wrong with that if it does no harm. And given the large number of fans of the Queens Beasts and the Tudor Beasts on the forum (many of them measured in OZt), there must be at least a little place for it in our society.  

Edited May 30, 2022 by GBStacking
Edited for typo

[LawrenceChard]

2 hours ago, Bigmarc said:

What is peas pudding? Sounds vile

Southerner!

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[Bigmarc]

20 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

Southerner!

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Yes! I "will" stick to my jellied eels and pie and liquor thank you.... You heathens 

[LawrenceChard]

3 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

Yes! I "will" stick to my jellied eels and pie and liquor thank you.... You heathens 

I have never tried Cockney style jellied eels, although we have eaten home cooked ones.

Bury black puddings are good, but M&S also do good sliced ones.

Tripe used to be a northern staple, there used to be U.C.P. (United Cattle Products Ltd) shops in Blackpool and elsewhere. http://www.unitedcattleproducts.co.uk/, although you are welcome to it.

I'll try most things once (sometimes twice).

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[HerefordBullyun]

1 minute ago, LawrenceChard said:

I have never tried Cockney style jellied eels, although we have eaten home cooked ones.

Bury black puddings are good, but M&S also do good sliced ones.

Tripe used to be a northern staple, there used to be U.C.P. (United Cattle Products Ltd) shops in Blackpool and elsewhere. http://www.unitedcattleproducts.co.uk/, although you are welcome to it.

I'll try most things once (sometimes twice).

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have you tried a load of old tripe?

I am sure youve experienced a lot of it, mainly from the amount of genius drivel I post regularly!

[Bigmarc]

13 minutes ago, LawrenceChard said:

I have never tried Cockney style jellied eels, although we have eaten home cooked ones.

Bury black puddings are good, but M&S also do good sliced ones.

Tripe used to be a northern staple, there used to be U.C.P. (United Cattle Products Ltd) shops in Blackpool and elsewhere. http://www.unitedcattleproducts.co.uk/, although you are welcome to it.

I'll try most things once (sometimes twice).

😎

 

I was looking after my grandad close to the end, he asked me if I could cook home tripe. Cooking it was enough to put me off for life. 

Honestly I have never tried jellied eels or liquor. I can remember dating a girl in York (is that the north?) and being in a pub around 11pm and a man coming round with a basket of fish. Is that still a thing? 

Edited May 30, 2022 by Bigmarc
Spelling

[LawrenceChard]

9 minutes ago, HerefordBullyun said:

have you tried a load of old tripe?

 

I do hear a lot of it, yes!

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[LawrenceChard]

1 minute ago, Bigmarc said:

I was looking after my grandad close to the end, he asked me if I could cook home tripe. Cooking it was enough to put me off for life. 

Honestly I have never tried jellied eels or liquor. I can remember dating a girl in York (is that the north) and being in a pub around 11pm and a man coming round with a basket of fish. Is that still a thing? 

Sure is, send me a recent photo of the girl from York, and I'll think about it.

Don't know about the basket of fish though.

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[Gordy]

14 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

I was looking after my grandad close to the end, he asked me if I could cook home tripe. Cooking it was enough to put me off for life. 

Honestly I have never tried jellied eels or liquor. I can remember dating a girl in York (is that the north?) and being in a pub around 11pm and a man coming round with a basket of fish. Is that still a thing? 

oh how we miss the fish man, jar of cockles and bag of prawns, get you in the mood A QUICKIE ROUND THE BACK

[Bigmarc]

19 minutes ago, Gordy said:

A QUICKIE ROUND THE BACK

The fish man I met didn't offer me that service. 

[Bixley]

43 minutes ago, Bigmarc said:

I was looking after my grandad close to the end, he asked me if I could cook home tripe. Cooking it was enough to put me off for life. 

Honestly I have never tried jellied eels or liquor. I can remember dating a girl in York (is that the north?) and being in a pub around 11pm and a man coming round with a basket of fish. Is that still a thing? 

In London in the sixties (showing my age!) it was common for a chap with a basket of shellfish to go round the pubs on a Sunday lunchtime. Winkles and brown bread for tea was a great treat.

[Paul]

6 hours ago, Gordy said:

It's a northern thing, have it with ham on a stottie cake....

basically its yellow split peas cookied down with bit ham stock and seasoning etc and it ends up like a pate in consistency

. . . . . . . oooohhhh yes.  A nice treat once in a while, good few bits of ham shank off the bone, proper salted butter, stottie cake bun, 1/2 inch layering of pease pudding and some cracked black pepper.  Flipping Lovely  

Edited May 30, 2022 by Paul

[Paul]

2 hours ago, Gordy said:

oh how we miss the fish man, jar of cockles and bag of prawns, get you in the mood A QUICKIE ROUND THE BACK

" Have you got crabs ! ?? "  ooohhh how the Fish Man laughed when he got asked it every week from every other pished punter he was selling to 

[Gordy]

5 minutes ago, Paul said:

. . . . . . . oooohhhh yes.  A nice treat once in a while, good few bits of ham shank off the bone, proper salted butter, stottie cake bun, 1/2 inch layering of pease pudding and some cracked black pepper.  Flipping Lovely  

proper food

[LawrenceChard]

5 hours ago, Gordy said:

no views, its going to be the choice of the store owners, i still ask for two oz's of peas pudding, we talk on here in oz's and also metric so its a mixed bag

i buy a pint in a pub but a 500ml can in a shop.. 

i drive mph and walk 5km

buy my strawbs by the punnet

do my measurments for work in metres/cm/mm or feet and inches

not change my life but its nice to have the choice

The ounces we mainly refer to on TSF are Troy ounces, as opposed to Imperial.

They still cause confusion, as we get people querying why their Krugerrand is heavier than it should be, or more commonly why they are only getting paid for 28.28 grams for their one (avoir) ounce of gold.

"i buy a pint in a pub but a 500ml can in a shop.. "

When I ask for a small beer in a French bar, I ask for "un demi" (a half), which is actually 250 mls, and therefore very close to an English pint. In some places in France, they even call 500 mls "une pinte". I previously assumed that their old "pinte" was the equivalent of our pint, but according to Wikipedia "Although etymologically related to the English unit pint, the French pint is about twice as large. It was the main small unit in common use, and measured 1⁄36 of a cubic pied du roi." (Units of measurement in France before the French Revolution).

The British imperial pint is about 20% larger than the American pint because the two systems are defined differently.

"i drive mph and walk 5km"

I use either or both when driving, depending which country I am in. Although I could probably change the car's units, I am quite happy to do a little mental arithmetic, as a brain exercise, if nothing else.

"buy my strawbs by the punnet"

I still like to know how much per kilo I am paying, and the same goes for chocolate.

do my measurments for work in metres/cm/mm or feet and inches

I used to specify some 18ct gold wire in mixed measurements, typically 2.5 x 1.25mm "D" section, followed by "about 6 inches of it".

"not change my life but its nice to have the choice"

At least in the UK, we have advanced more than the USA, which still uses pints and gallons which are different from our old ones, and they still use feet, inches and yards, unstead of metric.

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[Bigmarc]

6 minutes ago, Paul said:

. . . . . . . oooohhhh yes.  A nice treat once in a while, good few bits of ham shank off the bone, proper salted butter, stottie cake bun, 1/2 inch layering of pease pudding and some cracked black pepper.  Flipping Lovely  

227g tub. It's 8oz. Probably always been 8oz to.

[LawrenceChard]

7 minutes ago, Paul said:

. . . . . . . oooohhhh yes.  A nice treat once in a while, good few bits of ham shank off the bone, proper salted butter, stottie cake bun, 1/2 inch layering of pease pudding and some cracked black pepper.  Flipping Lovely  

You've sold me on that.

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