PhiliPamInCoventry
Holbrooks
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16 of 61
Mon 1st Feb 2016 7:29am
Hi all
Whilst we have precise conversion rates for larger calculations, as a thumb rule I think of a metre as a yard & 30cm as a foot.
Hope that helps. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Roger T
Torksey
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17 of 61
Mon 1st Feb 2016 9:04pm
Funny you should say that Philip.
I keep conversions in my head and use them all the time, but a foot to me is 300 millimetres and an 8 x 4 ft sheet of plywood is 2440 x 1220 millimetres.
I know a metre is approx. 39 inches and 100 millimetres is 4 inches, 200 is 8 inches etc, so I always convert my height and weight using one kilo equals 2.2 lbs, 14 lbs = one stone, 454 grams = 1 lb.
Both my daughters stick their children up against a door post and mark their height and measure them in feet and inches.
My son in law is an engineer and works with very fine tolerances, the Americans are still prominent in this field and work in imperial.
While I`m not particularly advocating we return to imperial, it will not die and I think we are doing our youngsters a disservice if they don`t learn to use both systems with equal facility. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Greg
Coventry
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18 of 61
Fri 4th May 2018 6:51pm
Sad but funny - am currently listening to a talking book based on the wartime diary of a small grocer. The narrator was obviously reading from a transcript and suddenly said `Mrs Smith came in to buy some bacon and put one ess six dee on the counter`. So sad that our pre-decimal currency has been confined to the dustbin of history so soon. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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charabanc
Coventry
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19 of 61
Sun 6th May 2018 5:01pm
I found a children's gardening book (Ladybird, I think) which translated every measurement exactly. It read "Plant the potatoes 15.2 cm deep", "The plant usually grows to about 30.5cm in height", etc.
Silly people! |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Rob Orland
Historic Coventry
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20 of 61
Sun 6th May 2018 5:56pm
Ha ha - I can just imagine kids out in the garden with their plastic rules trying to get a seed buried down to the nearest millimetre! |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Osmiroid
UK
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21 of 61
Sun 6th May 2018 9:48pm
I hate British culture being flushed down the toilet.
One thing with me, I usually think of them large Coke bottles as 2 quart bottles.
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Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Roger T
Torksey
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22 of 61
Sun 6th May 2018 10:36pm
On 4th May 2018 6:51pm, Greg said:
Sad but funny - am currently listening to a talking book based on the wartime diary of a small grocer. The narrator was obviously reading from a transcript and suddenly said `Mrs Smith came in to buy some bacon and put one ess six dee on the counter`. So sad that our pre-decimal currency has been confined to the dustbin of history so soon.
Greg,
I don`t know if this is uncanny, but I was digging the flower border this morning and picked up an old sixpence.
Dated 1941
Remember we used to call them a "tanner"
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Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Slash1
northampton
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23 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 8:24am
As having worked in engineering most of my life, being born in 1944, I am quite conversant with either, especially those that are in my field.
I worked on industrial gas and boilers, pumps and the like. Could cope with either, but mostly stuck to my imperial and did conversions.
Most common ones were always in my head, btu to kw psi to mtrs or kg.
Had books of conversion factors, still have them. Was a nerd, always loved doing mental arithmetics.
1 cm of natural gas 35 cf.
Happy days. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex
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24 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 9:08am
I spent over a score years learning imperial, how do I get rid of it?
I have a broody hen, I want to put a dozen eggs under her how do I tell her to lay a dozen in metric?
We have a 24 hour day, but the clock face has not changed to metric - why?
We have 8 furlongs a mile, not been changed - why?
One could go on. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Annewiggy
Tamworth
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25 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 10:19am
It is a good job we were not ruled by France during the French revolution when the introduced a decimal calendar. When I worked for Florette, a French company I had to pay the international invoices in decades, ie. every 10 days. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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PhiliPamInCoventry
Holbrooks
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26 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 3:43pm
Hi all
It gets even more odd, when the two are mixed. The official scale for our model railway is 4 millimetres to the foot.
There is logic to the history of that. Long before the UK model industry got going, continental Europe was leading the way with famous named companies, but it was the UK where their biggest market & sales were. All UK railway drawings were in imperial, so crossing feet to millimetres was the easiest conversion. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Annewiggy
Tamworth
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27 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 4:19pm
And why do we buy fuel in litres but fuel efficiency is still calculated as MPG? |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Midland Red
Thread starter
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28 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 4:25pm
Do you think kilometres per litre would actually mean anything to anyone? |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Kaga simpson
Peacehaven, East Sussex
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29 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 4:26pm
Annewiggy,
They should have given it the guillotine, probably they could only get ten people in the guillotine cart during the revolution
But what nice memories Florette brings back, the blind flower seller girl in City Lights, the music and film Jean de Florette.
Going off topic again. |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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Annewiggy
Tamworth
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30 of 61
Tue 8th May 2018 5:17pm
I am afraid Kaga all it reminds me of is lettuce |
Memories and Nostalgia -
Measurement - Imperial v Metric
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