• Contact
  • About
  • Authors
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
East Anglia Bylines
  • HOME
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Health
    • Welfare
    • World
    Cycling.

    Thirty for 30 – how to reduce your carbon footprint

    Oven ready social care plan

    AgeUK and ‘People at the heart of care’

    The UK Youth Parliament

    Should sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds be given the vote?

    Shopping for bargains.

    Savvy tips for cutting your food bill

    Templefields House

    ‘Big Bits of Ash Falling from the Sky’: What happens when your home is on an industrial estate and a warehouse fire breaks out?

    Urkrainian refugees at Warsaw Station

    The Homes for Ukraine scheme: really not “world-beating”

    Pirogov-emergency-team

    Norfolk help for the casualties of war

    A group of international students

    After Brexit: another lost opportunity for young people

    Dentist at work

    Emergency! Dental treatment in lockdown

    • Brexit
    • Health
    • Education
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Politics
    • Local government
    • Justice
    • Activism
  • Climate
    • Environment
  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Community
    • Culture
    • History
    • Humour
    Waiting on the phone.

    The scourge of automated telephone systems

    Pylons at Aldringham, Suffolk

    Shock as National Grid proposes 180km of new pylons across East Anglia

    Houses of Parliament

    Democracy and lack of accountability

    Cambridge Europe Day Fete

    Europe Day fête in Cambridge on 14 May

    Three Steampunks

    Imagining other worlds: steampunk in East Anglia

    Smiling Baby

    Twenty years: a staggering difference in life chances

    Shopping for bargains.

    Savvy tips for cutting your food bill

    Templefields House

    ‘Big Bits of Ash Falling from the Sky’: What happens when your home is on an industrial estate and a warehouse fire breaks out?

    Urkrainian refugees at Warsaw Station

    The Homes for Ukraine scheme: really not “world-beating”

    • Community
    • Culture
    • History
    • Humour
    • Property
  • Business
    • All
    • Economics
    • Finance
    • Transport
    Cost of living protest

    Anger as Chancellor tells CBI “The next few months will be tough”

    Waiting on the phone.

    The scourge of automated telephone systems

    Hillman Ave. Jaywick

    40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

    Sugar beet

    As farmers suffer, is government’s sugar sell-out just to keep Tory donors sweet?

    Preston bus station

    Community wealth building

    Stansted Airport

    Are plans for Stansted Airport signs of a changing world?

    Snape

    The Ore and the Alde: smugglers, a merman and the home of seaside chic

    The Studio, Elstree

    Was dirty Russian money washed in a Herts public lavatory?

    Ukraine border boxes

    Freedom Boxes and Freedom Buses

    • Economics
    • Finance
    • Transport
    • Farming
  • ANGLIA
    • All
    • Anglia
    • Bedfordshire
    • Cambridgeshire
    • Essex
    • Hertfordshire
    • Norfolk
    • Suffolk
    Cost of living protest

    Anger as Chancellor tells CBI “The next few months will be tough”

    Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk

    Is East Anglia’s ‘Blue Wall’ turning Green?

    Hillman Ave. Jaywick

    40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

    Duncan Baker

    Council leader appeals to MP to clean up politics for good after claimed death threats

    Norfolk County Hall

    EXCLUSIVE: shocking coup by Norfolk’s Tories

    Pylons at Aldringham, Suffolk

    Shock as National Grid proposes 180km of new pylons across East Anglia

    Mr Pecksniff (Social Media)

    Pecksniff’s Diary

    Cambridge Europe Day Fete

    Europe Day fête in Cambridge on 14 May

    Three Steampunks

    Imagining other worlds: steampunk in East Anglia

    • East Anglia
    • Bedfordshire
    • Cambridgeshire
    • Essex
    • Hertfordshire
    • Norfolk
    • Suffolk
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Health
    • Welfare
    • World
    Cycling.

    Thirty for 30 – how to reduce your carbon footprint

    Oven ready social care plan

    AgeUK and ‘People at the heart of care’

    The UK Youth Parliament

    Should sixteen- and seventeen-year-olds be given the vote?

    Shopping for bargains.

    Savvy tips for cutting your food bill

    Templefields House

    ‘Big Bits of Ash Falling from the Sky’: What happens when your home is on an industrial estate and a warehouse fire breaks out?

    Urkrainian refugees at Warsaw Station

    The Homes for Ukraine scheme: really not “world-beating”

    Pirogov-emergency-team

    Norfolk help for the casualties of war

    A group of international students

    After Brexit: another lost opportunity for young people

    Dentist at work

    Emergency! Dental treatment in lockdown

    • Brexit
    • Health
    • Education
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Politics
    • Local government
    • Justice
    • Activism
  • Climate
    • Environment
  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Community
    • Culture
    • History
    • Humour
    Waiting on the phone.

    The scourge of automated telephone systems

    Pylons at Aldringham, Suffolk

    Shock as National Grid proposes 180km of new pylons across East Anglia

    Houses of Parliament

    Democracy and lack of accountability

    Cambridge Europe Day Fete

    Europe Day fête in Cambridge on 14 May

    Three Steampunks

    Imagining other worlds: steampunk in East Anglia

    Smiling Baby

    Twenty years: a staggering difference in life chances

    Shopping for bargains.

    Savvy tips for cutting your food bill

    Templefields House

    ‘Big Bits of Ash Falling from the Sky’: What happens when your home is on an industrial estate and a warehouse fire breaks out?

    Urkrainian refugees at Warsaw Station

    The Homes for Ukraine scheme: really not “world-beating”

    • Community
    • Culture
    • History
    • Humour
    • Property
  • Business
    • All
    • Economics
    • Finance
    • Transport
    Cost of living protest

    Anger as Chancellor tells CBI “The next few months will be tough”

    Waiting on the phone.

    The scourge of automated telephone systems

    Hillman Ave. Jaywick

    40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

    Sugar beet

    As farmers suffer, is government’s sugar sell-out just to keep Tory donors sweet?

    Preston bus station

    Community wealth building

    Stansted Airport

    Are plans for Stansted Airport signs of a changing world?

    Snape

    The Ore and the Alde: smugglers, a merman and the home of seaside chic

    The Studio, Elstree

    Was dirty Russian money washed in a Herts public lavatory?

    Ukraine border boxes

    Freedom Boxes and Freedom Buses

    • Economics
    • Finance
    • Transport
    • Farming
  • ANGLIA
    • All
    • Anglia
    • Bedfordshire
    • Cambridgeshire
    • Essex
    • Hertfordshire
    • Norfolk
    • Suffolk
    Cost of living protest

    Anger as Chancellor tells CBI “The next few months will be tough”

    Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk

    Is East Anglia’s ‘Blue Wall’ turning Green?

    Hillman Ave. Jaywick

    40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

    Duncan Baker

    Council leader appeals to MP to clean up politics for good after claimed death threats

    Norfolk County Hall

    EXCLUSIVE: shocking coup by Norfolk’s Tories

    Pylons at Aldringham, Suffolk

    Shock as National Grid proposes 180km of new pylons across East Anglia

    Mr Pecksniff (Social Media)

    Pecksniff’s Diary

    Cambridge Europe Day Fete

    Europe Day fête in Cambridge on 14 May

    Three Steampunks

    Imagining other worlds: steampunk in East Anglia

    • East Anglia
    • Bedfordshire
    • Cambridgeshire
    • Essex
    • Hertfordshire
    • Norfolk
    • Suffolk
No Result
View All Result
East Anglia Bylines
No Result
View All Result

The Empire harks back

Boris Johnson has suggested a return to imperial units, so pounds and ounces could be visited upon us shortly.

Greg WalshbyGreg Walsh
September 20, 2021
in Humour, UK
Boris Johnson's imperial measures

How to remember imperial measures. Photo by ThisIsEngineering from Pexels.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Mr Johnson has heard his supporters’ appeals for a return to imperial units, so pounds and ounces, perhaps along with other old favourites, could be visited upon us shortly.

Imperial units: A little quiz

This is mainly for those who lamented the change from imperial to metric, although anyone can join in. There are a couple of rules – calculators are allowed, but search engines are not.

Ten questions on imperial units, three about mass (weight), and seven about length/area/volume. Answers at the end of the article.

1.  How many pounds are there in a hundredweight?

2. How many stones in an imperial ton?

3. How many ounces in a quarter?

4. How many yards in a mile?

5. How many chains in a furlong?

6. How many barleycorns in an inch?

7. How many acres in a square mile?

8. How many perches in a rood?

9. How many gills in a pint?

10. How many fluid ounces in a gallon?

Imperialists, how did you get on? All ten correct? Knowing his or her national units is a sign of a true patriot.

Was it a bit of a struggle?

If, for some reason, you didn’t score 100%, what was the problem? Perhaps I can hazard a guess.

  • Ounces to pounds: base 16
  • Pounds to stones: base 14
  • Feet to yards: base 3
  • Others: take your pick

You get my drift.

Base 10

Mankind has long used base 10, probably because he counted his thumbs along with his fingers. There is an argument that, had he ignored his thumbs, we would have base 8, or the octal system, which is a direct relation to binary (because 8 is 23). However, base 10 it is, which is why we have units, tens, hundreds, thousands etc. in the arithmetic we do in primary school.

The metric system, with the exception of time units, is entirely base 10, hence 1 metre = 10 x 10 x 10mm (103 mm), 1 megawatt = 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 watts (106 watts). Just shift that decimal point, or add some zeros, job done.

A plea

I am probably of the last generation who, in primary school, had to chant (as a means of rote learning):

16 ounces, 1 pound,

14 pounds, 1 stone,

8 stone, 1 hundredweight,

20 hundredweight, 1 ton.

And then do the various multiplications to implement the conversions.

Should the imperial system be re-introduced into our lives, it follows that it will have to be taught in schools. To what end? “It’s traditional” – so what? “It’s good for tourism” – do me a favour – you think tourists like confusion?

So, Johnson supporters, please think twice before you decide to inflict this waste of time on British schoolchildren – possibly your grandchildren – they have enough on their plates.

Boris Johnson's imperial measures flowchart
How it is now: the UK measures flowchart.

Answers

1. 112   2. 160   3. 448   4. 1760   5. 10   6. 3   7. 640   8. 40   9. 4   10. 160

Source: Wikipedia

Previous Post

And the eye-catching initiatives just keep coming

Next Post

Suffolk County Council’s SEND failures exposed after damning report

Greg Walsh

Greg Walsh

Related Posts

Cost of living protest
Anglia

Anger as Chancellor tells CBI “The next few months will be tough”

byStuart Burrell
May 19, 2022
Waiting on the phone.
Business

The scourge of automated telephone systems

byMadge McClary
May 18, 2022
Hillman Ave. Jaywick
Anglia

40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

byStuart Burrell
May 18, 2022
Lee Anderson MP
Activism

Jack Monroe threatens to sue MP

byStuart Burrell
May 14, 2022
Three Steampunks
Anglia

Imagining other worlds: steampunk in East Anglia

byStephen McNair
May 11, 2022
Next Post
Suffolk County Council SEND failures

Suffolk County Council's SEND failures exposed after damning report

Want to support us?

Can you help East Anglia Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

DONATE

Sign up to our newsletter

If you would like to receive the East Anglia Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

NEWSLETTER

LATEST

Cost of living protest

Anger as Chancellor tells CBI “The next few months will be tough”

May 19, 2022
Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk

Is East Anglia’s ‘Blue Wall’ turning Green?

May 19, 2022
Waiting on the phone.

The scourge of automated telephone systems

May 18, 2022
Hillman Ave. Jaywick

40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

May 18, 2022

MOST READ

Pylons at Aldringham, Suffolk

Shock as National Grid proposes 180km of new pylons across East Anglia

May 15, 2022
Norfolk County Hall

EXCLUSIVE: shocking coup by Norfolk’s Tories

May 17, 2022
Hillman Ave. Jaywick

40-year inflation high brings misery across the region

May 18, 2022
Strumpshaw Fen Norfolk

Is East Anglia’s ‘Blue Wall’ turning Green?

May 19, 2022

Tags

Activism Brexit Business Cambridgeshire Climate Community Culture Democracy Development Devolution Economics Education Employment Environment Essex Farming Finance Health Humour Hymns International Women's Day Justice Letters Local elections 2022 Local government NHS Norfolk Opinion Pandemic Partygate Party politics Pecksniff Poetry Politics Poverty Property Rivers of East Anglia Science Sewage Sizewell Social care Suffolk Ukraine VAWG Welfare
East Anglia Bylines

East Anglia Bylines is a regional online newspaper that supports citizen journalism. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in East Anglia and beyond.

Learn more about us

No Result
View All Result
  • About us
    • Contact us
    • Bylines Network
    • Complaints
    • Newsletter
    • Privacy Policy
    • Donate
    • Pecksniff’s Diary
  • UK
  • Anglia
  • About us
  • UK
  • Anglia

© 2022 East Anglia Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • News
    • Brexit
    • Health
    • Education
    • World
  • Opinion
  • Politics
    • Local government
    • Justice
    • Activism
  • Climate
    • Environment
  • Lifestyle
    • Community
    • Culture
    • History
    • Humour
    • Property
  • Business
    • Economics
    • Finance
    • Transport
    • Farming
  • ANGLIA
    • East Anglia
    • Bedfordshire
    • Cambridgeshire
    • Essex
    • Hertfordshire
    • Norfolk
    • Suffolk

© 2022 East Anglia Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In