When did the UK go metric?

[wove]

I had started something about weather, then stopped when I got to "F" as opposed "C" and got sidetracked. As a kid I grew up near a military base up by the Canadian border. At that time the Canadians sold gas in imperial gallons, which were slightly larger than US gallons. Temperatures on both sides of the border were both in "F". My first car was a 1952 Austin Healey. The nuts and bolts were 5/8, 1/2 inch like on American cars, but they had a different thread pitch. My American wrenches worked, but the bolts and nuts did not work. Anyway I just got to wondering when it was that the British and Canadians switched over to the metric system. Yeah I know I could just "Google it", but what is the fun in that.

On the weather topic, mornings are a few degrees below freezing and afternoons get a few degrees above freezing, which around here is pretty typical for March.

[chris]

I'm not an "authority", but UK has not gone entirely metric. Back in '61 the Met Office changed from F to C. Currency went decimal in '71. We buy petrol/oil (gas/oil?) in litres (not liters), also milk, bottled beer. Draught beer is still in pints, though. Wood (e.g.) is also crazy. Sold in metre lengths, but inch width x thickness.
Nuts and bolts are also problematic. Metric are prefixed M, e.g M8 = 8mm bolt diameter, now standard but older stuff can still have Whitworth/BS/BA - different threads, spanner sizes are bolt diameter. But "we" also have AF or American Fine? also called Across Flats as spanner sizes are size of nuts across the flats. Obviously threads are finer than Whitworth etc. hence the name.
For a rundown, from Roman times to present day, https://ukma.org.uk/what-is-metric/uk-p ... -timeline/ if you're really that interested.

[bin]

It's not so much a process of conversion as gradual slide.
For example our road distances are in miles, but the BBC have decided that for broadcast purposes we use metres/kilometres as well.
We buy fuel in litres but still use mpg (miles per gallon) as a measure of fuel efficiency - well lets face it who on earth can think of litres/100 km?????
These days I will normally measure in mm or cm but think in feet and yards for anything much over 10ft.
As I understand it schools work in metric and most younger people cannot visualise imperial measurements.
I'm glad that fastners have gone metric - that is one area where standardisation was essential but then it was by usage rather than decree.

[dai_trying]

As well as the above comments I find I use metric for anything small and detailed (like 3d print designs / ingredients for cooking) although mouse speed and Tv resolution is always dpi (dots per inch) and then imperial for anything bigger, height is always feet/inches, temps in Centigrade, one heck of a mixed bag really, I don't know why some people get annoyed when given the "wrong" measurement unit for something when it's pretty easy (for the most part) to convert between them.

I'm often asked "what's that in old money" (usually by older folk) when using metric measurements and blank looks from youngsters when I use imperial ones.

I can remember when a local market trader (fruit and veg) was taken to court and fined because he refused to change from selling in lb's to kilo's due to a European law forcing us to use metric, there was a lot of uproar and nowadays markets often have both displayed although I think most supermarkets/stores only use metric.

I couldn't find an article on my local market trader but this article is from around the same time about guy in Sunderland with the same issue.

[wove]

The organ shop worked in metric. Metric units are easier to work with and in mfg supplies and parts often originate from metric only sources. I think most mfg in the US is based around metric. Construction still revolves around feet and inch and dimensional stock is sold in feet and inches. Surveying and engineering is done in metric, but it is all converted for construction purposes.

More and more consumer goods are marked both ways. Our measuring cups are in cups and ml. We got a new bathroom scale and it will either report in kg or pounds. US currency has always been digital. Car speedometers report both kph and mph.

My biggest hangup is with temperature. Degrees C just feels a bit to course and degrees F feels more in tune with my feeling of hot and cold. Plus I think temperature is in so many ways based on perception, metabolism and acclimation than on units. Today it seems a typical Minnesota March day, while it would probably seem a pretty chilly, nasty day to a Virginian and I have no idea what it might seem to someone in other parts of the world. A mile or a km is specific pretty much anywhere, while specific C or F temperature, will seem different depending on where you are and what you might be acclimated to.

[CaptNoize]

I for one, Hate the fact that I got to jump back and forth, when I'm busting my knuckles,working on a vehicle, and the manufacturer used both, metric and SAE. I could literally choke the living sh*t out those idiots at the factory. I have both sets of wrenches,sockets and taps,totalling over 10,000 dollars (US) Recently, I found out some these assclown manufacturers are using another weird variant. I gave up on some of these repairs. I don't have the patience to fix these Frankenstein units.

[crosscourt]

Same here as Im much preferred the old days when it was far easier working on my car with one set of tools.