The on-line version of the IoS article I posted earlier does not
include the following side-bar:
"Britain is the last country in the world where imperial and metric
battle for supremacy, leaving the public dazed and confused.
+Brighton & Hove Council was forced to cover road signs because the
distances were measured in metres.
+Milk can be sold in pints - but only if it is delivered in a
recyclable glass bottle.
+Legal contracts must contain metric measures - unless it is a land
deal, in which case acres will do.
+Weights of new-born babies must be recorded in kilograms, but
midwives invariably convert that to an imperial measurement.
+Boxers are weighed in stones and pounds, and their reach measured in
inches - unless they are amateur, in which case everything goes
metric.
+Footballers take penalty kicks from 12 yards out and retreat 10 yards
at free kicks. But Fifa, the world governing body, says penalties are
taken 11 metres out and players must stand nine metres and 15cm back
for a free kick."
Chris
--
Metrication information: http://www.metric.org.uk/
UK legislation, EC Directives, Trading Standards links and more
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