50 year anniversary of "D" Day

[expressman33]

I know it was hated at the time but I loved the new metric stuff. Still mentally have to do a conversion in my head. But for every child who did not have to suffer Pounds Shillings and Pence and above all Imperial measurements in Maths classes I raised a cheer.

12d to the shilling , 16oz to the pound , 14lb to the stone . It helped children to learn their tables

[Sarah]

Well, maybe, but once you're rid of shillings, stones and pounds who still needs to know their 12, 14 and 16 times tables?

We have calculators, spreadsheets and Alexa to do sums now anyway!

[blythburgh]

I know it was hated at the time but I loved the new metric stuff. Still mentally have to do a conversion in my head. But for every child who did not have to suffer Pounds Shillings and Pence and above all Imperial measurements in Maths classes I raised a cheer.

12d to the shilling , 16oz to the pound , 14lb to the stone . It helped children to learn their tables

I was never taught beyond 12 x table. Maths was a miserable thing but today's children can concentrate on easier maths and then quickly on to more difficult and more important stuff

[Chadwick]

As a youngster who has never had to deal with pre-decimal currency, I was always puzzled by the words 'New Pence' on the coins. It seemed a little short-sighted to stamp each coin as being new when it was minted. Surely at some point you'd consider it was no longer new - what then? Would the bank hold on to it and stamp it with the word 'Old' so you'd know it had been in circulation for a while?

[macliam]

Until 1979 the Irish currency was pegged 1:1 with Sterling (only changing when Ireland joined the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. So Ireland decimalized at the same time as the UK.


The Copper coins had new "script" animal forms and the new 20p did revive the horse lost with the Leath Choróin (2/6d). But it meant that my favourite animal was lost forever - the Irish Hare from the Leath Reul (3d) coin

I remember the day of the break with Sterling well..... I was working for a British Company in Ireland on £100 a week - but then the Punt fell against the Pound and my wages took a dive too

[blythburgh]

The Irish Hare is not to be confused with the British Brown Hare. They are a sub species of our native Mountain Hare.

I got a book about Hares one Christmas that was fascinating.

[macliam]

Yeah, well, the Irish Hare was worth 3d.... No confusion there!

[kevinchess1]

Well, maybe, but once you're rid of shillings, stones and pounds who still needs to know their 12, 14 and 16 times tables?

We have calculators, spreadsheets and Alexa to do sums now anyway!

Well said Sarah. I mean, why bother with school at all Just google it