Before I comment on it, this is a verbatim article (letter) I saw in today's "Daily Mail":

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'I'M THE ACE OF BASS', from Richard Fleetwood, aged 13, St. Helier, Jersey

"I've been fishing with my Dad from the age of six - I'm now 13 - and am delighted to tell you about a record-breaking rod-caught bass I recently pulled in.

"The fish weighed 15lbs 15oz.

"I'm aware that the bass record is very much sought after, especially in the Channel Islands. I've previously caught bass of 13lbs 9oz and 14lbs 12oz but I've never seen a bass as big as this before.

"I caught it from my Dad's boat, 'Catch 22', off the west coast of Jersey. It fell to a live sand eel on a 6ft running ledger trace. And I caught it on the high water slack.

"Dad had told me that in September there was a good chance of catching a big bass - and he was right".

COMMENT:

Pause a moment and consider the kind of imperial extremist this poor boy's father must be (probably married to his mother, I wouldn't mind betting).

He presumably encouraged or approved of his son writing in these Dark Ages measurements to the newspaper.

He presumably still speaks them at home in front of all the family - and even guests.

He must still, amazingly enough, have lbs and oz weighing machines in use, despite the government (elected democratically by the people) having decided 40 years ago we were going metric and making it a crime over 3 years ago to weigh things in metric. What is the use of prosecuting people like fishmongers Neil Herron and John Dove when you let boys like Richard Fleetwood get away with this kind of stuff? [IMHO, a maximum fine of £5,000 for pricing up in pounds and ounces is far too lenient - no wonder so many people get away with blatant crimes on our streets these days].


You can see how deep (please pardon the pun!) the boy's use of imperial measurements has become embedded in his psyche by this mind control because he refers to a '6ft running ledger trace', which frankly no-one in his class would understand these days - after eight years of metric education since they all began at primary school.

Lord Geoffrey Howe, that wonderful and tireless campaigner for those simpler and more logical metric measurements, had the right idea. If only the government had taken the bull by the horns 40 years ago and made the use of all imperial measurements criminal at one fell swoop, we wouldn't get these dinosaurs like Richard Fleetwood writing to the newspapers.

Mind you, the letter was printed in that right wing rag only read by a few nationalists and xenophobic extremists, the 'Daily Mail', 'nuff said, eh?

This sort of story just confirms what anybody living in this country already knows: Children absorb these common units of measurement from an early age.

Claims by the enforced-by-law metric brigade that children will be confused and not understand Imperial measurements are just ridiculous.

What is confusing to our kids is when the anti-English side try to tell them that Imperial measurements are of no relevance these days when the kids can see plainly that people all around are using them!

This illustrates one of the problems in Britain regarding science and technology. CHildren pick up Imperial units from their environment and metric units are grouped as being "only for boffs who do science". On the continent the children use metric units both in everyday life and in the science laboratory giving them less resistance to technological subjects.

"This sort of story just confirms what anybody living in this country already knows: Children absorb these common units of measurement from an early age."

This is true. If metric were to be in place as it should be, children would absorb metric units from an early age in exactly the same way.

"Claims by the enforced-by-law metric brigade that children will be confused and not understand Imperial measurements are just ridiculous."

The claim has never been that we should metricate because children do not understand imperial. It is that, given metric has been the primary system in use in education since 1974, it is an insult to our children not to allow them to put the system they have learnt into practice by way of full metrication.

"What is confusing to our kids is when the anti-English side try to tell them that Imperial measurements are of no relevance these days when the kids can see plainly that people all around are using them!"

If I may say so, the use of terms such as 'anti-English' is highly offensive.

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If I may say so, the use of terms such as 'anti-English' is highly offensive.
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I will second you on that Ross. Rephrase your term to pro-metricists Paul.

No offense intended.

Badly worded maybe, but I intended "anti-English" to mean those who oppose the continued use of English UNITS, not to suggest a general dislike of England and the English.

Apology accepted Paul.

"If I may say so, the use of terms such as 'anti-English' is highly offensive"

Yes I am a Welshman and I also find it offensive.

Kindly replace "English" with "British"

Tcha!

No offense meant against Wales Steve (or Scotland or Ireland, before anyone feels left out!).

I was just trying to use "English units" as a term which includes both Imperial and U.S. customary measures.

Read it as "anti-British/American" then, if it makes everyone happier.

(Geez, ever have one of those days when you only open your mouth to exchange feet?!)

not to worry! I was actually having a dig at those metric-fascist buffoons really.

Maybe I was being too cryptic again!

Thank you Paul.