Today is the fiftieth anniversary of Britain’s adoption of decimalisation.
From having 240 pennies to the pound, twelve pennies to a shilling and twenty shillings to the pound we moved – not quite overnight – to the system we know now.
Generations of schoolchildren breathed a sigh of relief.
It’s much easier to calculate in tens (fingers help). But a lot harder to deal with the sums involved in counting in twelves. Especially with fractions!
Sarah Jagger’s fun feature in this week’s issue is a nostalgic look back at those days.
Sarah’s article reminded me of a feature I’d spotted in an old issue of the “Friend” when we were researching for the 150th anniversary souvenir edition.