Talk:Offa's Dyke Path

This could be a nice itinerary. --(WT-en) Evan 12:20, 4 January 2007 (EST)

Measurements

Metrication in the UK started in the last century but is proceeding at a snail's pace

It would be good to decide whether the standard measurements (with conversions following in parentheses) should be expressed in customary units such as yards and miles or metric... --118.93nzp (talk) 22:33, 15 December 2013 (UTC)

Well, as much as I hate to do it, I think that the usual measurements in the UK are "Imperial", so I guess miles and yards it has to be. But they sell gas by the litre... Man, they are having even more trouble than Canada in switching to the metric system  :-) Thanks, by the way, for the map. It's great!!Dave.mcc (talk) 04:24, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

What do you want to do with the units (distance measurements, etc)? I believe in the UK they use the Imperial system so miles and yards would be the standard there. Should we be using miles as the standard with metric in parentheses? What's the usual practice on those? Dave.mcc (talk) 23:31, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Footpath sign with distance now shown in kilometres.

Yes, the Brits are making a real pig's breakfast of metrification. Although all the road direction signs are still in miles, I did notice that all the latest footpath signs have now changed to metric. I think the decider would be the predominant usage along the actual path itself on the official markers. Personally I am in favour of metric but with the first few/important measurements in the prose having the imperial conversion in parentheses. Just to complicate matters, the Welsh Assembly seems to be more in favour of metrification than traditional English counties like Shropshire... --118.93nzp (talk) 23:42, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Har! Very true. Well, I'm just fine with metric with a nod to imperial in parentheses. I liked Wales when we were there a couple of years ago. Better roads, less traffic, nice scenery, less crowded. We didn't actually walk on the Dyke, but we must have crossed it several times as we wandered our way south through Wales and then back into England. Dave.mcc (talk) 00:16, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Hi 118.93nzp , are you sure Welsh footpaths are now using metric? I'm just a bit surprised because then you would have road signs in miles and footpath signs in km. Andrewssi2 (talk) 00:13, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Metric UK road sign

On the slightly off-topic subject of Wales and silly signage...

Precisely.

No "old" footpath/bridleway signs have been uprooted and replaced, but any new ones are in metric. I'm sure you'll manage to turn up a few stones with incised druidic runes if you look carefully (grin)...

Evidently an advisory leaflet was issued by the English Department for Transport and English Heritage in June 2005 which stated that "All surviving traditional fingerpost direction signs should be retained in-situ and maintained on a regular basis. They should be repainted every five years in traditional black and white livery. Other colours should be used only when these are known to have been in use before 1940".

Although the UK's Metrication Board was wound up in 1980 the only exceptions to SI units currently allowed in law for economic, public health, public safety or administrative purposes are to allow the use of the mile, yard, foot and inch for road traffic signs, distance and speed measurement; the imperial pint for the dispensing of draught beer and cider and for the sale of milk in returnable containers (and non-returnable containers in Scotland where almost all milk is still sold in half, one, two, four or six pint containers); the acre for land registration and the troy ounce for precious metal transactions. --118.93nzp (talk) 00:33, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks, good to know! Andrewssi2 (talk) 00:59, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Just call me 118 if you find that easier... --118.93nzp (talk) 01:01, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

I believe that if I use the convention of 118.93nzp then it will appear as a notification for you next time you log in. Andrewssi2 (talk) 01:06, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

Good point! Perhaps I should ask for an account name change... --118.93nzp (talk) 01:15, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

To Guide

What do you think remains to do to make this article a Guide? Ikan Kekek (talk) 05:46, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

It probably should link better to articles on any nearby towns. Its the length of Wales, so there should be several towns on or near the path. Altaihunters (talk) 06:20, 17 December 2013 (UTC)

You can select "Destinations" layer on dynamic map. All WV destinations along the route are displayed. Markers are linked to the articles [shift-click for new window]. -- Joachim Mey2008 (talk) 18:45, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks for that useful hint, Joachim!

However, since the visual effect is akin to a mini-tornado or dustcloud that is not intuitively obvious to a naive reader as to what it signifies, my personal preference would be to leave them switched off... --118.93nzp (talk) 22:10, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

101

Although I've just written "When it’s less urgent than a 999 call, contact the local police in England and Wales on 101. This number should be answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." this story puts that statement in context... --118.93.237.66 01:51, 20 December 2013 (UTC)