Metric martyr dies

[Conor Dary]

Metric martyr market trader dies


Steve Thoburn made headlines around the world over his campaign
The north east greengrocer hailed the Metric Martyr after being prosecuted for selling fruit and vegetables by the pound, has died suddenly aged 39.
Steve Thoburn, a Sunderland market trader, was convicted for selling goods only in imperial measures in 2001.

The group's appeals against conviction were rejected all the way up to the House of Lords and this February, by the European Court of Human Rights.

Fellow campaigner Neil Herron told the BBC Mr Thoburn died at home on Sunday.


Mr Herron said: "This man had the courage to stand up and be counted and it was a pleasure to know him.

"He was an ordinary person's hero - an extraordinary ordinary person."

[tafnut]

Re: Metric martyr dies

Metric Martyr? Isn't that gh's nickname all over the 'civilised' world, because of his ludditish insistence to print everything in Imperial measures.

[Pego]

Re: Metric martyr dies

<prosecuted for selling fruit and vegetables by the pound>

It just boggles my mind what some prosecutors wouldn't do. As if there weren't enough real crime.

[MJD]

Re: Metric martyr dies

><prosecuted for selling fruit and vegetables by the pound>

It just boggles
>my mind what some prosecutors wouldn't do. As if there weren't enough real
>crime.

In Quebec, the language police can prosecute you for using English.

[Pego]

Re: Metric martyr dies

When I visited Quebec City some years ago, in the Old City everybody spoke English, outside of it everybody pretended that they don't understand. It was hilarious.

[Guest]

Re: Metric martyr dies

Here in Donostia (don't call it San Sebastian), the press conferences are given in Basque, then translated into Spanish. It may be nominally a part of Spain, but only in name.

[marknhj]

Re: Metric martyr dies

>When I visited Quebec City some years ago, in the Old City everybody spoke
>English, outside of it everybody pretended that they don't understand. It was
>hilarious."

Tu peux compter sur les Francais de toujours etre les plus compliquer possible. Il y a de bonne raisons que la plus part des autres payees ne peux pas les voire...!

[MJD]

Re: Metric martyr dies

Tu peux compter sur les Francais de toujours etre les
>plus compliquer possible. Il y a de bonne raisons que la plus part des autres
>payees ne peux pas les voire...!

What the heck are you talking about?

[Conor Dary]

Re: Metric martyr dies

'Metric Martyr? Isn't that gh's nickname all over the 'civilised' world, because of his ludditish insistence to print everything in Imperial measures.'

If TandFnews went metric only in their results the magazine would itself be a martyr (is that possible?) because it would soon be out of business along with this board.

[Asterix]

Re: Imperial martyr dies

>Tu peux compter sur les Francais de toujours etre les
>plus compliquer
>possible. Il y a de bonne raisons que la plus part des autres
>payees ne peux
>pas les voire...!

>What the heck are you talking about?

For the lingually challenged, basically:
You can count on the French to alway be the most complicated possible. There are many good reasons why most of the other countries can't see them(?).

And why isn't this thread titled "Imperial martyr dies"? This guy wasn't pushing metric, but the archaic english system.

[lefterisp]

Re: Imperial martyr dies

It still amazes me how passionate we can be about measurement systems.... language on the other hand does carry some type of cultural identity which you may want to fight for (although I start to have my doubts about this as well especially in our current days of globalization). Frankly, although I kind like the metric system I wouldn’t give a dime if this world converts to metric or imperial… Do you really care that much? I have to admit it makes an amusing topic for track and field aficionados, nevertheless.

[marknhj]

Re: Imperial martyr dies

>>Tu peux compter sur les Francais de toujours etre les
>plus
>compliquer
>possible. Il y a de bonne raisons que la plus part des
>autres
>payees " ne peux
>pas les voire...!"

.....is an expression, no language can be literally translated. The expression I wrote equates to "can't stand them" in English. Stand in English isn't literally translated as "like" either.

[noone]

Re: Imperial martyr dies

>>Tu peux compter sur les Francais de toujours etre les
>plus
>compliquer
>possible. Il y a de bonne raisons que la plus part des
>autres
>payees " ne peux
>pas les voire...!"

It would help if you spoke French properly. At the very least "compliquer" should read "compliqués", "bonne" should be "bonnes", "plus part" should be "plupart", "peux" should be spelled "peut","payees" should be "pays" and "voire" should be "voir". The grammar is poor too.

[79.]

Re: Imperial martyr dies

"Tu peux compter sur les français qui sont les
plus compliqués au possible.
Il existe de bonnes raisons pour lesquelles la
plupart des autres pays ne peuvent pas les
sentir."
Marknhj, are you racist?