United Kingdom Weights & Measures Association,

I believe I asked you last year, a question similar to the one below. But I can't locate your reply.

1. Is the fluid pint in widespread use in the U.K? If so, has it been in widespread use since 1826, or only recently?

2. Is the dry pint in widespread use in the U.K? If so, is there any confusion with the improved/imperial pint, as they are both nearly the same size?

The reason I'm asking is that a friend of my niece recently returned home, after making a brief stopover in London, England, U.K. She brought with her the following bottle:

Cwella
Burst your thirst
BLACKCURRANT
& RASPBERRY
FLAVOUR STILL JUICE DRINK
Ingredients:
Water
Sugar
Blackcurrant juice (5%)
Citric acid
Flavourings
Acidity regulator (Trisodium Citrate)
Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate)
1 fl.pt. (473 m/l)
ONCE OPENED CONSUME
WITHIN TWO DAYS
BEST BEFORE END
JUN 04
PLEASE RECYCLE
FRUJET BEVERAGES LTD.
LONDON E5 9LE

I can't figure out when the 1 fl.pt. bottle was filled, but as it's a still juice drink with an end date of before end of June 2004, it can only have been a few weeks ago.

Info @

http://www.weights-and-measures.com

And topic:

Common Fluid Measure & Common Dry Measure

Since when has it been called "United Kingdom Weights & Measures Association?"

XCOLE asked:

<<
1. Is the fluid pint in widespread use in the U.K? If so, has it been in widespread use since 1826, or only recently?

2. Is the dry pint in widespread use in the U.K? If so, is there any confusion with the improved/imperial pint, as they are both nearly the same size?
>>

The only pint that has been legal in the United Kingdom since 1826 is the Imperial pint which is equal to 0.568261 litres. If by "fluid pint" and "dry pint" you mean the measures that are in use in the United States, then No, they have not been in use since 1826.

Bud raises an interesting point.

Why doesn't the BWMA include Northern Ireland?

Is it because the original BWMA predates the UK to a point in time where all of Ireland was part of Britain?

Ireland has never been part of Britain - they are two separate islands/countries. However, Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom, up until 1921 (I think).

Hmm, which makes my original question even more in requirement of an answer.

SteveH wrote

<<
Is it because the original BWMA predates the UK to a point in time where all of Ireland was part of Britain?
>>

The United Kingdom was formed in 1707 with the Act of Union. Ireland became part of the Union in 1801 and in 1921 with partition, Southern Ireland left the Union while Northern Ireland remained part of the Union.

Coins which circulated between 1707 and 1801 style the monarch as King/Queen of Great Britian, Ireland and France, while those that circulated after 1801 style the monarch as King/Queen of Britain. (The French connection was a hang-over from the 100 years war).throne, so they dropped the )

The way I see it, "British" in the name of the association refers to the system, not the country. So it would apply to any place using British weights and measures. Is this the intention?
Is there any rule prohibiting foreigners from joining?

Bud, You are absolutely right. If the words in "BWMA" were to be rearranged, the association would be "The Association for British Weights and Measures", not "The British Association for Weights and Measures".