BRUCE AND HOLLY

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Like old soldiers, our ancient system of Imperial measurements has been fading away since the 1970s. But will they ever die? I’m not going to bet on it.

The mandating away of our 1000-year-old system of measurements has always been in fits and starts. It started with a push in the early ’70s before stalling in the ’80s and ’90s until it became illegal in the Millennium year to sell loose goods in pounds and ounces or equivalent linear measures. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t sell you a pound of apples, so long as I measure them out on metric scales and mark them as 454 grammes. There is also nothing to stop me buying a pound of jam (sorry 454 grammes) from my local supermarket, just so long as I don’t call it a pound of jam.

It’s also strange that whilst we cherish other parts of our ancient heritage, like sea shanties or steam engines, it’s somehow ‘uncool’ to talk about feet and inches or gallons. As if it’s something only old people do. And of course editorial policy now dictates that all UK news and weather has to be delivered in metric terms. So how long do you think that it’s going to be before imperial measurements fade out completely from our language? Here is some food for thought.

The rationale for metrification has always been that Britain carries out most of its trade with Europe and therefore has to provide manufactured goods to a metric specification. But isn’t that also true for America, the world’s largest economy, if it wants to trade with Europe? Yet Americans remain wedded to US Customary Units which, with some variations, follows British Imperial units. It’s why if I step out of Orlando Airport I can buy my quarter pound of fudge and eat it in 90° heat whilst stroking an alligator. It’s also why it will always take 9 million pounds of thrust to launch a NASA moon rocket, never 40 Mega Newtons. And here are a few more morsels for you to digest.

Every time you switch on your 56-in wide screen to watch an American movie or documentary you are immersed in another world of feet and inches, pounds and ounces and miles. Never kilometers.
Whilst American Tech dominates the world, US Customary Units will always remain supreme. Even the AI on your computer.
Have you noticed the way that Americanisms are creeping back into our language. Like corporate counsel instead of company solicitor? Many of these are Old English words like ‘attorney’ which traveled across the Atlantic two centuries ago but are now making a reappearance, including some UK firms now styling themselves ‘Attorneys at Law’. How cool is that?
And remember that it will only take one UK broadcaster to change its editorial policy.

Just one other thing. There is one part of our culture which has never been metricated. Look at any clock face and you will see an ancient system of measurement dating back to the Babylonians. Likewise the 360° in a circle.

Law

The Dangers of Relying on AI for Legal Cases

May 30, 2026May 30, 2026 bruceandholly

Using AI is like taking legal advice from a man in a pub. You might come away with some good tips. Though you wouldn’t want to trust his advice without first checking it out. Particularly if you are preparing a case for trial. But so many lawyers seem to do just that. Particularly those still at the learning end. They’re the ones getting caught out. But it is usually their employer who gets the grief.

Think of AI as an advanced search engine. It does more than simply searching out internet content and presenting it to you as a series of links. It goes further by mashing up that content and then reconstituting it as its own work. So is it surprising that AI sometimes gets it wrong? And there’s another thing. Everything downloadable from the internet is somebody else’s intellectual property. So when you are reusing that mashed up content and passing it off as your own work, you are opening yourself up to a damages claim.

Don’t get me wrong. I sometimes use AI myself. But only a starting point. I might ask it to list out some cases relevant to the matter with which I am dealing. I will then go on to the BAILII website and search out those cases and download the PDFs. But sometimes my AI has responded with an answer which I know is wrong. So I will always defer to my own professional judgment. Because that’s what I’m paid to do. And yes – I can always sense when something has been written by AI.

Uncategorized

Understanding the 60% Tax Trap: Strategies to Mitigate Liability

May 25, 2026May 25, 2026 bruceandholly

It’s that time of year again. The P60s have arrived. So it’s time to get on with filing that self-assessment tax return. Why do so many people leave it to the last minute? I just don’t understand. I’ve already generated mine using the Government Gateway. It’s the second year I’ve used it to file my tax return. So much easier than going through an accountant as I had done in previous years. It means that I can rely on my own calculations instead of double-checking someone else’s arithmetic.

Of course not everyone has to file a self-assessment tax return. Only about one in three of us. But if filling out a tax return seems tiresome, at least it gives you an opportunity to review your tax affairs and make sure that you are only paying what you are required to pay. Nothing more. So remember to deduct those professional subscriptions. There are also some new kids on the block with which all of us need to be aware. One of them is not so new but it has just come to prominence because it is catching out so many people. About 2 million of us. I’m talking about the 60% tax trap.

The 60% tax trap was introduced in 2010 and applies if, taken together, your gross taxable income tops £100,000 but does not quite reach the 45% threshold which kicks in on anything above £125,000. Anything in between is doubly taxed because it is not only within the 40% higher rate tax band but you are also losing a deduction of £1 on your personal allowance for every £2 you earn above £100,000. Here are a few ways to mitigate that tax liability:

If you are below State pension age, increase your voluntary pension contributions sufficiently to bring your taxable pay below the £100,000 threshold.
Increase any Gift Aid charitable contributions you make, to reduce your taxable income. Giving to charity means that you CHOOSE who spends your hard earned money instead of having it taken out of your wage packet and wasted on something over which you have no control. Remember also that for every £40 you contribute in gift aid, your chosen charity gets £100
Think twice before working those extra hours. What is the point if you are going to lose 60% in tax?

There are other changes in the offing. Like a requirement for some self-employed business people and landlords to submit quarterly returns. Isn’t that another reason to get out of the residential lettings market? The government calls it ‘making tax digital’. I thought that my tax was already digital when I logged onto the Government Gateway

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Uncategorized

Renters’ Rights Act 2025 – It’s Arrived!

May 2, 2026May 2, 2026 bruceandholly

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Christmas has come. Shorthold tenants are now sitting tenants. You can live there as long as you want to. Just as long as you pay your rent and are neighbourly. Except if your landlord had already served the section 21 notice on you before the end of April 2026. Then it’s just about waiting to see if possession proceedings are issued before the 1st August 2026 cut off. If those possessions proceedings have been issued, it may then take a couple of weeks before you even find out about it. Because a congested civil court system is going to become even more stretched with thousands of landlords issuing their section 21 claims before the statutory cut off. Then there’s the bailiff’s appointment to carry out the actual eviction – which potentially could take much longer. Because bailiffs are going to be very busy.

Being a sitting tenant does not mean that your continued occupation is guaranteed. Because even under the new rules, a landlord can still initiate an eviction process if they can prove a genuine intention to sell the property with vacant possession. But that’s going to be a long-winded process.

For those landlords who are staying in the market, get a reputable letting agent. Someone who is up to speed with the changes. Even if you have to pay a little bit more for that quality of service They will be the people on whom you will be relying to protect your interests. Between now and the end of May 2026, there is work which they need to attend to, to protect you from big financial penalties.

It’s also going to be a busy time for your local council. Especially their homeless team. Everyone who has received a section 21 eviction notice before the 30th April 2026 cut off is going to need somewhere else to live. But only those former tenants with a ‘priority need’ (for example those with children or a serious health condition) can be guaranteed somewhere to live, even if it’s only bed and breakfast. So there’s going to be lots of business for hoteliers.

if you want to receive further alerts about the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act please use the MailChimp link to sign up.

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housing, Law, Uncategorized

I’ve received a section 21 eviction notice from my landlord. What can I do?

April 25, 2026April 25, 2026 bruceandholly

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If you occupy your home under an assured shorthold tenancy, you may be amongst the thousands of people who have received from your landlord a section 21 eviction notice before the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 takes effect on 1st May 2026. On that day the law changes. Tenants who previously could have been evicted on as little as 2 months notice will then have lifetime security of tenure. Landlords will only be able to evict a tenant if they can prove to a judge that they have legitimate grounds to do so. What this means is that many buy-to-let landlords are trying to get out of the market before the law changes on that date. So what do you need to do if you are a tenant who has received a section 21 eviction notice?

Sit tight. At least for the time being. A landlord who evicts you, still has to go through the process of getting a possession order through the courts, even though there is currently an accelerated process for doing this. And even after a court order has been obtained, the only way which a landlord can forcibly evict a tenant is by engaging the services of a bailiff, which itself can take months.
if you have received a section 21 notice but your landlord has not issued court proceedings against you before a 1st August 2026 cut off date, the Section 21 notice will lapse and the landlord will have to start the whole process again. Only this time round, you will be a sitting tenant. It means that the only way your landlord will be able to evict you is if they can convince a County Court judge that they have legitimate grounds for ending your tenancy. A process which could take up to a year, given the current delays to the court system in the UK.
If you have children living with you, or are pregnant, or are old or have a serious health condition, your local housing authority may have a duty to ensure that you are not left out on the street. In other words, homeless legislation regards you as someone having a ‘priority need’ for rehousing. So don’t forget to get in touch with your local council as soon as possible.