How do you give directions?

[CurlewKate]

Say something is 3 miles away. Do you say “It’s 3 miles/5 kilometers/an hour’s walk” or something else?

I would use the example of my Irish forebears and advise them “well, I wouldn’t start from here”.

Also born in the 1980s, taught metric – I remember saying something was about a metre away and my dad pretend boggling and being aghast – but use miles, bake in pounds and ounces, and weigh myself in stone. Sew in centimetres and calculate walls for paint in metres, though, because I contain multitudes. In conclusion: make the characters say “miles”, it sounds miles better.

If I were giving directions to a destination I'd say in miles because road signs destinations are in miles.

If I were explaing to a nearby landmark I'd be a bit more vague and say 'at the end of that street' or 'not far'. I'm not very good with close distances.

I try to be clear and concise and use road numbers/references shown on signage, e.g. at junctions and roundabouts. Giving distances, not so much. I can't bear the kinds of directions that are all by reference to landmarks and/or things you might spot or know if you drive that way frequently. It's one thing saying turn right onto the B453 by the church with a spire and quite another giving a list of reference points, "...and you'll see the King's Head pub on the left and the old bank on the right, then about half a mile further on there's a chip shop, etc., etc". Argh!