When arithmetic was really hard

In case you thought arithmetic was easy, have a look at what Irish kids had to do to get out of primary school in the 1960s. How much is 6¼ lbs (that's "pounds") of bacon at 4s 8d (that's "four and eightpence") per pound? I could probably work it out if placed in a quiet room with plenty of time, but not with a queue of impatient customers in front of me. I can only admire anyone who managed to do well on this exam at age 11 or so, and I'm a bit surprised there have apparently been no Irish Fields Medal winners emerging from what was obviously a mathematics curriculum that stretched all who attempted it.

If you are interested in some maths tutoring, please get in touch. I mainly teach A level, but will also take GCSE students intending to study STEM subjects at A level. There will be no lbs or cwts involved, not least because they terrify me as much as they do you.