Whistling through Changing Times

A talk by Simon Topman.

Whistles are everyday items, and we don’t think about where they come from. But it was in 1884 that
Joseph Hudson manufactured the first whistle used by football referees. Shortly afterwards the police
were looking for an effective way for their members to summon support: Hudson offered a whistle, which the police force found highly effective.

The large order for police whistles that resulted was the start of the Acme Whistle Company, whose MD
Simon Topman gave the Festival Friends a lighthearted and lively account of the creation of these
two whistles, and of the many others the company has made during the 140+ years it has existed.

Some 6 million whistles are made each year, with 60% exported to America, for daily use by police,
referees, bird watchers, teachers, and many others. We were shown – and heard – several examples of
different whistles, including a dog whistle (too high for human hearing!), a duck call whistle, a water
proof life-saving whistle, even a whistle with a lion roar! More than 80 variations are currently being
manufactured today in their Birmingham factory, to which visits can be made by arrangement.

Simon told us of his delight at the wonderful advertisement Acme whistles received in the dramatic
climax of the film “Titanic”, when the company name was clearly visible on the whistle being used to try
to locate survivors after the sinking – free advertising worldwide!

A very interesting talk.

Barrie Atchison