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Acme Whistles

S

Suze

master brummie
Have I got the name correct. I believe they are one of the oldest factories in the Midlands. Started making whistles for football referees or was it the police? Apparantly they are two different sorts,the ref's whistle havin a "pea" in it?

Any info or photo's please.

Names researching Thursfield Hand/s
 
Thanks. I had a quick look on the site.Interesting.Now I am going to see if there is any info on St Marks St ,(as in where is it) and Mr Hudson....or maybe ...photo's of the factory....So many great people on this site who can produce a photo on request (almost)
 
Suze St Marks St is in Ladwood Bham 1 my dad was born there it is in two parts the other being known as little St Mark St

Mossy
 
image.jpeg
Hudson Acme Whistles, worker in the factory. Len.
 
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I remember meeting the lovely man who runs Hudson's Whistles at his daughters cafe in the Jewellery Quarter. At that time about 2003 he still did organised tours of the factory. He said they had to be booked and organised because it was still a working factory.
Perhaps an idea for a future visit.
 
The Company that makes the whistles are Hudsons, it is in Hockley & the MD is a very nice bloke who once helped a friend of mine from Australia who was over here Umpiring International Netball & she just dropped in to visit & was treated exceedingly well.
The whistles are known & used all over the world, the Netball whistle was developed especially & is used in all Australian Netball matches.
I am not sure if the company still operates but I really hope so, they also made whistles for the Titanic, not that they did much good.
Cheers
Dave Rock
 
I used to sell hard wool polishing felt to Hudson & Co. Don't think I ever met the MD, but they were a nice bunch of people. Are they still in business?

Big Gee
 
In the 1930s.publicans would have a police whistle,to summon aid,when they had trouble. Mr.Vann who kept the "Clements Arms" in Newtown Row,was once being attacked by some toughies,so he threw his Whistle to my Gran,and she went into the middle of Newtown Row blowing for all she was worth and holding up the trams,my dad witnessed this scene as he came from town,and he saw a bloke come out of the pub who tried to take the whistle from her,so his dear mother-in-law,gave the poor bloke a right hander that lifted him clear of his feet.I still have the very whistle,the name on it is...EMCA CITY WHISTLE.
Couldn't photograph it,I lost my camera last week.
 
Suze,
My wife and I have been in some odd places,so she always carried a whistle,to let me know if she needed me.
My mother-in-law,was once receiving worrying phone calls,so she kept a whistle at the side of the phone,and when she had a heavy breather call,she blew the whistle down the line...never happened again.
So yes, whistles can be useful.
 
Ray Barrett said:
Suze,
My wife and I have been in some odd places,so she always carried a whistle,to let me know if she needed me.
My mother-in-law,was once receiving worrying phone calls,so she kept a whistle at the side of the phone,and when she had a heavy breather call,she blew the whistle down the line...never happened again.
So yes, whistles can be useful.
Click to expand...

What an idea to give a blast to all the people that cold call trying to sell you something you dont need/want just as you have sat down,or eating a meal or dozing off.....I think the word would go round and you would soon be taken off their number list!!
 
suze said:
What a good story...would a whistle be a good thing to carry for people that going hiking in mountains etc in case they get lost?..or does this already happen?
Click to expand...

I believe hikers, potholers etc are advised to carry a whistle as a safety precaution. The sound is louder than shouting,and with less effort.
 
My father had an Acme whistle where he worked in a factory in the 1950's to signal when to start stop machines etc, he has still got it.....
 
After reading Florence Butlers thread with great interest I thought to myself I have a whistle very similar. Well Pete has had the dresser drawer out an low and behold there was my whistle. It is marked J.Hudson 40 Birmingham dated 1918. Pete was reading the other day that when the soldiers went to war they carried one of these whistles that would sound above the gunfire. Would anyone be able to help on this matter please?. I know John Houghton is paying a visit to the company in September so he may be interested. Jean.
 
Jean I have sent the photo's of Florence's police whistle to the Police Museum. Dave who runs the museum has contacted Hudson's to see if they can give any further info. It would be lovely to find A.R. Thomas's family.
I think a visit to Hudsons would be nice, we will have to speak to Lyn nicely!
 
This is the whistle but the camera didn't pick up on the engraving and am frightened to polish it as it is so old. Jean.
Photo unfortunately lost
 
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The arrow mark on the ring is a Army ordinance stamp, almost everything that belonged to the Army had this stamp on.
 
I have my Dad's whistle that he used as a fire watcher on top of Dunlop Base Stores.
It looks like a referees whistle, made of brass with chrome plate (Badly worn).
One side has AM with a crown and 23/230, the other side has 293/14/ & L1795
This is obviously an Air Ministry whistle, but Dad was a civvy, so why would he have it.?

I tried to post pictures but had a problem that.
 
Whilst decorating my dining room/office/radio room (the two latter descriptions are are a comment from 'er indoors from time to time) I came across two cylindrical whistles. They are quite similar and are stamped ARP (air raid precautions for those not old enough to remember WW2) with the address of the manufacturer - already mentioned in a previous post - J. Hudson & Co., Barr Street, Hockley, Birmingham.

I was not in the ARP (too young of course) but did get issued with these whistles when in the Fire Service. They still existed in the nineteen sixties, I guess, as we had not yet entered the throw away society. :disgust:

These whistles were replaced, in my Brigade in the nineteen seventies, by the 'Acme Thunderer' whistle which were louder in sound. The cylindrical whistle sound will be recognized by many former policemen and those who watch black and while films with police chases in them. The Acme one sounds like the whistles issued to railway guards.
 
G G Jean said:
After reading Florence Butlers thread with great interest I thought to myself I have a whistle very similar. Well Pete has had the dresser drawer out an low and behold there was my whistle. It is marked J.Hudson 40 Birmingham dated 1918. Pete was reading the other day that when the soldiers went to war they carried one of these whistles that would sound above the gunfire. Would anyone be able to help on this matter please?. I know John Houghton is paying a visit to the company in September so he may be interested. Jean.
Click to expand...
Hi Jean

The blog that we recently posted at https://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/blog/ww1-and-the-whistle/ may be of interest to you and readers of this post.
 
ACME Whistles have a very rich heritage and history that dates back to our founder Joseph Hudson in 1870. To commemorate the centenary anniversary of the end of The Great War, we have recently posted a blog that we think would be of great interest to readers on this forum. It details an integral part of our history and the role that whistles and our company played assisting the British Military during World War 1. You can read the blog at https://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/blog/ww1-and-the-whistle/.
 
Hi Crinmeister
thats very good news. to hear they are still operationional i found one in a shop up at upton on seven
And it waas branded one of there she was asking price was 1oo pounds i spoke to her about how i knew the factory and living close to it but she was not going to lower the price
 
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