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    Christmas Quiz

    Yes, I have a couple of them. One is unnumbered. The other is 9520. They were numbered from 6102 for some reason.
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    Christmas Quiz

    Yes. Simon Topman can be slightly out with his dates. The name The Acme was registered in 1886. I have The Acme escargots from that date. They are not ‘Thunderers’. What I think he means is Hudson started turning out Thunderer style whistles that year. ie large escargot pea whistles. I have met...
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    Christmas Quiz

    Not quite. Hudson made his first Acme escargot whistles around that time. That is true. The Thunderer was a name used by other whistle makers before Hudson. He started using the Thunderer name in the late 1890s. There was even a court case with Alfred De Courcy over its usage.
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    Lake Family. Birmingham City Police Whistle

    Frank, do you have a photo of the whistle? Hudson Metropolitan whistles don’t as a rule carry an officer’s number. Many did have serial numbers, though.
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    Heaton

    Hi. I know Chris Heaton-Ward. Descended from Fanny Heaton, who married gun maker H.Arthur Ward. He used to live in Sutton Coldfield.
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    Acme Whistles

    J. Hudson or A. De Courcy
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    Acme Whistles

    An RAF issue. For testing radio equipment. Official! 1971 issue.
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    Acme Whistles

    The one on the left is a general service whistle, dating between 1885 and 1890. The change over to the next address took place around 1888, but they didn‘t move. The premises was re-numbered 11-13 Barr Street. It took a couple of years to start using the new stamp, I discovered.
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    Air Raid Wardens And Police

    I have a particular interest in Hudson’s and have a decent size collection of their whistles. This is one of the first Metropolitan Police whistles they turned out Spring 1884?
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    the beehive pub soho hill

    Thanks Lyn. This pic has been posted previously, showing the Beehive and next door, probably 1930s.
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    the beehive pub soho hill

    That cream coloured house next door was the home from around the 1840s of William Dowler, whose family business was mostly held on Great Charles Street. They were bell hangers, brassfounders, Military ornament makers, button, and whistle makers (my interest) from as early as the 18th century.
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    Gaskell and Chambers

    Gaskell & Chambers interest me as they originally took over the premises of the Yates family who had occupied 37-43 Coleshill Street from as early as the early 1800’s. The patriarch of the family Thomas Yates was a die sinker from around 1788. His grandsons included the Mayor of Birmingham Edwin...
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    334 Monument Road

    Hi. Did you find the postcard for 3 Friston? That would be Francis Barrall’s hardware shop. He later moved to Ledsham Street. His father was a renowned whistle maker; John Barrall, who lived at 19 Friston Street.
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