Acme Whistles. A Great British Company.

I have a very old Acme Police whistle sitting on my desk at home; I can't remember where I found it, but it is a perfect thing. Acme are a fascinating British company; founded in Birmingham in the early 1800s and still making whistles there today. Things took off for the company in 1883 when they were approached by the Metropolitan Police to see if they might design something to replace the rattles that bobbies had previously used to alert their colleagues and the public to danger. Joseph Hudson -the founder- came up with a whistle that could not only be heard at a range of over a mile but could also be held in the mouth, thus leaving both hands free. And the rest is history. Today Acme make 93 different whistles and claim that every whistle made anywhere in the world owes its existence to Acme. This is the sort of company we should celebrate and support.