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Monthly Archives: November 2018
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November 28, 2018
Writing a poem for ACME Whistles.
by Gabriella Gay (GKA Gay)
With one toot every cop and robber, runner, budding footballer, bulldog, plane and dancer stood still to attention. I learned very quickly in my year training to teach that my cheap plastic whistle, used for years at carnival, was not enough. Its half-heard whimper left the children that actually stopped quite confused, while the other half continued their games until they spotted the statues amongst them. The best teachers and teaching assistants invested in a good whistle and kept it hung around their necks. They were always ready for playtime duty, P.E, lunchtime and the rare occasion where a hand in the air, sharp ‘Are we ready?’ or the pure powerful presence of standing still was not enough.
In a voice care workshop we were told that the best way protect your voice but still be heard clearly from afar was to speak in a high pitched twangy politician style tone. I never tried it with
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November 14, 2018
Team GB – 20th Anniversary Vizsla European Field Trial Championship (Europa Cup); Hungary 26 hours of driving (6 people & 4 dogs in a Transit van) saw us finally arrive at our hotel just over the border in Hungary. Admittedly we did stop off for a few hours for some last-minute polishing and a bite to eat at one of our very hospitable opponents in Austria.
All booked in and some real food, the team and dogs rested. The following day was spent acclimatising the dogs. On the Thursday, late afternoon we headed to the Championship Headquarters where we met up with the rest of Team GB. All the wonderful equipment supplied by our sponsors was presented to each handler by the Team Captain and the booking in of Team GB began.
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November 07, 2018
Whistles have played a vital role on the battlefield throughout ACME’s 149-year history.
Many commands, including the famous ‘over the top‘ signal, were issued by whistles made at our factory in the Midlands and they soon became the official government-issue infantry whistle. Shouting was lost against the dreadful and overwhelming hurricane of sound that was guns firing, bombs and shells screaming earthwards and exploding. The noise was felt as well as heard as each side sought to not just damage but demoralise the other.
The whistle with its distinctive, discordant note spoke through the background noise as the voice of authority. To the chaos and terror, it brought order.
Carrying On Against All Odds
So important to the war effort was this small item that the British government seized control of the factory to ensure that whistle production was kept going. When bombs hit the ACME factory (falling from zeppelins whose real target was probably the nearby Kynoch