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Page 17 - Ben Mcfarlane
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- November 28, 2022
Here in Britain we are fortunate to have some of the most beautiful countryside in the world, with sand and shingle beaches, rolling hills, verdant woodland, and pastoral farmland to be enjoyed. Walking and cycling are all excellent ways to explore the countryside, but you truly can’t beat a trip on one of Britain’s most famous and best loved scenic rail journeys to truly soak in the serene, picturesque surroundings.
Whether you are a locomotive enthusiast or simply want to cross a famous rail journey off your bucket list, you’ll be spoiled for choice when looking at heritage rail routes in Britain.
ACME Whistles has long been associated with rail and locomotion and to this day, you can spot our locomotive whistles being used by rail staff up and down the country. The ACME Thunderer is the most popular among conductors and railway guards because it has a distinct, shrill call that makes it easily heard over the hectic sounds of the railway. A commemorative engraved whistle bearing the name
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- November 17, 2022
Owning a dog comes with a high level of responsibility whether you have a miniature breed or a giant. From an early age, every dog needs to undergo a socialisation process to get them used to the sights, sounds and smells of everyday life and to help them learn how to become good citizens. There are some commands that are seen as vital for every dog to know, such as sit, stay, and down. One of the most important but often overlooked skills that a dog needs to learn is recall.
Even if you never intend to allow your dog free reign off-lead, there is always a chance that your dog may one day slip their lead or otherwise get away from you, and you will need to know that you can reliably get them back if this happens. This is where strong recall conditioning is vital. One of the best ways to instil good recall in your dog is to use a dog training whistle as a tool for communication.
It is entirely possible that you can train recall using your voice, but there are proven benefits to using a whistle
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- November 09, 2022
In the past few years ACME Whistles has celebrated reaching a milestone that any company in the UK would be proud of. With a pedigree spanning over 150 years, we have learned a thing or two along the way and are proud of our British manufacturing history. We firmly believe in the quality of British craftsmanship and demonstrate this with every whistle that leaves our factory floor.
It is said that the best ideas stand the test of time, and this is certainly true. Our oldest designs are some of our most popular and enduring, setting the benchmark for how a finely crafted whistle is supposed to look and feel. To this day we test every whistle by hand to ensure it meets our highest standards, before sending them off to be shipped around the world.
Creative beginnings
Joseph Hudson was an inventor. In 1870 his curious mind set him onto a path that would see his company become an integral part of British history. The story goes that, as he was busy in his workshop, his violin was dropped onto
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- November 03, 2022
Any experienced birder will have a set of equipment they always pack when heading out to pursue their hobby, but if you are a complete beginner then the chances are that you have been relying on your eyes and ears alone to spot and identify birds. It might be true that these natural senses are all you need to appreciate avian species in the UK, but there are certainly a few things that can help you to have an even better experience. This brief guide is for any novice birder looking to put together a bird watching kit they can use in the field, whether they are heading into the countryside or sticking to the more urban areas.
A small notebook
Every birder knows the rush that comes when they manage to spot a new or favourite species in the wild and will keep a record of which species they have seen, when and where the sighting took place, sketches of the animal, and other notes such as the sex of the bird and its behaviour. Get yourself a small, pocket sized notebook that you can use to record
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- October 27, 2022
Whistles are something we are all familiar with, even if they’re not something you may engage with on a daily basis. Often, people will have their first experience of whistles as children, with penny whistles, pea whistles, and sliding whistles being popular gifts for young ones. The distinct call of a whistle is also a strong memory from PE lessons and lunch times at school and can be a fond memory of childhood days.
Before we get into the history of whistles as a musical instrument, we should first spend a moment to explain what whistles are and how they work. Essentially, a musical whistle is something that can be used to create sound by applying air pressure, such as a breath. Whistles are basically made up of two parts: a mouthpiece through which air is applied, and a body that is hollow. Whistles take on many shapes and sizes and can be made from a huge variety of materials, but historically they are made to be relatively small and lightweight.
The first musical whistles
The technology
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- October 19, 2022
You might think that whistles are a very simple thing, and that one whistle is much the same as the next. As a company with a long and fascinating history as a whistle manufacturer, we humbly inform you that this is not the case! Whistles come in all shapes and sizes, and their uses and applications can vary dramatically.
For example, did you know that as well as the traditional whistle that a football referee might use there are also industrial whistles that are used to help keep workers safe while they operate machinery, and that vessels such as the Titanic were home to enormous whistles used to signal to other ships in low visibility?
Whistles have also been used historically for some very important things. Something that we are extremely proud of is the fact that ACME Whistles has been able to play a role in supporting our troops and allies at key moments in history. As a specialist whistle manufacturer, we were trusted to produce whistles and other products that were used during WW1
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- October 11, 2022
The ACME Clicker is undoubtedly one of our most interesting and iconic pieces. While it may not technically be a whistle, it has been an extremely important part of our range since the 1940s and carries with it some truly fascinating history. Also known as the ACME Cricket, it is made from spring steel and has a thumb rest on one side. To operate the clicker you will hold it in one hand with the spring steel upwards against your thumb, and give it a firm press. This will flex the steel and put tension onto the metal which creates the clear sound.
As with all of our products, the Clicker has a role and function that is more important than you might think. If you have followed the history of ACME Whistles for the last few years you will know that we ran a campaign called ‘The Lost Clickers of D-Day’. If not, you might be surprised to learn that the ACME Clicker was used extensively as a WW2 clicker by 101st Airborne Division when flying over and landing in Normandy for the D-Day operations
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- October 03, 2022
As a nation of animal lovers and dog owners, it’s no surprise that dog ownership is on the rise in the UK. From Labradors to Lhasa Apsos, dogs come in all shapes and sizes. Whether we have a miniature lap dog, or one of the larger breeds, it is our responsibility to provide a good level of training. By ensuring that every dog in our care is trained well and is able to behave well in the home and when out and about, we can help them become the best companions for our families.
Certain breeds of dogs have a reputation for being more difficult to train than others. While this can be true in some cases, the vast majority of dogs can be trained perfectly well once you have found the tools and techniques that work for them. For a good number of years now, dog training and behavioural experts have shown a strong preference for positive reinforcement techniques because they give the best results and help create happy, well socialised dogs.
The benefits of positive reinforcement
Positive reinforcement,
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- September 26, 2022
You may not have considered this before, but whistles make a wonderful gift for friends and family, and are also the perfect opinion for those in need of extra special corporate and commemoration gifts. They can be a surprising, attractive, and highly practical gift item for many different occasions, and every single one made by ACME Whistles is produced to an exceptional standard here in our UK-based factory. Whether you are in need of one special engraved whistle for a loved one’s birthday, retirement or anniversary, or 1000 as giveaway gifts for your business or for an expo, ACME Whistles is able to provide you with the perfect solution.
Our most popular whistles
There are many different types of whistle in our collection and some are general purpose while others have more niche uses. For example, the ACME Thunderer is perhaps the most popular whistle we make and is perfect for all kinds of applications. It is used frequently in sporting events, by teachers, in the military, and by anyone
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- September 26, 2022
With 50 days until England face Japan in the Autumn Nations Series at Twickenham, we're proudly partnering with the RFU on a nationwide campaign to celebrate female rugby referees around the country.
A female referee will be showcased every day in the build up to the international on November 12th, highlighting their story and passion for the game. This group of 50 #INSPIRE female referees will then have the opportunity to come together on the pitch at Twickenham at the England v Japan Autumn International to celebrate women in refereeing, minutes before kick-off.
From 50 to 500!
The campaign is all part of a drive to bring more female referees into the sport, with the target of training 500 new female rugby referees by the end of 2024. In partnership with RFU, Ruck and and some of the biggest refereeing names in the sport, this celebration of female referees around the country is aimed to inspire more women to join the sport.
“It’s so important to bring more women into rugby,” said Leonie
