We are so delighted to be collaborating with ACME Whistles! As champions of British manufacturing and huge fans of waggy tails we were intrigued by the ‘silent’ dog whistle….

Teddy Maximus is all about fun, luxury British style, we create beautiful accessories for you and your dog… you might have seen us in the Sunday Times Style mag recently, or perhaps you’ve spotted a pup travelling in style in one of our dog carriers – it certainly is a dog’s life! Inspired by my dachshund Teddy, the brand was born in 2015 and is now loved by dogs and their owners across the world!

We first met ACME Whistles in Florida at the Global Pet Expo and connected over our passion for British craftsmanship – we were immediately drawn to the heritage and quality of the products, resulting in our beautiful new Keyring Charm designed and made in the UK for stylish dog owners.

The ‘silent’ dog whistle is fascinating! There are so many things we love about it! We were amazed to learn that the sound of the ‘silent’

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 the kids. I could just picture their laughter.

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.

Team Captains, some with translators headed off to the Team Captains meeting whilst the rest of the 12 countries mingled at the bar reigniting old friendships and forging new ones. After the Captains meeting the draw was made and all competitors were

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 munitions works) instructions

Behind every one of ACME Whistles’ iconic designs there is a story to be told. Perhaps the most compelling is a story that began at the turn of the 20th Century, and still resonates with us to this day. At its heart, it is about our proud military history, but it is also about the servicemen and women and the everyday details that formed their experience of war.

This year, 2018, marks the 100 year anniversary of the end of WWI. A dark time in world history, it was also an age of innovation and hope as people from all walks of life came together to do their bit for the war effort. For ACME Whistles, this period marked the start of a close relationship between the British military and the humble whistle company from Birmingham.

A Vital Role In British Military History

Ben McFarlane, our Head of Sales and Marketing, sums it up perfectly: "ACME Whistles has played an important role in so many era-defining moments throughout British history, including being a reliable tool for soldiers in WWI.

Here we are again - four years on from the last World Cup semi final - and the fans are in a frenzy as they worship their heroes and pillory their villains. We have made more appearances in the World Cup - and in the final - than any team or player.

Who are we?

We are the Acme Whistle.

We were there in 1966 when we did something really unusual and heart-warming. We blew an England victory. Before then, or indeed after then, all we have done is blow England out of the competition. What joy to, at last, have given a triumphant roll of the pea. These days they can’t do that with their airfast (no pea) Tornado whistles. The long drawl that you can only get from an Acme Thunderer is not like any other football referees’ call, so therefore unmistakeable, and was always what signalled the end of time. You listened for that sound as you knew it wasn’t a foul or a free kick, it was the final word.

World Cup Winners of '66

We never knew what had become of the whistle used 52 years ago until 2014

The 2018 Over-50s Masters Football World Cup in Spain

This year, ACME Whistles have enjoyed the privilege of sponsoring the England Team Over-50s Masters Football World Cup in Spain.

Founded in 2006, the Over-50s Masters is the brainchild of Dr Harry Hubball. Initially, it was part of a research project for the University of British Columbia and features teams of players falling into specific age ranges. In teams of 5, they compete against other teams from around the world to be the proud winners of the Masters Soccer World Cup.

What we found extremely appealing about this tournament is the fact that the competition brings together people from all over the world, with different backgrounds and cultures, for a thoroughly enjoyable sporting event.

ACME Whistles - Sponsors of the England Over-50s Masters Team

As sponsors to the England team, England Old Stars, it was exciting to be a part of this relatively new sporting tradition which supports and encourages people of all ages to pursue their

There is no doubt that different whistle users have different styles of blowing their chosen whistles. The classic example, often quoted in whistle lore, is the world-famous rugby referee whistle.

It is designed to offer a range of sounds depending on how the breath pressure is varied. This enables the referee to “talk” with their whistle, which is thanks to the thoughtful and tried and tested design of our sports whistle models.

A gentle blow of the rugby referee whistle can be given to signal to the players, “enough of that, I’ve seen you, no more now!” Alternatively, a strong, furious blow can say ”that is a serious offence, do that again and you’ll be sent off.“

It can be so expressive that a blind man, listening to a game of rugby, could tell by the referee’s use of the whistle, exactly what the atmosphere of the match was, at bad tempered times and lighthearted ones.

So how do you blow your whistle?

The golden rule is you can only get out what

Learning from the best at ACME Whistles

My name is Lukas Ting, I am 18 years old and I live in Germany. My school asked me to do work experience in a foreign country. I decided to do two weeks of work experience with ACME Whistles to get an idea of what it is like to run such a big and internationally successful company.Of course, I had some expectations before I came to the UK.

I thought it would be strict and formal, but not in a bad way. I also expected a strict relationship between the employees and the management, in the way that the employees only follow the orders from the management. My biggest expectation was to learn a lot about economics and macroeconomics and to understand how you lead a company to success. I also wanted to get to know the English culture, and the living and working habits.

Two weeks with the ACME Whistles team

In the past two weeks I’ve worked in almost all the different departments at ACME. In the first week, I worked in all the production departments; in

An ACME Whistles Showcase

It’s Spring Fair time once again in Birmingham at the National Exhibition Centre - the UK’s biggest gift fair and one of the half dozen top shows worldwide - and it is the perfect platform to showcase our ACME Whistles Prestige Range of high end, precious metal jewellery and gift whistles.

The other great feature of the Spring Fair is that the visitors come from so many different backgrounds you never know who you are going to meet next, and what unusual use for your products you will encounter. It was at this show that our fun invention, The Loch Ness Monster Call, was born as well as the ‘Kit-Kat’ duck call which found its place in their famous TV advert. This year’s show did not disappoint in producing unusual customers as I will mention later.

All Time Favourites ACME Thunderer & Police Whistles

The miniature Thunderer whistles proved a big hit. Sterling silver always attracts, but the big star of the show was rose gold. It outsold all other finishes three