Blowing a whistle for Birmingham 2022



With two years - yes two years to almost the day - a team of Birmingham locals are spearheading a new interactive campaign to give the Commonwealth Games of 2022 a proper Brummie welcome.

The Big Whistle aims to encourage the people of Birmingham, the United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth to come together at 20:22 on the 28th July 2022 for a 'good old whistle'.

Inspired by the 'All the Bells' celebration to the start of the 2012 London Olympics, The Big Whistle will honour the Birmingham link to the whistle which started with Joseph Hudson, a Birmingham toolmaker in the late 19th century who became the largest manufacturer of whistles in the world.

Mark Gribben, partner at B Creative, the team behind The Big Whistle, said "The history of Birmingham and its people are entwined with the whistle, so we thought it only right that we use it to welcome the Commonwealth Games to our fantastic city.  We are really encouraging people to get behind this campaign and to help make it the loudest welcome to Birmingham you could ever whistle up."

Why a Whistle?  Joseph Hudson set up J Hudson & Co in Birmingham in 1870.  With his younger brother James, he designed the 'Acme City' brass whistle which became the first used in Association Football and after designing a superior police whistle Hudson's went on to become the largest manufacturer of whistles in the world.  150 years old, Acme whistles is still selling its whistles around the world.  You can visit their website at: https://www.acmewhistles.co.uk/about-us

The whistle as a toy, a small decorative items showing the great manufacturing skills with metal in Birmingham, https://www.revolutionaryplayers.org.uk/birmingham-the-toyshop-of-europe/, together with its use in sport fit nicely in to the arms of the city containing figures of industry and art.  The Big Whistle sounds loudly a warm Brummie welcome to the Commonwealth Games 2022 and I look forward to blowing my whistle at 20:22 on the 28 July 2022.

Keep up to date with the latest news following The Big Whistle 2022 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Comments

Popular Posts