Phone box

[stephenfrank new]

Writing (slowly) a new police thriller set in the late 50s. Suddenly occurred to me what a massive difference mobile phones must have made to the police. Wonder how many badly injured cops staggered around searching for a phone to get assistance. Anyone recall those blue police phones you used to see, like Doctor who's Tardis. Could the public use them or just cops?

[Don the Mod]

Re: Phone box

They were for public use too Steve.

[findlay]

Re: Phone box

I seem to remember in the old days the Police had a very distinctive high pitched whistle, which they used to blow in any film I've ever seen about Jack the Ripper, every time they found a body in an alleyway, or was that just in the movies? I assume in the old days, there were enough coppers pounding the beat for their mate to be within earshot and come running.
The Fire Brigade issued us with an 'Acme Thunderer' whistle, to be kept in your tunic pocket, which was different to the Police whistle, it had a pea in it which rattled around, and it made a helluva noise when blown with any enthusiasm, but it was for emergencies, only to be used if you were in the shit. I never heard one blown in anger, thankfully.

[Dave Burgess]

Re: Phone box

Remember the owd Dr. Who Tardis cop boxes on every coppers beat tharrad a blower in. Used ta drag thi in theer n gi thi a clip if thi caught thi misbehavin, much better punishment than tekkin thi back ta thi gaff fer thi owd man ta dish the punishment out!

[bob9739]

Re: Phone box

Just dug my old whistle out after reading this thread, it's called The Metropolitan, In the days when you used to parade prior to going on duty the Inspector would shout "Show Appointments". You then produced Warrant Card, Whistle and truncheon prior to going on post ! Be lucky if you got a sound out of this whistle now. It's full of crap from lying in the bottom of a drawer for years !

[Pat Harley]

Re: Phone box

Got several versions of that whistle lying around the house and shed from a copper/bronze one to other nickle plated ones picked up over the years around camps and on exercises. Never had cause to use one so don't know why I keep them. Wasn't it 2 Para that traditionally had a whistle on the end of their blue lanyard in No2's?

[Dave Burgess]

Re: Phone box

Am sure some footy refs use a wooden whistle, the fukkin thing wood,nt whistle!

[bob9739]

Re: Phone box

Ha Ha ha ha, how true is that !

[Don the Mod]

Re: Phone box

We had a jacknife on the end of our lanyards. Bob, Steve, did we wear blue or beige (rope) coloured lanyards on the Dennisons?

[stephenfrank new]

Re: Phone box

I'm just straining the brain cells now, don. Pretty sure it was blue. Although, it could have been beige. I can't even remember where i put my coffee, ten minutes ago.

[findlay]

Re: Phone box

just looked up The Metropolitan Police whistle, and was surprised at how expensive they are on ebay, the most expensive one is being offered for £499.99, which astonished me. I'd look after all those whistles Pat, you could be sitting on a fortune. I looked up the Acme site, and they're still in business, making whistles, so someone must be buying them.

[Don the Mod]

Re: Phone box

Didn't Acme produce everything beep beep, who'd be a coyote...in roadrunner world?

[bob9739]

Re: Phone box

On the Dennison smock Don, it was a white rope lanyard with Jack knife attached. And before we had the 58 type webbing belt, we wore a 38 pattern webbing belt with back brasses removed and polished with black boot polish. During that time I believe the Regiment lads also wore a 38 pattern belt which was polished with maroon coloured renovator.

[findlay]

Re: Phone box

Acme, noun. The point at which something has reached it's best, or most highly developed.

Great name for a company..........great whistles! They even make a bosun's pipe.

[bob9739]

Re: Phone box

£499.00 for a whistle, they must have more bloody money than sense, if anyone wants one at that price tell them to contact me, I'm not that attached to the bloody thing !