Letter: The lost art of whistling

The lost art

of whistling

Sir: Jack O'Sullivan's article on police whistles and whistling generally revived many happy memories. In my desk drawer I have the police whistle which was carried for 29 years by my father, who was a sergeant in the Kent Constabulary, stationed for the last years of his time at Broadstairs police station.

On whistling as an art or skill, I met my husband on a train and boat returning from leave in 1943 to Northern Ireland when he whistled the whole of the 3rd movement of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, the Pastoral, right through. He and an RAF warrant officer once held a busful of RAF/WAAF types in silence whilst they whistled a long piece of Mozart right through.

STELLA COTTMAN

Bath