THE sound of the Holloway whistle will return to Stroud tomorrow (Thursday) at 8am for the first time in more than 40 years.

BBC Radio Gloucestershire Breakfast Show presenter Mark Cummings has made it his mission to revive this historic sound after being inspired by a call from Stroud resident Faye Woodward.

She has fond memories of helping her father sound the whistle to let the workers know it was time to go home.

He worked at the factory and when it closed in 1975 he was given the whistle as a gift.

Cheltenham-based steam management company Spirax Sarco have managed to get the whistle working again.

The next challenge was to take the whistle to Brick Row in Stroud where Faye used to walk every evening with her dad to sound it.

A steam traction engine will be arriving at 6am to complete the mission tomorrow morning.

As well as bringing this historic ‘wake-up call’ back to The Five Valleys, Mark will also be exploring the pioneering story of The Holloway Company, which still exists today.

Mark will host his show from Brick Row joined by former Holloway workers, and will start a journey through the 1950s and recreate the trip into work on the bus from Chalford with a couple who were 15 at the time.