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“Banham Security”, Southwark”: silver-grilled
“Banham Security” burglar alarm, Southwark • Before Banham developed their shield-shaped sounder they used all sorts of box styles, but this is the only shiny silver-grilled one I’ve found, and in...
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“Beanacre Alarms”, Frome: rural old bean
“Beanacre Alarms” burglar alarm, Frome • Just what you’d expect to find in the rural West Country, Beanacre is an obviously botanical name, as it sounds like an acre you grow beans on. And sure...
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“Gardner”, Gloucester: wrong kind of gardener
“Gardner Security” burglar alarm, Gloucester • Finally, a gardener to keep up with all these botanical sounders – though one with poor spelling, and in possession of a lion. I assumed it was this...
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“OxLox Alarm Systems”, Oxford: baton sounder
“OxLox Alarm Systems” burglar alarm, Oxford • Today I start a brief run of what, until someone tells me their proper name, I can only call “baton” sounders – these long, slim, rather elegant boxes,...
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“Civic Alarms”, Oxford: 1970s classic
“Civic Alarms” burglar alarm, Oxford • I like the way the red circle here suggests a “stop” sign, but also echoes the red bulb above it. It’s just one of many differently-designed Civic alarms from...
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“Anglia Property Guards”, Norwich: not Alan Partridge
“Anglia Property Guards” burglar alarm, Norwich • Strictly speaking this monogram reads AGP, rather than APG, although the G is pretty indecipherable. It’s just as well they spelled the whole name...
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“Jaguar Alarms London”, Wandsworth: holey cat
“Jaguar Alarms London” burglar alarm, Wandsworth • Presumably this minimalist and somewhat holed Jaguar is a vintage remnant of the Acton-based Jaguar Alarm Company featured here – a company later...
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“Glo Bell”, Westminster: self-referential
“Glo Bell” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • Sporting Edward Benguiat and Victor Caruso’s ever-popular Bauhaus font from 1975, this is the only red “baton” sounder I’ve ever found. I’ve seen quite...
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“Xtal”, Wandsworth: deprecated electronica
“Xtal” burglar alarm, Wandsworth • XTAL – what a brilliant sci-fi-sounding acronym, albeit unexplained. London’s 01 area code only lasted until 1990, so unless Xtal’s proprietor was deeply into...
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“Property Guard”, Westminster: wonky sentry
“Property Guard” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • This wonky sentry was found next to a dingy net-curtained window in the red light area of Soho, so I won’t speculate what kind of property his red...
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“Arlescourt Security”, Camden: hand of glory
“Arlescourt Security” burglar alarm, Camden • Severed hands are a popular image on burglar alarms, and quite apart from reminding thieves what appendage they might lose under sharia law, it’s an...
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“Sprint”, Camden: city speeding
“Sprint Security Systems” burglar alarm, Camden • If your burglar alarm goes off you need help fast, so it’s not surprising that swiftness is a popular security theme. This superb vintage Sprint,...
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“Swift Alarms Supplies”, Westminster: fast flier
“Swift Alarms Supplies Limited” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • There are billions (approx) of security firms featuring birds, but this is only the second Swift I’ve found – the other one is...
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“Security Express”, Camden: slanty-edged
“Security Express Alarms” burglar alarm, Camden • Bearing the ever-popular shield trope, this slanty-edged bell box is a type that was once quite popular – indeed, it’s still a common sight on old...
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“Britannia”, Southwark: patriotic lion
“Britannia” burglar alarm, Southwark • I end the Roman Britain theme as I began, with Britannia – I never tire of their swinging sixties-style logo, which wouldn’t look out of place in a Paul Smith...
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“Krypto Security”, Lambeth: Dracula’s castle
“Krypto Security” burglar alarm, Lambeth • Yet another Krypto – I love Krypto sounders. Especially this nicely-drawn design, which sports a proper turreted castle (unlike yesterday’s prisony thing)...
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“Bastion Protec Systems”, Dorking: defensible space
“Bastion Protec Systems” burglar alarm, Dorking • One of the very few “defensible space” sounders without an image on it, the name Bastion helpfully sums up all the alarms in this section. A bastion...
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“Rampart Security”, St Albans: un-illustrated
“Rampart Security” burglar alarm, St Albans • Apart from Bastion, this is the only fortification alarm featured that doesn’t actually picture its defences. It’s pasted over a vintage Shorrock, unless...
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“LanGuard Alarms”, Brighton: deja vu
“LanGuard Alarms” burglar alarm, Brighton • And another vintage shield-bearer – I guess shields were popular in the olden days. It’s very similar to yesterday’s box, but with a bulb. Is that Lan as in...
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“The Security Centre”, Newham: basic shape
“The Security Centre” burglar alarm, Newham • And so the shields get ever more basic. This is a similar shape to the SIS effort, yesterday – but at least it’s not filled in with biro. • Spotted:...
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