Disclaimer This blog is about the graphic design of burglar alarms and has no connection with the companies featured. Most photos show vintage sounders and are not the latest products of the firms under discussion. For up-to-date info on any company, please visit their official website.
Burglar Alarm Britain
Where vigilante culture meets vernacular design
Category Archives: Arrow
Home Security Services, Southwark: arrow-house
Posted by on May 11, 2013
“Home Security Services” burglar alarm, Southwark • Cross between a giant arrow and a house, and pretty old and faded. • Spotted: Riley Road, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Advanced Alarms, Oxford: big A
Posted by on March 31, 2013
“Advanced Alarms and Electrical Ltd.” burglar alarm, Oxford • Starting today: big letters. It’s a very popular trope, which means I have more than enough big letters to do practically a whole alphabet. And that’s exactly what I shall do: here’s the A. • Spotted: George Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Oxford East
“Management Security Services”, Lowestoft: twisted
Posted by on January 29, 2013
“Management Security Services” burglar alarm, Lowestoft • It’s a bit faded, but this MSS monogram is so tortuously twisted it looks like a piece of modern art. MSS also stands for “manuscript”, as do the initials of Midland Security Systems, who I haven’t featured yet (but will soon). • Spotted: Town centre, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Waveney
Ghost under “Arrow”, Chelsea: neat niche
Posted by on November 5, 2012
Ghost under “Arrow Security” burglar alarm, Kensington and Chelsea • I know I’ve already shown this Arrow, but in that post you couldn’t clearly see it was snuggling into the neat niche burrowed by a shield-shaped Banham (or one of their sub-brands). • Spotted: Beauchamp Place, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW3, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Kensington
“Direct Security”, Hackney: completist
Posted by on October 22, 2012
“Direct Security” burglar alarm, Hackney • In another blow for weapons completism, here’s a slightly later Direct arrow than the one featured here. They’re still using a label, but now sporting a white box an 0181 number, which was obsolete by 2000. • Spotted: Chatsworth Road, Hackney, London, E5, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington
“Arrow Security”, Chelsea: go faster
Posted by on October 21, 2012
“Arrow Security” burglar alarm, Kensington and Chelsea • A very completist entry as I’ve already shown a similar Arrow Security sounder here. This one looks newer, and the arrow’s more subtly shaded with thinner “go faster” stripes, and that’s about it… • Spotted: Beauchamp Place, Kensington and Chelsea, London, SW3, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Kensington
“Sentry Alarms”, Hull: furry hat
Posted by on September 28, 2012
“Sentry Alarms Limited” burglar alarm, Kingston upon Hull • It’s not just the Queen who’s guarded by blokes in giant furry hats – they’re very popular on burglar alarms, as we shall see. The one above is on a blameless wall in Hull, but here’s one I featured earlier that was decorating a brothel (seriously). • Spotted: Town centre, Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, HU1, England, 2005 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hull West and Hessle
“Premier”, East Grinstead: head of state
Posted by on June 2, 2012
“Premier” burglar alarm, East Grinstead • After sundry aristocrats and yesterday’s military dictator, our bigwigs are getting a bit more democratic. In many countries a premier is a head of state, and in some of those states – such as Britain – it’s interchangeable with the term Prime Minister. This handsome blue sounder comes from the deeply conservative town of East Grinstead (as quite a few of my bigwig alarms do), and could conceivably date back to the days of John Major, so I reckon it’s a Tory premier. • Spotted: High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Sussex Mid
“Alarmfast”, Glasgow: Caledonian sail
Posted by on May 16, 2012
“Alarmfast” burglar alarm, Glasgow • Here’s a more recent version of yesterday’s self-explanatory “fast” alarm. They’ve moved to the unusual tupperware box-style shape I featured here, and pruned their weird logo to simply the spindly triangle, which now looks like a hang glider sail, or perhaps an arrow. The red sandstone wall behind it shows this is from Glasgow: Alarmfast sounders are all over the place there, as befits a 20-year-old Caledonian firm. • Spotted: Merchant City area, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, G1, Scotland, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Glasgow Central
“Chevron Alarms”, Windsor: arrows over arrows
Posted by on April 3, 2012
“Chevron Alarms Protects” burglar alarm, Windsor • Finally, to end this “arrow” theme, what purports to be a chevron, but to my mind also passes as a double arrow, certainly in the typographical sense. And if you check out the wall I found it on (below), you’ll see there’s an architectural arrow directly above it. This is the last arrow for now: tomorrow, the rather less warlike theme of botanical sounders. • Spotted: St Leonards Road, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4, England, 2009 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Windsor
Hey, there's an arrow above the arrow!
“Direct Security”, Hackney: nice old arrow
Posted by on April 2, 2012
“Direct Security” burglar alarm, Hackney • This is a nice old arrow logo – it doesn’t even bother with “01″ on the phone number. I found it on a defunct tyre shop, which was encrusted with Direct’s devices – I also snapped an even older version, which I’ll wheel out one day. I wonder if this Direct has any connection with the boring Direct Site Services sounder I featured a few days ago? • Spotted: Chatsworth Road, Hackney, London, E5, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hackney North and Stoke Newington
“Wheelers”, Southwark: Zulu warrior
Posted by on April 1, 2012
“Wheelers Security Systems” burglar alarm, Southwark • If yesterday’s arrow-decorated shield was the sort a knight would use, this is more like a Zulu warrior’s. As well as an arrow and club crossed behind it, there’s a double-headed knotted arrow inside it. What the connection between African arrow overkill and an old-fashioned English name like Wheelers is, I don’t know – I always thought it was a posh fish restaurant. Hmm, maybe it’s a fish, not a shield… • Spotted: Tanner Street, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
“Shield Alarms”, Bristol: a hut made of arrows
Posted by on March 31, 2012
“Shield Alarms” burglar alarm, Bristol • This is a bit strange – a shield decorated with a hut (or possibly a gate) made out of long skinny arrows. But it’s from Bristol, and I’ve stopped being surprised by the weird sounder designs that emanate from that neck of the woods. For all I know, people in the West Country actually do live in huts made of arrows – which would presumably negate the need for burglar alarms. Although this sounder looks quite recent, of the squillions of Shield security firms on the internet, I can’t find one matching this particular logo. • Spotted: Queen Square, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Arrow Security”, Camden: weapon in flight
Posted by on March 30, 2012
“Arrow Security” burglar alarm, Camden • Now we move from purely symbolic direction arrows to the depiction of an actual weapon – one being fired at a burglar here, judging by the “flight” marks. Although I’ve seen a few of its sounders around and they look quite recent, I can’t find any trace of Arrow Security as a going concern on the internet – maybe it was this firm (random business directory ahoy) based in Camberley, Surrey. • Spotted: Kings Cross Road, Camden, London, WC1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
“Sharp Alarm Systems”, Derby: big bold pointer
Posted by on March 29, 2012
“Sharp Alarm Systems” burglar alarm, Derby • A big bold tabloid-style arrow from Sharp – albeit a trifle faded, and on what I think is a rather despised sounder amongst the burglar alarm cognoscenti. I like it, although it would be equally at home pointing to a car boot sale. The 20-year-old firm of Sharp Alarm Systems still exists, now with an even more tabloid-looking red, black and white design and some of those delta boxes that light up at night. • Spotted: Town centre, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Derby South
“Len Gunstone”, Bath: three arrows in one
Posted by on March 28, 2012
“Len Gunstone Bath” burglar alarm, Bath • Three arrows in one – or perhaps an arrow piercing a triangular rock – for Len Gunstone of Bath, whose sounder is taking a bath in Gay Street (no chortling at the back there). Oh, I’ve just realised – it’s also a naive monogram comprised of a very angular “L” (outer black triangle) and “G” (inner yellow triangle), with an arrow in the centre. Clever – but unreadable. Googling Len Gunstone throws up a 2012 website for a firm called BSA, aka Bath Security Alarms, whose logo is a cube inexplicably emerging from (or dropping into) a hole. Not one I’ve come across yet in the plastic. • Spotted: Gay Street, Bath, Avon, BA1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bath
“Direct Site Services”, Bristol: proverbial V-sign
Posted by on March 27, 2012
“Direct Site Services Ltd” burglar alarm, Bristol • Well, this arrow may be making the proverbial V-sign, but the logo is otherwise completely basic. I can’t find any evidence that this firm still exists in an operational sense, though they’re still listed at Companies House. • Spotted: Town centre, Bristol, Avon, BS1, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Primary Systems Ltd”, Camden: cardiac arrest
Posted by on March 26, 2012
“Primary Systems Ltd” burglar alarm, Camden • The medical-looking arrow here, with its zig-zag kink and bulging red blob, makes me think of an electrocardiogram trace tracking a pulmonary embolism. Combine this with the name Primary, and it conjures up primary health care trusts and hospitals. And that’s not a good thing, because it’s depressing. I can only find Primary Systems Ltd on useless old business directory sites, so I reckon the firm went into cardiac arrest itself. • Spotted: Covent Garden area, Camden, London, WC2, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
“Arrowe”, Birkenhead: sharp shooter
Posted by on March 25, 2012
“Arrowe Security Systems” burglar alarm, Birkenhead • Another alarm named after the Arrowe area of Wirral, this is an earlier incarnation of yesterday’s logo. That modern one was curving and wafty like a hot air diagram, in caring sharing hug-a-hoodie style. But this straight arrow harks back to a harsher, more forceful era – the kind of weapon to shoot an errant intruder stone dead. Nice! • Spotted: Shore Road area, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41, England, 2008 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Birkenhead
“Arrowe”, Derby: soapsuds to sounders
Posted by on March 24, 2012
“Arrowe Security Systems” burglar alarm, Derby • Although illustrated with an arrow, Cheshire firm Arrowe is not mis-spelled – its name refers to Arrowe Park and Hall in Wirral, an estate founded by Liverpudlian slave trader John Shaw, and later bought by cleaning products magnate Lord Leverhulme. These days the the park is owned by the local authority, the hall is a private care home, and the name is immortalised on a burglar alarm. From slaves to soapsuds to sounders: so goes the modern world. • Spotted: Town centre, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Derby South
“Tetco”, Tower Hamlets: corporate thrust
Posted by on March 23, 2012
“Tetco” burglar alarm, Tower Hamlets • This thrusting, self-piercing arrow is either strangely phallic or reminiscent of a devil’s tail. It has a late 1980s corporate feel: something Margaret Thatcher would have approved of on a BA plane’s tailfin, or the door of a privatised BT phone box. Calling your company “something-co” is equally corporate, but a risky strategy: it can sound impressive if the image is good enough, but it can also look pathetic with a shonky design. This just about falls in the former camp, so I assumed Tetco was quite a big operation. However Google only throws up a Tetco Security Systems in Deal, Kent that exists solely on business directory sites (aka business graveyards), and another registered in Cheshire that appears equally inactive. So despite its professional image and name, this firm is presumably defunct. • Spotted: Redchurch Street, Tower Hamlets, London, E2, England, 2006 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
“SecureAlot”, Hackney: greetings from Spamalot
Posted by on March 22, 2012
“SecureAlot” burglar alarm, Hackney • These aren’t quite arrows – more like half arrows or lances, which suits a name that sounds like a comedy knight from Monty Python’s Spamalot. Sir Securealot the Bonkers Burglar Alarm, perhaps – mates with Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-as-Sir Lancelot and Sir Bedevere The Strangely Flatulent. The firm’s website has lots of phone numbers but no HQ address, so maybe they do indeed hail from Camelot. • Spotted: Mehetabel Road, Hackney, London, E9, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hackney South and Shoreditch
“Access”, Lambeth: for Latin speakers only
Posted by on March 21, 2012
“Access Intruder Alarms Ltd” burglar alarm, Lambeth • Another swirly arrow, not as sophisticated as yesterday’s, and with a design verging on the basic. Via Google I found a Southampton firm with the same phone number and a similar name and logo, but when I went to their website I found this:
About Access Intruder Systems. Content Coming Soon. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nam non tortor purus, in ornare lacus. Aliquam erat volutpat. Morbi a nisl ipsum (etc etc in cod-Latin for quite some time). Call us today to arrange your FREE Survey.
So either they’ve not finished their website, they provide a bespoke service for Latin speakers, or they’re not around any more. • Spotted: Lower Marsh, Lambeth, London, SE1, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Vauxhall
Above: Access Intruder Systems' Latin-speaking website
“ESS”, Southwark: identifying arrows
Posted by on March 20, 2012
“ESS” burglar alarm, Southwark • Blimey, there are a lot of security firms called ESS. There’s the long-established Essex Security Services, who I’ve featured four times now. Then there’s ESS (Electronic & Security Services) in Northern Ireland, and ESS-Security Ltd of Leeds. But the swirly arrows in this logo point to Electronic Security Solutions of County Durham, albeit a long way from their Darlington base. Which proves the value of logos: without those identifying arrows, and the fact that ESS also picture them on their website, I’d have had no way of knowing which of the four firms was behind this sounder. • Spotted: Bermondsey Square, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
“APT”, Herne Bay: circuit diagram
Posted by on March 19, 2012
“APT” burglar alarm, Herne Bay • This has a logo of weird broken arrows which I can only assume refers to some kind of circuit diagram. Back in 2004, when I photographed this in Herne Bay, I later wandered past a junk shop which had the APT logo on its fascia. So, unless APT were combining security with a sideline in car boot sales, by that time they had either closed down or moved onwards and upwards. There’s still an APT Security in Kent boasting 20 years of experience and a much smarter logo, so maybe it was the latter. • Spotted: High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Thanet North
“Scamp Security”, Hull: odd acronym
Posted by on March 18, 2012
“Scamp Security Hull” burglar alarm, Kingston upon Hull • One red arrow pointing in, three green arrows pointing out – perhaps representing a burglar being caught by three scamps. Let’s face it, SCAMP is an odd acronym, but the Hull-based family firm still exists, so thanks to their website I know it stands for “Security Control, Alarm Monitoring and Patrols”. Or, in full, the double-secure “Security Control, Alarm Monitoring and Patrols Security”. Apparently the company was established in 1962 and changed its name to SCAMP Security in 1986, but what the original name was isn’t mentioned. Doubtless it was shorter. • Spotted: Town centre, Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, HU1, England, 2005 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hull West and Hessle
“BAT Alarm”, Birmingham: exploding arrows
Posted by on March 17, 2012
“BAT Alarm” burglar alarm, Birmingham • Robin – the Bat Alarm! Actually this belongs not to Batman but to Birmingham Alarm Technicians, whose square box was featured in the creatures theme here. My blurred shot of their delta sounder gets a showing in this arrows category thanks to – of course – its exploding arrows, which look a bit like a rotated version of the somewhat dubious “arrow cross” discussed yesterday. • Spotted: Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, West Midlands, B18, England, 2005 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Birmingham Ladywood
“Hoffman Security”, Lambeth: symbol of chaos
Posted by on March 16, 2012
“Hoffman Security” burglar alarm, Lambeth • I’ve already featured a white Hoffman box here, when I compared its arrow logo to the Dad’s Army credits. But the symbol also has more ancient origins: the central four-armed cross is a heraldic mark called the cross barbee, also known as the arrow cross, denoting movement in all directions. In the 1930s it was adopted by the Hungarian fascists, and has since become associated with extremist right wing groups such as the American Nationalist movement. The logo bears an even stronger resemblance to the eight-pointed “Symbol of Chaos” (definitely not something needed on a burglar alarm), a design first doodled the early 1960s by the writer Michael Moorcock in for his Elric of Melniboné stories and later taken up by role playing games, comic books, heavy metal groups and the like. All connotations which were totally unknown to Hoffman, I’m sure, who in fact based this logo on the joystick controls of a CCTV system. • Spotted: Brixton Road, Lambeth, London SW9, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood
Left, the cross barbee or arrow cross; right, the “symbol of chaos”
“CTAC”, City of Westminster: ancient artefact
Posted by on March 15, 2012
“CTAC” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • The arrowhead is an ancient artefact, and an ancient symbol – examples of both have been found dating back to prehistoric times. And examples of both can be found on this burglar alarm, which was discovered above a Covent Garden restaurant, rather than the entrance to a cave. The red shapes look like actual arrowheads, of the type fired from a bow; while the blue ones are more symbolic, in the sense of indicating direction – though diverging arrows can have more sinister readings too, as I shall discuss tomorrow. What CTAC stands for is unknown – the company’s website gives no clue, though it’s does say it’s a niche provider of high end security solutions, and a member of Westminster Group PLC. The attractive logo recalls a compass rose, so maybe one of the Cs stands for compass, and I bet AC is “access control”. • Spotted: Bow Street, City of Westminster, London, WC2, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cities of London and Westminster
“Westronics Ltd”, Lambeth: space-age creature
Posted by on March 14, 2012
“Westronics Ltd” burglar alarm, Lambeth • Finally, another un-nameable shape, which is a bit like the body of a sea creature, or less imaginatively a razor. Maybe the ascendancy of these rounded, amorphous shapes over the chunky, straight-edged forms of yore is due to the advent of computer-aided 3D modelling, something achievable on a laptop today but requiring NASA-like processing power not so long ago. The Berkshire family firm behind this box has appropriately space-age roots, having been founded in 1969, year of the first moon landing. That era is reflected in their logo, which I think is a condensed version of Blippo, a font from 1969 based on Bauhaus supremo Herbert Bayer’s influential “Universal Typeface” of the 1920s. I note that Westronics no longer uses this design of sounder, as demonstrated by the up-to-date deltas on their official website here. However it remains the only example of this shape I’ve come across, and I end with it because it also pictures the next theme, a weapon popular with ancient villains and security forces alike – the arrow. • Spotted: Lower Marsh, Lambeth, London, SE1, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Vauxhall
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