“Quantum Security” burglar alarm, Camden • Basically a discrete energy packet, from the Latin for “quantus,” meaning “how much”. Although the logo looks more like the planet Saturn. • Spotted: Parkway, Camden, London, NW1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
“Ecolarm Swindon” burglar alarm, Cirencester • Even if “Eco” here stands for economy rather than ecology, I think it’s fair to include it under the science theme – after all, Victorian historian Thomas Carlyle dubbed economics “the dismal science”. • Spotted: Town centre, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cotswolds
“TEC” burglar alarm, Derby • They should have called it TUC, like the crackers. They’ve got a yellow cover, too. • Spotted: Town centre, Derby, Derbyshire, DE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Derby South
“Eurotech” burglar alarm, Camden • Ah, the heady days before the Euro crumbled. • Spotted: Covent Garden area, Camden, London, WC2, England, 2004 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Holborn and St Pancras
“Telecom Security Direct” burglar alarm, Camden • Now we move from tronics to telecoms, also quite a popular technical trope. The word Telecom gets bandied about quite a bit, so not sure if this striking old sounder is the same firm as the later Telecom box featured here. • Spotted: Flask Walk, Camden, London, NW3, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn
“Security Surveillance Ltd” burglar alarm, Hackney • Finally, a couple of camera-based techy alarms. At least I think this is meant to be a camera, it looks more like an early 1990s boom-box, or some kind of radar gun. • Spotted: Nazrul Street, Hackney, London, E2, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hackney South and Shoreditch
“Matrix Security” burglar alarm, Brighton • Has lots of connotations, including an incomprehensible and increasingly crappy film franchise. But it’s also a mathematical term, meaning a rectangular array of elements. And the word offers designers the chance to use a giant ‘X’, which is always good. • Spotted: Surrey Street, Brighton, East Sussex, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Green constituency of Brighton Pavilion
“Micro-Vision Fire and Security” burglar alarm, Stroud • Maybe a throwback to the days when computers were called micros; or maybe just a claim to catch very small burglars. • Spotted: Threadneedle Street, Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Stroud
“Hawk” burglar alarm, Exeter • What a grumpy-looking bird! I found it on a fish shop (well, aquarium supplies), thus doubling its relevance to this update of the creatures theme. • Spotted: Market Street, Exeter, Devon, EX1, England, 2013 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Exeter
“Quantum Security” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • Judging by the name, this is possibly meant to represent an atom. But it looks more like Saturn, so I’ve included it under astronomy too. • Spotted: New Cavendish Street, City of Westminster, London, W1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cities of London and Westminster
“Titan” burglar alarm, Oxford • Giant Greek god aka the largest moon of Saturn – a nice resonant burglar alarm name for the profs of Oxford. • Spotted: Hythe Bridge Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Oxford East
“Ades Burglar Alarm” burglar alarm, Bristol • I really like this weird old 1970s disco-style logo I found in Bristol, home of one squillion burglar alarm firms. It’s probably meant to be soundwaves emanating from a bell, but looks more like a lot of crescent moons surrounding a planet, so I’m including it in the astronomy category too. The colour of the box may be significant: Ades is an unusual surname thought to derive from the Hebrew for “red”. • Spotted: Gloucester Street, Bristol, Avon, BS2, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bristol West
“Solar Security” burglar alarm, Lambeth • It’s a nice sunny colour, but operates in a 100% non-solar-powered fashion. • Spotted: Atlantic Road, Lambeth, London, SW9, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Dulwich and West Norwood
“Sun Alarm” burglar alarm, Tower Hamlets • Looks more like a gas hob on low than a sun (to me, at least – but then I’ve got a particularly crap gas cooker). • Spotted: Columbia Road, Tower Hamlets, London, E2, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
“Universal Security Group” burglar alarm, Great Missenden • Ah, the universe. So enormous, they named a burglar alarm after it. • Spotted: Town centre, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Chesham and Amersham
“AAI” burglar alarm, City of Westminster • Another triangular A-based monogram, specially designed to fill the whole delta. I hope Andy from AAI, a regular contributor to this blog, will forgive me for showing a somewhat vintage example; there’s a newer version here. • Spotted: Margaret Street, City of Westminster, London, W1, England, 2012 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Cities of London and Westminster
“AE” burglar alarm, Marlborough • I’m assuming this is a triangular monogram saying AE, which would be a clever piece of typography. Alternately it could represent a 3D letter “A” with stripey sides. Either way, like yesterday’s AAI, it’s clearly designed to fill the whole delta – and unlike this wonky ASG, is protected from pigeons / seagulls, too. • Spotted: Town centre, Marlborough, Wiltshire, SN8, England, 2007 • Politics: In the Conservative constituency of Devizes
Nameless blue Eurobell burglar alarm, Lambeth • We’ve just had triangles; now for a miscellany of my favourite circular sounder – the Eurobell. Here’s one in its unadorned state, though I think it once said “Essex Security Services” (like this one). • Spotted: Newport Street, Lambeth, London, SE11, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Vauxhall
“Alert Security” burglar alarm, Islington • There’s a mini-monogram on this faded oldster if you look closely – an A in a shield up at the top. To my mind (ie the sad mind of a graphic designer), it makes a rather attractive composition with its background of semi-painted wall (see below). • Spotted: Camden Passage, Islington, London, N1, England, 2011 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Islington South and Finsbury
“GM” burglar alarm, Tower Hamlets • Mysterious monogram, presumably not standing for General Motors or Genetically Modified. Or even Geometric Moniker. • Spotted: Wrexham Road, Tower Hamlets, London, E3, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Bethnal Green and Bow
