“Maxim Burglar Alarm” and “Enright Security” burglar alarms, Southwark • Two unusual old alarms clinging beneath a crown of barbed wire on the charmingly-named Sapphire Laundry, which – as the bottom image shows – is of the same vintage as the alarms. • Spotted: Pages Walk, Southwark, London, SE1, England, 2010 • Politics: In the Liberal Democrat constituency of Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Burglar Alarm Britain 
Mr Lander Snr was Alex Lander. Ronnie was his Son. I think originally they set up in Playfair St Glasgow, Then a factory unit in Possilpark Glasgow, Then custom built premises in Polmadie industrial estate. Maxim was opend in an Ex Dr Surgery.@ 69 Queenshill St Springburn Glasgow. Then onto 49 Millerbank St , Glasgow. Then onto a purpose.built.industrial and office complex.at.2 Wellington Rd.Lowmoss ind est. Bishopbriggs Glasgow.
I was 7 years old when my father John Mitchell left his job as service supervisor with Lander Alarms and Started MAXIM ALARMS. In 1965 unfortuetly my Father passed away in 2017. The shape of the outside bell cover was to prevent it from being lasooed off the wall it was originally oven enameled ( FORD ) Saluki bronze with MAXIM AUTOMATIC BURGLAR. ALARM … Spr 7617. Applied with Letraset then painted and Two coats of teckavite varnish. The backboard was 1.25″ parana pine ( Stronger and lasted longer than steel ). The S/A OSB in your picture was the second last version it hat a lip at the top which hooked.over the backboard and was ( MORRIS) Blaze orange. To match the 100 Morris Marina Vans which all had a full sized (MA ) New Image logo on the doors with MAXIM ALARMS LTD. in white lettering along the sides. These alarms were so advanced they were 100% powerd by Batteries 6v 991 osb 6v 991 + 3v cycle lamp bat in the control unit 2x 1.5v Flag Cells Stock life 3 years in use life of often 5+ years. Due to the 3 milli.amp current consumption. The only time we connected to mains power was 12v.psu for Volumetric units Ultrasonics Microwaves. Pirs. Pecs. Ect.
In all forms there were around 15,000. To 20,000 installations in total.
Mob 07505 144701.
Thanks for posting this history, I think it will be of great interest to other commenters here
Hello there, don’t know if you’ll see this but i still have one of those second to last generation Maxim covers complete with backplate. Almost brand new aswell as i think it was installed under cover.
Doesn’t have anything inside though as it was gutted before i got my hands on it although i do have the exact style of eveready battery it would’ve had inside when first installed (correct me if I’m wrong) in the late 1970s. Still holds a bit of charge all these years later!
I forgot to explain the logo which is an eye with a yellow flash, which is meant to represent an electronic eye. I seem to remember it was designed by a customer from our previous company who was a bit of an arty person in the UK & USA.
I really like the design, which has a touch of sci-fi about it. I will be doing a theme on eyes one day, so unless I can find another example, this one will be featuring again in close-up.
Hi Mike
I installed that sounder I am still installing security systems in ireland
i am in slighhtly better condition than the sounder.
Joe Robinson
I can’t believe the person who installed this has commented on it. Amazing! Thanks for contributing.
Hi Joe, it’s good to hear from you. I write to Eddy every Christmas and he couldn’t remember Sapphire Laundry. Are you on Facebook if so look me up, we could have a good old chat.
Which one?
I started Enright Security in 1976 with Eddy Enright, hence the name of the company. We were based in Wimbledon south west London and sold to Lander Alarms in 1982. I stayed with Lander Alarms as Branch Manager until 1985 when Eddy Enright and I started Westec Security based down the road in Wandsworth. In 2001 Eddy wanted to retire to Australia so we sold to ADT. You will see many more of our boxes in south west & west London and Surrey than in soth east London.
I mention Westec because if you visit Google Maps and go to Pages Walk, then drag the yellow man onto Pages Walk and go next door to a newer building of Sapphire Laundry you will see a white triangular bell box, which is a Westec Security box.
The Enright Security box is the Radiovisor type I mentioned in an earlier post on Lockstock Security.
Welcome to Burglar Alarm Britain Mike, and thanks for all your informative comments so far. It’s fascinating to hear the stories behind these boxes. I’m amazed how common it seems to have been to sell out to bigger firms such as ADT. I have done a lot of burglar alarm hunting in Surrey, but this is the only Enright I have found so far. Regarding Lander, there is a long piece about them elsewhere on this blog and I would be interested to learn more about them.
PS I have a photo of the very Westec alarm on Pages Walk you mention – plus several others – but it is waiting until I do a “global” theme to be published.
Lander Alarms was started just after WWII in Scotland by Mr Lander senior who I believe was a Polish refugee, I will try and remember his name for your reference. It grew to be the largest BA company in Scotland. Around 1980 they were aquired by Ready Mixed Concrete who were based in Feltham Middlesex, who had their fingers in lots of pies, for example they built Thorpe Park from an old sand pit.
In these early days RMC acquired Standfast in Sunningdale which I believe was done because the MD of RMC lived in Sunningdale. They built the company to around 30 branches over the next few years, some by aquisition and some by new start up branches.
In 1982 they acquired my company Enright Security and Rentokil Security who had a monitoring centre in Peckham S.E. London, so establishing themselves in London and S.E. England.
To be honest Ron Lander was not the driving force of the company in the south, just a figure head really. I believe he concentrated in his own business and lived in Scotland, but still got involved in Lander Alarms whilst he still had shares in RMC, probably had a three year contact when he sold, it is usual that there is a three year contract between both parties when selling a BA company.
In the south Lander Alarms was run by Keith Hobbs, based in Farnham Surrey who was an RMC accountant and was involved initially in the acquisitions and then became a Director of Lander Alarms. He later was involved with Brittania Security, Hambro Countrywide Security and Protection One.
Around 1985 Lander Alarms had a new MD whos name I can’t remember, I believe he was previously a Director of Granleys when it was owned by RCA or Chloride.
As footnote another great British company has gone, RMC sold to CEMEX a few years ago.
I acquired a vast amount of paperwork on the security industry over the years going back to the late 60s when I joined the industry, I didn’t think anyone would be interested in any of it and threw it away last year when I had a clear out before I retired to the island of Menorca.
Very useful information, thank you. I would be interested to know Lander senior’s first name. What a huge industry this is, but very much “under the radar”. Pity about the paperwork but I can understand why you threw it away!