Three Brocks burglar alarms, Camden • The one top left is an ancient Brocks – you can see a better one here. The other two are a different ancient Brocks design, which probably looked like this when new. • Spotted: Kilburn High Road, Camden, London, NW6, England, 2006 • Politics: In the Labour constituency of Hampstead and Kilburn
Burglar Alarm Britain 
Hi Mike
I am sure your right about company’s removing Tele numbers to the outer bell covers in the80s but at Brocks it was the 70s as towards the very late 70s I am sure Modern Alarms had brought out Brocks and introduced there own external covers.
With regards to the police phoneing central stations on fasle alarms ect sure that did apply but at Brocks all clients had to supply 3 different
Key holders and copys were sent to the met police that also applied to audible systems clients ,our central station manager used to say other alarm company’s he reckoned also made hoax calls ?
With regards the maggot factory I afraid I can’t complete .
As a matter of interest did you belong to the 97 % intruder alarm club
Regards Allen
Sorry Allen, I didn’t explain myself very clearly. When I said we I was talking about me and co-owner of our two companies. Enright Security 1976-1982 telephone number on box, Westec Security 1986-2001 no telephone number on box.
No I didn’t belong to the 97% club, I think it grew from it’s members knowing other people when they worked on one of the large national companies.
Hi. It was actually called the 98% club….on the basis that at the time, 98% of alarm activations were false. It has all but gone now. It packed up just as I was eligible to join (25 years in the industry.
HI AAI
Your right it was the 98% club and when all members got together we had some great times especially when we went to France for the day
And as for the christmas party (well I say no more) can’t every remember discussions on how to solve the fasle alarm problem but that is how the 98 % tital came about
It was run by Steve Nevile who was the Sales Development Manager of Modern Alarms at City Rd
I started in the industrial at the age of 15 in 1956 and retired at 60 some 14years ago so your got some way to catch up
Thanks for replying
Allen
Hi Allen, I feel sure that you must know my business partner, Keith Avey. I used to go to the Christmas parties. The last few I went to were at the Novhotel in Waltham Abbey. After Steve Neville, George Mullay used to organise the 98% Club. Think it has all but died now. Steve Nevile was instrumental in getting me in the industry….more so than he will ever know.
Hi AAI
Yes I remember Keith but I refuse to to say anything unless I am given a solicitors disclaimer,
The name George Mullary I afraid I dont know but Steve Neville was a good guy lives not to far from me in Hornchurch still exchange the old Christmas cards but I haven’t seen him for some time
Keith should know a few of the old guys (sorry Keith)John Brown
Richard Hewes and many others
Anyway hope things are going well.
Have a great Christmas and a Health New Year.
Hi allen
Not dead yet, it must have been at the Sentinel in 1956 when you started work at 15, I think you was with John Gorman as a trainee and then came with me for a few years, you put plenty of those Bell boxes up, hope I have the right Allen Plumb. bye Len King
Len
How great to hear from you the memories just came flooding back of what great times I had working with you
One you must remember is when you brought a ford y model of my dad and it broke down on your way home.
Len if it’s OK with you I love to meet up please let me know if that OK
And I’ll pop down any time that suits you can E.mail me at
allenplumb@talktalk.net
Regards allen
Hi there
I worked for Brocks in the 60s nd 70s and the top left hand side
bell cover was there latest design which was dark brown in colour and the bell shape was in orange or a white colour with no Tele numbers printed on the cover the design idear came from a gentle man named Dick Goddier who was the london sales manager.
The lower 2 bell covers were there earliest ones
painted gold with black lettering and Tele numbers. As a point of interest the telephone numbers were left of the later bell covers due to hoax Tele calls to the central station.
Regards Allen
It wasn’t till the 80s that we left off the telephone number which was there for potential customers but we kept getting calls from the police to go and stop the bells ringing. In the 70s bell cut off timers were not used and stupidly we fitted large batteries in the bell box so when the customer went on holiday or moved and switched the electrics off the bell could self actuate for weeks if not attended by a keyholder. One problem in those days was that the customer had to inform the local police station of keyholders and obviously would forget to inform the police of any alterations, the smaller companies had no central station facilities.
A great picture. A shame they are not in better condition.