City centre shop siren goes silent after 150 years

A city centre siren which went off daily at lunchtime for more than 150 years has sounded for the final time.

The 13:00 time signal at HL Brown jewellers and watchmakers, on the corner of Barker's Pool and Leopold Street in Sheffield, has been a daily tradition since 1874.

It was originally created by the founder of the company, Harris Brown, to show off that he was up to speed with new technologies of the time. The signal was received from Greenwich and allowed people to set their watches and clocks by it.

Loupe Jewellers, who took over the business in June, said: "After careful consideration the building's iconic one o'clock siren was carefully removed and gifted to HL Brown."

Speaking in 2024, James Frampton, the then managing director of HL Brown, admitted the "loud and unsettling" sound of the siren was "a bit of a shock" for people who were not previously aware of it.

Frampton speculated at the time that if the siren was ever to be removed from the site there would be an "outcry".

"People like a tradition," he said.

"We like to be quirky and different and it's become part of the folklore."

Speaking after the siren's removal, Sheffield councillor Douglas Johnson said he remembered first hearing the "piercing sound" when he arrived in the city in the 1980s.

"It was very distinctive," he recalled.

"Like it or loathe it, everyone knows about it."

The Green councillor pointed out that the signal was "older than the town hall", which officially opened in 1897 and stands opposite the shop.

"We used to often hear it in committee meetings in the town hall," Johnson said.

"It'll be strange not to have it now."

A spokesperson for Loupe said the decision to remove it "was not taken lightly".

"We know that the siren holds a special place in the city having become a familiar daily sound for many," they said.

"By returning the siren to HL Brown, Loupe is proud to honour an important part of the city's heritage while ensuring this unique piece of Sheffield history remains connected to the business that first made it a cherished part of the city's identity."

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