"Air Raid" Siren Testing? Moortown

simon2710 · Post by **simon2710** » Fri 19 Dec, 2008 8:03 pm

I have asked a similar question like this in the past, but does anyone know whether the sirens (probably now used for flood warnings) are still tested at Moortown Water Tower - Moortown, because I was told they used to test them but that was a while ago. Are they still tested? Has anyone heard it?And are there any other working sirens in Leeds?Thanks

Brandy · Post by **Brandy** » Fri 19 Dec, 2008 10:11 pm

simon2710 wrote: I have asked a similar question like this in the past, but does anyone know whether the sirens (probably now used for flood warnings) are still tested at Moortown Water Tower - Moortown, because I was told they used to test them but that was a while ago. Are they still tested? Has anyone heard it?And are there any other working sirens in Leeds?Thanks I honestly dont know mate but i remember when they used to test em in the 80's during the cold war they used to scare the Bjeeezus out of me!

Aeldfrith · Post by **Aeldfrith** » Sat 20 Dec, 2008 10:49 am

There used to be a siren on top of Oaktree House in Gipton (offices built on the site of Low Gipton Farm). I remember hearing it several times during the early 80's I think.

Chrism · Post by **Chrism** » Sat 20 Dec, 2008 12:39 pm

There was/maybe still is one on top of Marlborough Towers opposite Park Lane College. I used to live there and have been on the roof to take some photo's, it was facing east.

simon2710 · Post by **simon2710** » Tue 30 Dec, 2008 9:54 pm

hmmmmm.....Thanks for your replies I know they still use some of them for early flood warnings and in some large businesses to indicate breaks.Must be some somewhere left from the Cold War era. I think BT controls them somehow.Thanks again =) Happy new year to all!

Post by **chameleon** » Tue 30 Dec, 2008 10:07 pm

simon2710 wrote: hmmmmm.....Thanks for your replies I know they still use some of them for early flood warnings and in some large businesses to indicate breaks.Must be some somewhere left from the Cold War era. I think BT controls them somehow.Thanks again =) Happy new year to all! They probably still do simon - certainly they did, I mentioned somewhere my brother's experience in his younger days of employ, upon removing some 'redundent' cable from a site of such a thing - it did not go unoticed......!

traveller · Post by **traveller** » Wed 31 Dec, 2008 7:20 pm

I grew up in Calverley and seem to recall a siren on top of the Mechanics Institute that the local volunteer kept oiled and ready -- I as told by my contemporaries that it was the three minute warning and that the bunker was in the playground of the local school -- but looking back at the cold-war leaflets I'm inclined to believe the siren may have had a civil defence purpose.

jonleeds · Post by **jonleeds** » Wed 31 Dec, 2008 10:00 pm

Not exactly Leeds but I recall seeing one of these '3 minute warning' sirens at Shibden Hall above Halifax town centre. It was a similar type siren to the type you see as fire alarm sirens in buildings but scaled up about 30 times which would have created a horrendous racket. I think most of these were dismantled along with the rest of the cold war / civil defence infrastructure back in the early 1990s.