How do I solve 1 down in Times Cryptic 29552?

Question

Accepted Answer

1 down reads "Dickens hero heard metal buzzer?" (8 letters); the answer is NICKLEBY. It's a homophone clue: the answer sounds like another word. Indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'sounds like' point to a word that's pronounced similarly to the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Dickens hero heard metal buzzer? (8)

1D — Dickens hero heard metal buzzer? (8) — NICKLEBY