Clive Ryan interviewed by Matthew Hayes (session 2 of 2)

Interview with Clive Ryan recorded by Matthew Hayes, session 2 of 2, on 17 January 2025 at the Science Museum, London. Duration: 1 hour 02 minutes 54 seconds. [Start of session 2] CR gives detailed memories of working at Victoria International Rail Centre [IRC] during British Rail, including internal recruitment, seasonal work, ticket selling, international and domestic tickets, manual ticketing, rail cards, European rail cards, interrail tickets, computer passes and foreign ticket validation. He describes the busy summer periods, specialist systems, call-centre work, ferry routes before Eurostar, and the customer experience of the IRC. [00:11:19] CR discusses the language skills used at the IRC, including French, some Spanish and a little German and Dutch, and recalls helping international customers, manually working out routes, producing paper itineraries and selling tickets at Watford Junction. He describes phone enquiries and tele-sales, preferring in-person sales, the IRC’s location at Victoria, training for the role and being sent to experience the services that staff sold. [00:19:13] CR recalls receiving a letter of thanks after his first year, returning for further six-month seasons, BR International arrangements, the decline of the IRC before privatisation, personal stamps for staff, handling currencies and the social life of Victoria staff, including the William IV pub and annual reunions. [00:25:23] He describes a relaxed workplace atmosphere with around 60 staff, about half of whom were openly gay, and contrasts this openness with Euston’s higher-pressure environment. He also recalls openly gay colleagues at Midland Mainline, customer anecdotes from the IRC, and the diversity of railway ticketing work. [00:32:50] CR discusses his final railway roles across Camden, Willesden Junction, Overground House, Norwood Junction, Surrey Quays and Palestra, especially station and revenue protection staff rostering in a team of four. He explains rostering for the North London Line [Richmond to Stratford], DC Line [Euston to Watford Junction] and GOB Line [Gospel Oak to Barking], including nights, agency staff, overtime, staffing difficulties, unstaffed stations, gatelines and decisions about where staffing was needed. [00:40:35] He reflects on Camden Road under Silverlink, later Transport for London [TfL], ticket office work, gatelines, the impact of the TfL takeover and connections with railway writing such as Clandestine Railway. [00:43:20] CR explains why union membership mattered, including protection from harassment, learning reps and a Clause 9 disciplinary hearing involving bookkeeping problems, missing money, dyscalculia, embarrassment about disability and colleague's reassignment to gateline work. This experience motivated him to become more active in the union. [00:49:57] CR discusses Arriva Rail London’s EDI steering group [Equality/Equity, Diversity, Inclusion], company EDI policy, goals, group structure, Black History Month, LGBTQIA+ History Month, recruiting an ASLEF rep, and leaving the group when he left Arriva. [00:55:00] He reflects on discrimination, grievances, toxic workplaces, accusations around rostering discrimination, and the impact of TfL and Arriva. CR says his sexuality motivated his EDI involvement and that people should not have to hide personal issues at work. He contrasts Silverlink, where there were fewer gay colleagues, with the openness of the IRC, and discusses support for causes including mental health, neurodivergence, dyspraxia, dyslexia and neurodiversity. [end of interview]

This interview was made as part of People Pride and Progress (PPP) project. The project was initiated in 2023 to record the stories and memories of the LGBTQIA+ community in a new oral history archive over two years. It aimed to connect past, present and future through intergenerational interviews, offering opportunities for colleagues across all parts of the rail industry to connect, reflect on and learn from each other’s lived experiences while creating an archive of oral history interviews.