Warren Scott interviewed by Ashlynn Hudson-Welburn

Interview with Warren Scott recorded by Ashlynn Hudson-Welburn on 12 February 2025, at Waitrose Cafe in Canada Square, London. Duration: 40 minutes 59 seconds. A second interview was recorded with Warren Scott on 19 April 2026. [Start of interview] Childhood in Central London, growing up in an eclectic family atmosphere, schools and his father’s expectations. Joining the police, brothers also joined police force before him, now at 40 years of service, police force being as a “job for life”. Going out clubbing in gay clubs with his sister when younger, Soho in 1981-1982, opening of Heaven nightclub under Charing Cross, Freddie Mercury at the club, experience of clubbing then before phones. Closure of Covent Garden Market, community protests against it, the rivalry and links between Soho and Covent Garden, and everyday life in a close-knit area where everyone knew everyone. Schools attended, commuting to school by bus, not mixing much with school peers, bullying at school, standing up for himself, and parental expectations and values. Working in a menswear shop after leaving school, until he was old enough to join the police. His family Italian background. [00:14:40] Being aware of his sexuality since childhood; his first relationships after leaving school, how/where he could meet men then, views over freedom before modern mobile phones and internet. He discusses working in the police while living at home, loving the job, and being closeted during the Thatcher years. He reflects on misogyny and homophobia in the police at the time, the trust required to come out to colleagues, changing attitudes during the 1990s, and corruption in the Metropolitan Police in the 1970s. He talks about living at home until age 19, moving to his own flat, changes in friendships, living independently. How his parents knew he was gay, how they reacted, their relationship. [00:29:10] Beginning of police force career, East London, learning the area, getting to know local criminals, separation between where he worked and where he lived, policing on the beat for seven years. Career progression, applying to be a sergeant, sergeant role, exams, line management, friendships formed through work, and later applying for inspector exams. Inspector role in the 1990s, more politics and paperwork, arrival of computers including Windows 98, largely paper-based work, reasons for not seeking further promotion. He discusses cultural change in the police associated with generational changes, with more people becoming open about their sexuality. He remembers the “caring 1990s”, political change after Margaret Thatcher, and mentions Edwina Currie’s support for LGBT rights. He also reflects on recent negative press about the police and being careful about telling people he works for the police. [00:36:10] Warren talks about meeting his husband in 1992, moving in together; how is husband proposed to him, their engagement and wedding. The interview ends with discussion of clubs around Covent Garden in the 1990s, socialising before smartphones, and agreement to arrange a subsequent interview. [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.