Call Sign July 2011
Page 8
Due to Call Sign's month off in June, you may have
As author and former DaC driver Phil Warren is laid to rest, Call
read in the trade press of the sad death of former
Sign looks back at his life...
ODRTS driver and author of many books featuring
PHIL WARREN: THE MAN
virtually everything you'd ever need to know when
researching or just taking an interest in the history
of the London taxi trade, Phil Warren (ex-A08).
WHO KNEW IT ALL...
His death leaves an unfixable hole in this maga-
zine...
Over the years, Call Sign has had many
spent the rest of his service career in the British
thing of its old glory until a falling out occurred
requests from various people both in the UK and
Mandated Territory of Palestine, where he stayed
with the proprietor. Brief spells as CEO of
worldwide asking how they can find out about
until demobilisation following the creation of the
Cavalier Meters and superintendent of the Royal
this trade's 350 history and there has only ever
state of Israel. He said afterwards that the most
British Legion Knowledge school followed,
been one answer a Phil Warren book, or if the
traumatic event of his army life occurred there
before he was headhunted by M&O's Andrew
question was intriguing enough then it would
following the bombing of the King David Hotel
Overton to set up a regional sales structure for
give us the chance to have another chat with the
in Jerusalem by members of the Jewish terrorist
the sale of taxis in the provinces.
man himself. He used to laugh when we referred
He was by now a published author of the
group, Irgun Zvai Leumi, when as one of the
to him as the man who knew everything about
highly successful Taxicabs; A Photographic
first on the scene he helped search for the dead
this business yet it would be a rare occasion for
History written in partnership with
and injured amidst the scenes of carnage.
him not to know the answer. That brain filled
Malcolm Linskey. He was also highly active
Whilst in Palestine he began - via sister
with so much knowledge, made his death from
with various charities as well as organising
Betty to correspond with a young woman
the Alzheimer's he contracted two and a half
the Trade exhibition for the Taxi Driver of
called Joyce who worked at Lambert and
years earlier seem even sadder.
the Year Show. He was also commissioned to
Butler's cigarette factory alongside Betty.
Even though he had left Dial-a-Cab - still
write a history of the London General Cab
Following a short home leave where the
known in those days as ODRTS - many years
Co and still found time to edit the well
couple met for the first time, Phil proposed
ago, his funeral in Bexhill-on-Sea was considered
regarded Newslink magazine.
and when he came home for good, they
to be of such relevance that Chairman Brian Rice
In 1983, wife Joyce was diagnosed with
became engaged and married in July 1950.
and DaC Marketing Manager Allen Togwell both
Alzheimer's and Phil was forced to retire early and
Phil was by now a gardener working on Lord
made the trip to the Kent coastal town to attend.
care for her, a task he carried out with much love
Esher's estate at Watlington, Oxfordshire, but fol-
Many others from the trade also attended.
and care until her untimely death in1992 at age of
lowing a difficult first pregnancy the couple were
In a moving service, Reverend Angela Cooke
62. He briefly went back to driving, but after
forced to relocate to London. He continued in
spoke of Phil's life and careers emphasising his
meeting second wife Valerie, he retired for good
gardening following the birth of his first son
work for the cab trade, its various charities and
and edited the regional edition of The Cab Driver.
his legacy of published titles. Tim Warren
He was a founding member of the Fellowship
(M44), Phil's son, read the eulogy, while Phil's
of Hackney Carriage Drivers and when that
other son also Phil - read the poem I Am by
became a livery company, a long cherished
John Clare, before their father was interred with
ambition of Phil's had been achieved. In 1995 his
first wife Joyce who died in 1992.
long researched History of the Taxi Trade was
Later at the local British Legion there was a dis-
published to critical acclaim within the trade. A
play of Phil's life that Tim had laid out. His paint-
source of great pride for him was the licensing of
ings, alongside a photographic display depicting
son Tim in 1993 as a taxi driver. This created an
some of the salient events in his life, together
amazing four generations of London cabbies and
with all his published books and war medals and
following Tim joining Dial-a-Cab in 2004, a sec-
trophies won at pistol / rifle shooting.
ond generation there as well!
As Tim told Call Sign: "Although the occasion
In 1994, Phil's Mastership of the Fellowship coin-
was one of sadness, it also felt like a celebration
cided with the 300th anniversary of London taxi
of my father's life. He would have heartily
trade's continuous licensing by Parliament and a
approved of it."
celebration at the Guildhall. This, for Phil, was the
Phil was born in Guy's Hospital in August
apotheosis of his career within London's Taxi trade.
Philip, rising to become head gardener at a
1927, the eldest son of Frank and Rose. Frank
So many ambitions had been fulfilled and realised
Wandsworth old people's home, a post he held
was also a licensed Taxi driver.
that he felt able to take a back seat and with Valerie
until a fateful decision led him to follow his
But it was at the time of the biggest prob-
he set off around the world revisiting the countries
father (and grandfather) into the taxi trade. He
lem this trade had ever come up against
last seen when he was in the King's uniform.
completed the Knowledge in nine months,
the advent of Michael Gotla's Welbeck mini-
Phil settled in Bexhill whilst Joyce was still
obtaining his licence in January 1956.
cabs in their red Renault Dauphines that
alive and together with Valerie they formed a
In November 1958, his second son Timothy
Phil rose to prominence in the trade when,
local writer's group, which collectively
was born. Then, with the advent of the unli-
researched and subsequently published a com-
with the Crisis Committee, he played an
censed minicab industry, Phil became increas-
prehensive history of the town of Battle dating
active role in their eventual demise. Sadly
ingly politicised joining first the Crisis Committee
back to the conquest. His last book, A History of
the genie was now out of the bottle and the
then the cab section of the TGWU. He rose
the London Knowledge was published in 2003,
minicab industry proliferated.
through the ranks becoming Chair of the No.1
but by now Phil was beginning to show signs of
The Second World War played a major forma-
region and a close political ally of then-General
having contracted Alzheimer's as his prodigious
tive role in Phil's early life as the family, to avoid
Secretary Jack Jones. Along the way Phil dis-
memory began to fail him. He settled in Australia
the worst of the blitz, relocated to rural
covered the third great love of his life; the writ-
briefly, but a series of strokes reduced his capac-
Oxfordshire. This was where Phil discovered the
ten word. An aspiring trade journalist, he wrote
ity for living an independent life. He was taken
first love of his life, gardening. In 1944, already
small articles in various trade publications under
into care in 2008, where following a short illness
an accredited marksman with both pistol and
the pen name Cockayne. Following the revival of
he died on 13th May 2011.
rifle, he volunteered to join the Rifle Brigade, but
the Cab Trade News in the early seventies, the
He will be greatly missed by his children,
owing to defective vision in his left eye he was
cab section of the TGWU approached Phil with
grandchildren and surviving brothers and sisters
unable to sight a Bren gun and was forced to
a view to his becoming editor. He accepted and
in addition to all who knew him. His family were
accept an enforced move to the Royal Engineers.
launched his career in journalism. By now his
moved by the respect in which he was held and
He had a lively six months after completing basic
long standing interest in history led him, with the
have asked Call Sign to thank all those who
training as a bomb disposal sapper, engaged
late Tommy Hare, to research a definitive histo-
attended, in addition to those who donated to
mostly in mine clearance from English beaches
ry of the taxi trade, a project which became his
the family's choice of charity. Should anyone else
all-consuming passion.
before being transferred to Continental Europe
He became increasingly frustrated with the
wish to make a contribution, they can contact the
where he built pontoon bridges to facilitate
direction in which the union had moved in the
Co-op Funeralcare at 178 Addington Road, South
transport links into the newly defeated Germany.
late seventies and when approached to take over
Croydon CR2 8LB. Cheques should be made
In July 1945 he was transferred again to what he
editorship of Steering Wheel he grabbed the
thought would be the Far East. However the
payable to The Alzheimer's Society and marked
opportunity, restoring that magazine to some-
troopship stopped at Port Said, Egypt and Phil
Phil Warren on the reverse.
