Flick Rea, a Liberal Democrat councillor in Camden for 35 years who twice led the party group on the council, has died aged 88. She was also the cabinet member for culture and sport, overseeing the borough's contribution to the London Olympics.
Political career and legacy
Rea represented Fortune Green ward continuously from 1986 to 2021, winning nine consecutive elections on the back of a large personal vote. On her retirement, the local press hailed her as the 'Queen of West Hampstead'. She served as leader of the Liberal and then Liberal Democrat group from the late 1980s to 2005 and again from 2014 to 2020, helping the party grow from a handful of seats to the largest on the council in 2006.
Early life and theatre career
Born Felicity Corbin in Tiverton, Devon, she was the only child of teacher Eustace Corbin and his wife Phyllis. She grew up in Taunton, Somerset, and attended Weirfield school. From an early age she wanted to work in theatre, and after school she attended Rada, graduating in 1958. She worked in theatre and occasionally television and cinema under the name Felicity Peel, appearing in bit parts in The Avengers and the film A Kind of Loving (1962). She met her husband, actor Charles Rea, in 1959 during a production of Love from a Stranger at the Bristol Hippodrome. They married in 1962, and she gave up her theatrical career to raise their children.
Entry into local politics
In the 1970s, Rea became involved in local politics almost by accident, inspired by a growing interest in improving public transport. She later said: 'I never wanted to try to save the world. I just wanted to get a bus stop erected.' She joined the Liberal party, transforming and energising its West Hampstead branch with her brand of 'pavement politics' – fighting to get things done for her local community. Elected as a councillor in 1986, her theatrical style in the council chamber – blending charm, wit and occasional withering put-downs – won her many admirers, even among political foes.
Public service and honours
Her dedication to public service extended beyond party politics. She co-founded a community transport pressure group, served on the boards of the London Arts Council and Hampstead theatre, worked for the Pedestrians Association, and was a trustee of the Charles Dickens Museum. In 2013 she was appointed MBE and became an alderman of Camden in 2024. She will be remembered for her warmth, wit and wisdom, usually delivered over a glass of whisky and a cigarette.
Charles died in 1992. She is survived by their children, Kate and her son (the author), and five grandchildren.
