On Thursday night the Liberal Democrats in the London Borough of Camden gathered to celebrate 50 years of Party Membership of Flick Rea, former councillor, Alderwoman of Camden, London Region staffer and much more besides.

My own small role in the Flick Rea story is now a piece of history, reaching back to the halcyon days of 2006 when we were able to take on the Leadership of Camden Council and the two General Election of 2005 and 2010. Those three elections worked well for us and  for the first time we were able to mobilise our members, our resources, our messages, but also critically our enjoyment in the Liberal Democrat campaign to deliver some sensational election results.

As I arrived at The Sherriff Centre on Thursday night  I was greeted by some of the longest serving members in the Camden Local Party. As I took off my coat and looked around the large room, it was clear that this was not just any old party. Lord Mark Pack, Baroness Sue Garden, Lord Chris Rennard and then a catalogue of campaigners: Chris Naylor now of Shropshire, Alexi Sugden now of Lymington, John and Nana Bryant now of Harrow, James King now of Lewes, Mark and Janet Cumins of Queens Park, Bridget Fox of Islington, Terry Stacey from the LGA. The Camden diaspora had truly gathered to celebrate with and honour their friend and colleague Flick Rea.

Now anyone who has run or been involved with a Local Party they will know there are the accounts, the leaflets, the meetings and the minutes and then there are the social events and fundraising. In Camden the emphasis is very firmly placed on the social events being first and foremost. Under the guidance, tutelage and organisational rod of Flick Rea and her team, the priority always appears to be cake and coffee, and this is soon followed up with further cake options, a full platter of savouries and lashings of main course choices. By example, the annual Champagne Breakfast itself indicates that this is not your every day Local Party event.

So why does this socialising matter so much to Flick and her team. In an approach that reaches back to the Camden Liberal Party of the 1960’s, socialising and enjoying the campaign has always been important. Indeed that was clear last night when some of the catering team such as Jill Newbrooke traces their activism to the 1960’s Grimond Revival. Camden has created an important understanding of social affairs that underpins their whole campaign approach. The catering operation is highly sociable and draws people together working in confined kitchen spaces. Catering, as has been long known, is without a doubt the most profitable of all fundraising when done well, indeed good quality food on the campaign trail will often lead to higher gratuitous donations in the bowl in the middle of the leaflet table.

Camden Liberal Democrats subscribe to the view that their army of Focus deliverers do indeed march in their stomach. That the constant stream of social events and activities draws the activists in and drives them forwards to know each other better, and so bonds of friendship and trust are established. And so the principle of eating together is lapped over into the political campaign and many of the canvass teams and delivery sessions are themselves set up and created at the social events.

Last night as I look round at the wealth of councillors and former councillors of whom Camden can be very proud I was struck at just how good friends these activists are now: Keith Moffitt, Janet Grauberg, Paul Braithwaite, Tom Simon, Matthew Sanders, Nancy Jurira, Jill Fraser, Linda Chung, Judy Dixie and many many more.

So last night as Party Leader, Ed Davey MP led the tributes to Flick in person, he was followed by former West Hampstead deliverer and activist Alastair Carmichael MP.  The warmth of the evening was palpable from the start, but as tray after tray of canapés appeared so the time old tested formula of “feed them well and feed them often” came into play.

We were there to celebrate with Flick, to say thank for Flick’s magnificent contribution, but it was also a chance to reflect on Camden’s formula of socialising that has enabled deep friendships to develop. These friendships also enable the campaign team to carry on in the face of losses or any drop in the electoral for the Liberal Democrats.

So, in reflection it seemed to me that we were primarily there to thank Flick Rea for being the powerhouse of liberalism these past 50 years.  But it is also true that we also have a local party who are the very evidence that putting the social events first, has created a role-model, tested across 50 years of a Local Party that thrives, survives, enjoys itself qnd who appreciate that it’s more than a Focus leaflet or so.

Thank you Flick Rea – celebrating 50 years of Liberal and Liberal Democrat membership in Camden – you are a legend in your lifetime, a fearless campaigner in the face of the establishment and a good and loyal friend to so so many of us.

* Ed Fordham is a councillor on Chesterfield Borough Council and runs Brockwell Books of Chesterfield, selling many thanks, not least ephemera he bought from Liber Books over the last 25 years.