Every spring, thousands of daffodils bloom in the London borough of Islington. My dad, Alex Farrell, who has died aged 85, had them planted as a cheap way to brighten up the borough when he chaired Islington’s arts and recreation committee from 1978 to 1986.
The daffodils typified his belief in doing simple things to enrich people’s lives. He renamed Caledonian Road swimming baths the Cally pool because that’s what everyone called it, commissioned Sadler’s Wells to perform The Mikado on council estates and took a group of local pensioners to the Royal Ballet.
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