The founder, president and former chair of the Roundhouse has passed away at the age of 91.
Torquil Norman was a businessman and advocate for creativity, the arts and young people.
After working as a banker for over a decade at companies including JP Morgan, Norman joined Mineral Separation, a large industrial holding company, as general manager.
In 1973, he became chief executive of toy manufacturing company Berwick Timpo.
Between 1980 and 1996, he founded and became executive chair of Bluebird Toys, whose first successful toy was the Big Yellow Teapot and which introduced the Polly Pocket range in 1989.
Norman was also chair and president of the British Toy and Hobby Manufacturers Association, chair of the Trustees of Rendcomb College and a trustee of the Tavistock Clinic Foundation and Fleet Air Arm Museum.
In 1996, he established the Norman Trust, a children’s and young people charity, and purchased the Roundhouse to turn it into a creative centre for young people and a music and performing arts performance space.
He received a CBE in 2002 and was knighted in 2007.
‘A visionary’
Roundhouse’s chief executive and artistic director Marcus Davey said Norman “was a true visionary, who brought so much joy to this world and never stopped believing in young people and never stopped believing in the Roundhouse”.
“Without Torquil, the Roundhouse simply wouldn’t exist as it does today. He was an extraordinary businessman, a huge advocate for creativity, the arts and young people, and simply a wonderful human being,” Davey said.
Davey added that Norman “was a great inspiration to me during the 10 years I worked very closely with him and I’ll personally miss a very dear friend”.
‘He brought fun to millions of children’
In a parliamentary debate yesterday, shadow leader of the House of Commons Jesse Norman said his dad rebuilt the Roundhouse “not just as an incredible performing arts centre, but as a creative centre for young people from whatever background to be able to find their way into jobs”.
“The reason I mention that now is that my father stood for values that bear a wider consideration in this House and in our own lives – values of positivity and creativity,” he said.
“He always said that the secret to success in the toy business was to have a mental age of seven and an eye for detail. He had incredible energy but also amazing resilience and focus on the long term.”
Clive Jones, MP for Wokingham and Liberal Democrats trade spokesperson, said Norman “brought fun to millions of children across the world and, in doing so, he had the most wonderful life”.
