Norman Thomas (1947 or 1948 – May 2011) was a British broadcaster, businessman and journalist. As one of the founding members of

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

's Radio City he became a well established radio personality in the north west region.

Life and career

Thomas was born in

St Helens, Lancashire St Helens () is a town in Merseyside, England, with a population of 102,629. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens, which had a population of 176,843 at the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census. St Helens i ...

and worked as a schoolteacher at a school in

's Dingle area before moving into broadcasting in the mid-1970s. His career as a radio presenter began in 1974 with the launch of Radio City in Liverpool when he joined the station as part of its original line-up. He quickly became a popular personality in the area and developed a huge following during his time at the station, becoming affectionately known as "Little NT" and "Uncle Norm". From 1978 to 1986 he presented Radio City's breakfast show. However, he later moved on from Radio City, working for

BBC Radio Merseyside BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC's local radio station serving Merseyside. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds, from studios on Hanover Street in Liverpool. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 203,000 ...

and BBC Radio Lancashire, and for a time he also presented a syndicated programme across the north west region. He later made a brief return to Radio City, and also presented on Lancashire's Red Rose Radio. Away from broadcasting Thomas ran several businesses, including a travel agents, and during the 1980s was a columnist with the ''

Liverpool Echo The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liverp ...

''. In 1990 Thomas and his family survived a gas explosion at their home in

Bickerstaffe Bickerstaffe is a village and civil parish in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England. According to the 2001 Census the population of the civil parish was 1,196, reducing to 1,180 at the 2011 census, although the population of the ...

, near

Ormskirk Ormskirk is a market town in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England, north of Liverpool, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston. Ormskirk is known for its gingerbread. Geography and administr ...

, Lancs. Thomas used heavy lifting gear to free his son from the rubble, and was one of five people treated at hospital following the blast.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Norman 1940s births 2011 deaths British broadcasters People from St Helens, Merseyside People from Bickerstaffe