Sir Torquil Norman

Sir Torquil Norman

Update: 2010-12-124
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Description

Kirsty Young's castaway week is the aviator, inventor and arts patron, Sir Torquil Norman.

He comes from a family where derring-do is in the DNA - his grandfather was a pioneering airman, his grandmother an adventurer and his father also a keen pilot.

Torquil ended up in the toy trade where the skills needed were, he says, a close attention to detail combined with the outlook on life of a seven year old. He was, he admits, perfectly qualified. In retirement he set about his biggest project - he bought a disused railway engine shed and raised tens of millions of pounds to safeguard its future as a venue for performing arts and a centre for young people.

Record: Nobody Knows You when You're Down and Out - Bessie Smith
Book: Book by his father: Nigel Norman - Verses 1911 - 1943.
Luxury: A miniature still with a little ice-making machine attached to it to make dry martinis.

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In Channel
Sandie Shaw

Sandie Shaw

2010-12-2636:18

Nick Park

Nick Park

2010-12-1936:59

Sir Torquil Norman

Sir Torquil Norman

2010-12-1235:58

Frances Wood

Frances Wood

2010-12-0536:26

Robert Harris

Robert Harris

2010-11-2837:08

Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper

2010-11-2136:40

Anna Del Conte

Anna Del Conte

2010-11-1936:45

Ian McMillan

Ian McMillan

2010-11-0737:58

Nick Clegg

Nick Clegg

2010-10-2437:00

Michael Mansfield

Michael Mansfield

2010-10-1737:17

Sarah Doukas

Sarah Doukas

2010-10-1036:49

Johnny Vegas

Johnny Vegas

2010-10-0335:00

Sir Tom Jones

Sir Tom Jones

2010-09-2636:23

Kathy Burke

Kathy Burke

2010-08-1537:06

Lord David Cobbold

Lord David Cobbold

2010-08-0835:21

Jimmy Mulville

Jimmy Mulville

2010-08-0136:25

Lynn Barber

Lynn Barber

2010-07-2535:55

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins

2010-07-1835:52

Dr Gwen Adshead

Dr Gwen Adshead

2010-07-1138:03

Dame Fanny Waterman

Dame Fanny Waterman

2010-07-0439:46

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Sir Torquil Norman

Sir Torquil Norman

BBC Radio 4