Local Saltash Man Celebrated in Polzeath with 'Norm Day'

'Norm Day' is an unusual celebration in today's culture where a person is recognized not for being famous or on T.V, but as a norm-al person, but a person that is there for everyone!

Now in its second year, Norm Day has become an annual tradition held at the Polzeath Valley Caravan Park in North Cornwall during the August bank holiday weekend. Staff and friends who are also regular visitors and patrons of the caravan park wear T-shirts that represent their personal appreciation of their friend Norman Peter.

Norm Peter has lived in the local area his whole life, in Hatt or Notter Bridge, moving to Saltash in 1980, and has been a regular patron of the Polzeath Valley Caravan Park since he was 4 years old.

As you walk around the park you may see a person stroll by with a T-shirt that says 'Where is Norm?', two people stand by a tent with 'I am Norms Best Friend' and 'Norm's No1 Fan', the receptionist smiles wearing 'Norms Tooth Fairy'. Even Martin Taylor, the owner of the park, can be seen wearing a Norm T-shirt.

Asked what it is about this area in North Cornwall that draws him every week, Norm said: "Polzeath is just Polzeath". There is no mobile signal here with most networks, but Norm has never noticed, because when he reaches the top of the hill that slopes down to the caravan park that is his second home, and sees the expanse of the ocean before him, he automatically switches his phone off.

Norm drives to Polzeath in his recognizable bright yellow Robin Reliant every week, from Thursday evening till Monday evening for the past twenty five years. Norm does not get paid but will help with any site maintenance or problems anybody has day and night at the caravan park.

Tony Cox says: "The site wouldn't be the same without him. He is a character; he tells stories and helps anybody". Heather Hawkin agrees: "We wanted to celebrate Norm and show our appreciation for everything he does, so we threw him a barbecue last year and kind of carried it on again this year."

Norm lost his wife Geraldine, known as Gerry to her friends, in December 2004, she was much loved and remembered at the park and it is heartwarming to see that a person like Norm still has friends, a home and a family that he has been a part of his whole life.