Torquil Norman left Berwick Toys in 1980.

“I suddenly realized that I could do anything I wanted in life. I spent a month or two walking around the streets, and the garden, trying to work out what I really wanted to do. It came as quite a surprise to me that, at the end of it all, the only thing I had come up with was an idea for a new toy – the Big Yellow Teapot.”[1]

Torquil didn’t want to license the toy to another company, so he set up Bluebird Toys in 1981 to manufacture the Big Yellow Teapot. At a meeting with possible investors in the company he found a helpful advocate:

“As luck would have it, while we were discussing the venture, the tea lady came in and offered us a cup of tea. She caught sight of the Big Yellow Teapot sitting on the table and said ‘Oh isn’t that lovely!” I explained that it was only a model which we were thinking of putting into production. She immediately asked if she could have the first one off the production line. I said of course, if it was ever made. Harry (Conway) said he thought it would be, and sure enough Kleinwort’s agreed to put up the other half of the capital. Now that’s how banking used to be done! And the tea lady got her teapot.” [2]

[1] Torquil Norman, p57 “Light the Fires, Kick the Tyres: One man’s vision for Britain’s future and how we can make it work” published by Infinite Ideas, 2010: UK

[2] p58 Ibid

Bluebird’s Gearbox & Lunchboxes