BY VIC POTTICARY
ADELAIDE — Ninety-one years is not a bad lifespan and few people would have packed as much activity into it as did Norman Augustus Taylor, who passed away on April 17.
Born in North London in 1912, Norm was educated in "the school of life" and, like so many activists of his time, his formal education ended when he was 12. According to Norm, his childhood was not a very happy time as his parents were not compatible and he and his sister lived a Spartan lifestyle. He records that his parents were "politically ignorant working class, who voted Conservative".
His first job was as a pageboy, working a six-day, 72-hour week. But with tips, he was able to earn nearly as much as an adult. Interestingly, he reported taking letters from Mrs Wallis Simpson's apartment to the Prince of Wales, residing at St James Palace, in 1927.
With unemployment eventually growing to more than 2 million, Norm claimed he was unemployed for only about two weeks between 1926 and the outbreak of World War II. The jobs he had were many and varied, they mainly revolved around sales and product promotion during the day.
However at night, his abiding interest was in London's variety theatres. He got a start as a "dresser" through his father and he went on to get experience in amateur entertainment and theatre costumery.
Norm's personal experience in pre-war Britain of witnessing the grinding poverty, moulded Norm's attitude to life. During the war, he trained as a wireless operator and joined the Communist Party of Great Britain in 1941. He subsequently joined the Communist Party of Australia after arriving here in 1949. He retained his membership for 20 years.
He performed as the "elderly character" in the first highly acclaimed performances of Dick Diamond's play Reedy River and took roles earlier in New Theatre League plays. He was a member of the Pearly Kings and Queens Guild and was very proud of his suit to which was hand-sewn 15,000 buttons and another 1000 on the hat. As late as 1990, Norm was giving charity performances and at the age of 82 taught himself to tap dance.
He married in 1942 and leaves a son, David, and daughter, Ruth. Both have attained high academic qualifications. His wife passed away in early 1981. Jean was his partner and together they became inseparable companions and travelled widely, to Cuba, Vietnam, China and the Soviet Union. He made numerous visits to Europe and the UK.
But Norm is best remembered for the numerous causes he took up and his controversial letters to the daily newspapers and the socialist press (including Green Left Weekly) over a 30-year span. It is difficult to find a worthwhile organisation or cause of the left with which he was not involved or acquainted.
He was president of the Australia-Vietnam Society for several terms and held membership with the Australia-Cuba Friendship Society, and the Australia-Soviet and Australia-China friendship societies. As recently as 1996, he attended the Fourth World Atheist Conference in India and was an active member of the Humanist Society. In October 1997, he took part in a demonstration at McDonald's European headquarters in London
An advocate of personal fitness, he swam all year round. At 81, he was featured on the front page of a seniors' magazine skipping furiously on the beach, complete with knickerbockers and his inseparable visored cloth cap. The photo adorned his coffin.
His increasing frailty and irascibility was a source of sadness to his close friends and his last years were unhappy and lonely. It is only now that people remember anecdotes about this staunch little Pommy socialist activist.
A facsimile of the 1955 South African "Freedom Charter" from Norm's estate was presented to the Semaphore Workers' Club as part of the May Day celebrations.
Norm's gone but the causes for which he struggled will live on!
[Vic Potticary is honorary secretary of the Retired Union Members Association of South Australia.]
From Green Left Weekly, May 14, 2003.
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