We are extremely sad to report that Norman Leftly has died this week, aged 75. Steph Norbury spoke to some of the many people throughout the amusement industry who paid their warm tributes to "Uncle Norm".
Norman, who was one of the industry’s most well-loved characters, was latterly known as the foremost industry photographer and no event was complete without his lanky frame, big grin and long lens. Norman had previously held many jobs within the amusement industry, starting as a teenager in the 1960s working for Jukebox Distributors Ltd in Soho’s Wardour Street. JBD, as it was known, was later sold to Phonographic which later again became Associated Leisure, and Norman stayed with the company during those corporate changes.
It was at Associated Leisure that Norman met his beloved wife Ruth and the couple had two children, Toby and Nicki. Norman went on to work for Japanese giant Taito, which had just released the hit game Space Invaders. During his time at Taito, Norman travelled all over the world and enjoyed some of the most exciting years of the rapidly growing amusement industry. He met everyone and became lifelong friends with many.
Norman always was a visionary, and the advent of video promos led him to V.I. Leisure, and the video jukebox. After V.I. Leisure he ran his own venture, the Technical Dream Company, assisting companies like Konami and Jaleco with their marketing and promotional work. This, and his wide industry knowledge and contacts, then led to him joining another Japanese video game company, Jaleco.
Norman also built up a fantastic knowledge base about engineering and the technology of the machines themselves. He put this expertise to good use when he wrote a regular column for Euroslot magazine in the 1990s.
Norman was always fascinated by tech and loved gadgets. He was instantly aware of how the internet would transform life and business and was active on social media until very recently. For the last few decades, Norman pursued his passion for photography more actively, through his company The Party Photos. This allowed him to stay close to his industry friends, in his role as event photographer for the major trade shows like EAG and ACOS and the social events which go hand in hand with them.
Norman also photographed product launches and carried out celebrity and model shoots. He raised eyebrows and smiles with some of his cheeky boudoir shots and made great friends in the photographic world as well. He had an instinctive way of putting people at ease when he took photos, which was evident in the quality of the shots he achieved. Norm was also extremely knowledgeable about Apple Mac computers and accessories and had several clients for whom he would set up and maintain equipment, as well as doing regular advertising design work for his friends at Electrocoin and Genesis Games Ltd.
Norman was always interested in everyone he met and everything new that he discovered in life. This, along with his kindness and good nature, made him wonderful company to be around.
Norman adored his family, and he and Ruth had long talked about moving to Canada to be nearer their son Toby. They spent several months with him this year, despite Norman’s failing health and Norm even learned to fly and film with a drone while he was there! Norman’s death will be very tough for many people in the industry with whom he was close. He not only often attended their weddings, but attended their children’s weddings too - sometimes as the photographer and always as a dear friend. He will be sorely missed. Warm tributes have been paid to Norman from people in the industry.
Steve Bierrum said: “I joined Norman at Taito in the mid ‘70s. He had worked for my father-in-law at JBD in the '60s, and I was persuaded to apply for a job at Taito. This led to a lifelong relationship thorough many different business and personal ventures. It is fair to say that ‘Uncle Norm’ had a massive influence on many of the industry leading lights’ careers. “On a personal level, I learnt so much from him. He was a true gentleman and it was an honour to have known him both socially and in our working lives. For some reason we gave him the ‘moniker’ Uncle Norm. That’s how I will remember him.”
Richard Dunn, who described Norman as a “proper gentleman” said: “I knew Norman and Ruth since 1969 from the Phonographic days - he was always a technical person and he was interested in the industry rules and regulations. He always had an opinion and he was a proper, honest gentleman. He was a really good friend for such a long time. He understood the industry inside out.”
Karen Cooke said: “I was privileged to have worked with Norman as a colleague in Swan Events and to count him as a personal friend with Ruth for many years where fun and laughter was never far away. He was a true gentleman, a professional, glass always half full person. He was truly loved and will be sorely missed. “Norman will always hold a place in both mine and Billy’s hearts, and our thoughts are with Ruth and the family.”
Longstanding friend John Stergides said: “I knew Norman since the early '70s when I worked at the Old Compton and Oxford Street arcades and he was working around the corner for the jukebox distributors before he met his lovely wife Ruth. We were family friends and I was only speaking to him recently to go out for dinner. Personally I have lost a friend and Electrocoin will miss Norman too as he was part of our team and worked closely with John Anthony on our advertising and promotions. Norman was always a supporter of our industry.”
John White described Norman as a “fixture of the industry” and added: “I remember him in various job,s but notably as a man who liked to entertain at the bar, always convivial with a pithy line to offer on the issues of the day and unfailingly friendly. In recent years he was simply the curator of the industry’s image through all the pictures he took. He knew everyone and photographed them all. We shall miss him deeply.”
