Thomas was born in
St Helens, Lancashire and worked as a schoolteacher at a school in
Liverpool's
Dingle area before moving into broadcasting in the mid-1970s. His career as a radio presenter began in 1974 with the launch of
Radio City in Liverpool when he joined the station as part of its original line-up. He quickly became a popular personality in the area and developed a huge following during his time at the station, becoming affectionately known as "Little NT" and "Uncle Norm". However, he later moved on from Radio City, working for
BBC Radio Merseyside and
BBC Radio Lancashire, and for a time he also presented a syndicated programme across the north west region. Away from broadcasting Thomas ran several businesses, including a travel agents, ==References==