Norman's Tricky Day

**Norman's Tricky Day** is the sixth episode of Series 1 of Fireman Sam.

## Summary

Naughty Norman Price is up to his old tricks as usual, but this time he plays one too many.

## Plot

Fireman Sam is due to give Jupiter a ‘special once-over’ when Sarah and James drop by the fire station to invite him to play football in the park with them. Sam explains to Sarah and James that he has to give Jupiter a special once-over and suggests they give him a hand, but they decline and leave him to it. Sam sets to work; first up is polishing the windscreen. He soon finds that the polish needed has been switched to boot polish. Sam suspects somebody is playing tricks. Norman can be seen sniggering and hiding in a dustbin, which almost topples over from rocking about laughing.

Trevor calls into Bella’s café to deliver a bread order to her, but not before greeting Dilys first and taking an apple from her front display. Norman, back from the fire station, makes a hoax 999 call from the shop’s telephone saying there is a fire at Bella’s café. When the fire service attend the scene, they soon discover it is a false alarm.

Later, Norman sneaks back to the fire station, armed with a can of grease and a paintbrush. Seeing that nobody seems to be in, he finds a stepladder left next to the pole and sets about painting the pole with grease. He then hears a smash. Station Officer Steele is dozing in his chair in his office and from stirring in his sleep he swats a mug, which falls onto the floor during the pole greasing. Investigating the source of the smashing noise, Norman comes across Station Officer Steele dozing and presses the red button which sets off the fire bell. Steele wakes with a jolt, wondering where he is. Norman sneaks away and hides to see the greased pole trick take effect. Unaware to him, Sam and Elvis are in the station and they come down the pole - and they crash about from the grease. They catch him and jump into Jupiter to get hold of him; Norman makes a dash for it on his skateboard. Whilst Norman is on the run from the firefighters he falls off his skateboard and gets his head stuck in railings. When the firefighters catch up with him and see him stuck in the railings they free him with the help of the grease that Elvis scooped up when making their way to Jupiter.

Back at the station, Sam is relieved from doing Jupiter’s once-over - it was decided that Norman should do it instead as punishment for his misdeeds. He gets to go play football with Sarah and James after all. Steele tells Norman to give the work some more elbow grease, unwittingly cracking a joke which Elvis points out.

## Characters

* Fireman Sam
* Elvis Cridlington
* Station Officer Steele
* Sarah and James
* Dilys Price
* Norman Price
* Bella Lasagne
* Rosa
* Trevor Evans

## Vehicles

* Jupiter
* Trevor's Bus

## Locations

* Pontypandy Fire Station
* Price's General Store
* Bella's Cafe
* The Park

## Trivia

* Recording date: February 12, 1985 and April 6, 1987.
* This episode along with Chemistry Set, The Wishing Well, Dilys' Forgetful Day, What Goes Up and The Big Freeze were the only episodes to be not added on BBC iPlayer in November 2020.
* Some of Norman’s misdeeds in the episode are referred to in the song Naughty Norman Price, in this case ‘putting grease upon the pole’ and ‘playing tricks on Fireman Sam’. Coincidentally, in the stage show Fireman Sam in Action, where Naughty Norman Price features as part of the story ‘Pontypandy Fireworks Party’, he gets stuck in railings shortly before the song’s place in the show.

## Home Media Releases

### UK/IRL

* Fireman Sam - The Hero Next Door
* The Very Best of Fireman Sam
* Norman's Tricky Day and Four Other Stories
* 2 on 1
* Fireman Sam - Biggest Video Ever!
* Norman's Tricky Day
* Flat Tyre

## video

Fireman Sam - Norman's Tricky Day (1987)English versionSam Tân - Diwrnod Anodd Norman (1987) HQWales version
## References

1. ↑ Episode - BBC Programme Index - BBC Genome