A Tribute to Norman Lambert

by Nick Wilson

It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Norman Lambert, a valued colleague and former owner of Stonewest.

Norman joined Stonewest in 1990 and later became owner of the business, leading the company with his ‘touch of the tiller’ until his retirement in 2001, following which he provided Consultancy services for another 10 years.

His career started at John Laing, then Taylor Woodrow and Higgs & Hill where he became Managing Director of a £430 million business with almost 3,000 staff. He also advised the PSA (Property Services Agency) during a period of significant change as it sought to streamline its services.

But it was Stonewest that he cherished most, taking every opportunity to remind people of our work, including Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Selfridges, Harrods, St Pancras and projects in Hong Kong.

A particularly memorable moment from his time with Stonewest was meeting Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth and indeed the whole Royal Family following the restoration works after the Windsor Castle fire, when the Royal Family personally thanked the tradespeople involved, with beer served in cut glass in the Great Hall!

Norman was born and died a Beer Boy and had proudly kept his association with the Devon village throughout his life, including sponsoring world class sailing events hosted by the village and extolling the virtues of the Beer limestone, used for carvings in so many English churches and cathedrals.

Norman brought huge experience and many qualities to Stonewest and guided the company through a period of transition in the industry towards increased regulation where his real skills were clear thinking, traditional values and the occasional thump of the table!

His interests outside work included horse racing, golf (under duress), world-wide travel, the avid collecting of Beer and Devon postcards and photographs (from which he published a book), Spurs and Beer Albion football clubs and every day until his last walking the sea front followed by ‘a bit of breakfast’ and reading the daily newspaper of his choice from cover to cover thus equipping him to comment with his own version of clarity on domestic and world affairs.

He will be remembered with respect and gratitude by his colleagues and friends.

Norman Lambert (1937 – 2026)