Helen of Tadcaster: not to be confused (excessively, in context) with the more famous Helen of Troy - who, in Greek mythology, was the Spartan queen whose abduction/ elopement caused the Trojan War. Tadcaster is a market town near Leeds, where the series is set, most famous for its three breweries.
School curry joke: British school dinners in general are the subject of a great deal of scathing satire. In particular, 1970s and 80s school curry in Leeds was distinct for its vicious use of diced swede and random scatterings of sultanas, but almost entire lack of Indian spices.
Little Norm thinks he'll "watch that thing on Channel 4" - at the time of recording it was the UK's newest TV channel (began 1982), and was distinctively innovative, experimental and successfully trendy - an unexpected character note for Norm.