It isn't normal, no. But there are usually mitigating factors. Most head gasket problems are caused by the engine running low on oil or coolant. Is this the case here?

If you bought the car within the past 6 months from a dealer (and low oil or coolant isn't an issue) then you may have ground to make a claim against the company that sold you the car: www.honestjohn.co.uk/problems-with-a-new-or-used-c...s