Captain Sir Tom Moore has died.

[oldbadger]

Last April Captain Tom, at the great age of 99, proposed to walk 100 laps of the width of his garden on behalf of British National Health Service charities, supporting all NHS workers.
He hoped to accumulate one thousand pounds in contributions from the public.

It didn't go quite like that. His efforts gained over 37 million pounds last year for NHS charity.

He was knighted for his efforts by the Queen.

Sadly he has just died aged 100 years. What an amazing gentleman.

 

[Altfish]

Last April Captain Tom, at the great age of 99, proposed to walk 100 laps of the width of his garden on behalf of British National Health Service charities, supporting all NHS workers.
He hoped to accumulate one thousand pounds in contributions from the public.

It didn't go quite like that. His efforts gained over 37 million pounds last year for NHS charity.

He was knighted for his efforts by the Queen.

Sadly he has just died aged 100 years. What an amazing gentleman.

He did good and had a good long life. It is sad that he has died.

BUT the NHS shouldn't be so badly funded that it needs charity to function.

 

[sun rise]

He died from COVID.

My "hat" is off in memory of the life he lived.

 

[Yerda]

This is sad news. He was a good yin.

 

[LightofTruth]

The NHS is funded by general taxation. It provides free health care to citizens

Way to go Captain!

 

[exchemist]

Last April Captain Tom, at the great age of 99, proposed to walk 100 laps of the width of his garden on behalf of British National Health Service charities, supporting all NHS workers.
He hoped to accumulate one thousand pounds in contributions from the public.

It didn't go quite like that. His efforts gained over 37 million pounds last year for NHS charity.

He was knighted for his efforts by the Queen.

Sadly he has just died aged 100 years. What an amazing gentleman.

The irony is that it was Covid 19 that killed him: the very thing that stimulated his fund-raising and galvanised people to contribute.

 

[Sunstone]

A couple of days ago, I was disturbed to learn he was in the hospital with COVID. This is such sad news. But even now, an example of what humans are capable of even in bad times. His daughter was so devoted to him.

 

[oldbadger]

He did good and had a good long life. It is sad that he has died.

He did amazing....... have you read about his motorcycle recce patrols in Burma? I wondered what the campaign stars were for.

BUT the NHS shouldn't be so badly funded that it needs charity to function.

Captain Tom's walk was not for the NHS. It was for all the people who worked within it.

Altfish, I know that you might want to pay more in to your country's fine services, but somehow I get the feeling that if you get taxed another penny you're going to moan for a decade over it.

Many of our services are run with charity money, of course, our Lifeboat service throughout the UK, our Cancer research, our Pet Rescue, it goes on....... all kept going by charities. You can fixate upon criticisms over that or you can just support them, I guess.

 

[oldbadger]

The irony is that it was Covid 19 that killed him: the very thing that stimulated his fund-raising and galvanised people to contribute.

Is that it?

I thought that he caught pneumonia, got taken to hospital, and then got tagged with Covid......... but does it matter? At 100years folks are very very at risk from colds, even....

His amazing rise through the ranks to a commission (back then), his amazing motorcycle recces through Burmese jungle in the War, and the fact that he was such a humble guy ......... his story won't be kept down now.

 

[exchemist]

He did amazing....... have you read about his motorcycle recce patrols in Burma? I wondered what the campaign stars were for.


Captain Tom's walk was not for the NHS. It was for all the people who worked within it.

Altfish, I know that you might want to pay more in to your country's fine services, but somehow I get the feeling that if you get taxed another penny you're going to moan for a decade over it.

Many of our services are run with charity money, of course, our Lifeboat service throughout the UK, our Cancer research, our Pet Rescue, it goes on....... all kept going by charities. You can fixate upon criticisms over that or you can just support them, I guess.

In fact, the money he raised was a drop in the bucket compared to the £6.6bn extra the government has diverted to the NHS to deal with the Covid crisis. But it all helps, of course.

Taxes must go up, that's clear, when this is under control. Though I see Sunak has set his face against increasing income tax, NI contributions or VAT, for the time being. Looks as if it will be corporation tax and CGT. So I'd sell those shares you were thinking of selling sooner, rather than later..........

 

[oldbadger]

A couple of days ago, I was disturbed to learn he was in the hospital with COVID. This is such sad news. But even now, an example of what humans are capable of even in bad times. His daughter was so devoted to him.

We hear that the White House has made mention of Captain Tom, his charity success and his death.

Piers Morgan got his researchers digging up info before his interview with Captain Tom, and Tom's deep seated humility could hide his amazing background and military record.

Boris and all are thinking about how we can remember him (I mean Captain Tom, but of course Boris will have been wondering about himself as well!). My bet is that a Hospital gets his name, and several coins.

 

[oldbadger]

In fact, the money he raised was a drop in the bucket compared to the £6.6bn extra the government has diverted to the NHS to deal with the Covid crisis. But it all helps, of course.

Oh.... well...... one wonders why he bothered.

Although I don't think that your mindset would have put down his determination. Not such as he.

His successful walk produced funds for:-
The focus of Charities Together is the comfort and wellbeing of staff and patients - things that, in the words of one NHS worker, "make their working lives easier". Here are some examples.

Taxes must go up, that's clear, when this is under control. Though I see Sunak has set his face against increasing income tax, NI contributions or VAT, for the time being. Looks as if it will be corporation tax and CGT. So I'd sell those shares you were thinking of selling sooner, rather than later..........

You could start a thread about taxes, maybe?
But I won't need to follow your advice because all my personal second pension fund was built upon silver and gold.

The bullion prices have found their way in to my RF advertisements, even!

 

[Martin]

The pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. This guy was certainly one of the best.

 

[exchemist]

The pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. This guy was certainly one of the best.

I can't help feeling he was an accidental hero. There is now talk of a statue - and no doubt another spitfire flypast - when all he did was walk round his garden to do a bit of fund-raising. As it happens the media got hold of it and it snowballed, due to the stress everyone was under with the lockdown, and the pressure on the NHS at the time. So the media have built him up into a feel-good celeb - and all the rest followed.

I think all the coverage this story has got is completely out of hand, now.

 

[oldbadger]

The pandemic has brought out the best and the worst in people. This guy was certainly one of the best.

So true.
Not a bad last year in anybody's life, that....... The charity success, being raised up to Honorary Colonel by his regiment, The Knighthood, being interviewed POLITELY by Piers Morgan (a first ) and his whole life story and military bravery being highlighted for the better.

 

[oldbadger]

I can't help feeling he was an accidental hero. There is now talk of a statue - and no doubt another spitfire flypast - when all he did was walk round his garden to do a bit of fund-raising. As it happens the media got hold of it and it snowballed, due to the stress everyone was under with the lockdown, and the pressure on the NHS at the time. So the media have built him up into a feel-good celeb - and all the rest followed.

I think all the coverage this story has got is completely out of hand, now.

Oh!........ Ah!........ and they didn't accidentally pick on you...!

No Spifires, honorary commissions, knight-hoods or polite(!) interviews with Piers for exchemist. No revelations of military bravery in Burma, etc.
Them grapes were bound to be sour.....

He'll get more than a statue...... that statue will be outside the hospital bearing his name.

 

[Altfish]

He did amazing....... have you read about his motorcycle recce patrols in Burma? I wondered what the campaign stars were for.

Indeed, as did many others, including my great uncle who was killed at Arras in WW1

Captain Tom's walk was not for the NHS. It was for all the people who worked within it.

, I know that you might want to pay more in to your country's fine services, but somehow I get the feeling that if you get taxed another penny you're going to moan for a decade over it.

Many of our services are run with charity money, of course, our Lifeboat service throughout the UK, our Cancer research, our Pet Rescue, it goes on....... all kept going by charities. You can fixate upon criticisms over that or you can just support them, I guess.

You'd be wrong, always happy to pay more tax if I'm getting additional and better services.
The NHS has been underfunded by this and previous governments, the charity events help paper the cracks.

 

[Mock Turtle]

Oh!........ Ah!........ and they didn't accidentally pick on you...!

No Spifires, honorary commissions, knight-hoods or polite(!) interviews with Piers for exchemist. No revelations of military bravery in Burma, etc.
Them grapes were bound to be sour.....

He'll get more than a statue...... that statue will be outside the hospital bearing his name.

I'll agree that Sir Tom has done so much in such a short space of time and being at the very end of his life, so effective, but you can't really argue against being the right person at the right time, as so many others might be. That is often what we tend to congregate towards - heroic gestures - and as the obverse - Mr T.

 

[oldbadger]

Indeed, as did many others, including my great uncle who was killed at Arras in WW1

Yes, but just now the whole country is remembering Sir Tom.

Captain Tom's walk was not for the NHS. It was for all the people who worked within it.
.

Already written . ..... and for patients' support actually.

 

[exchemist]

Oh!........ Ah!........ and they didn't accidentally pick on you...!

No Spifires, honorary commissions, knight-hoods or polite(!) interviews with Piers for exchemist. No revelations of military bravery in Burma, etc.
Them grapes were bound to be sour.....

He'll get more than a statue...... that statue will be outside the hospital bearing his name.

Not at all. I just think our media have this mawkish tendency to Diana-ise anyone like this and that is what is happening here. It's faked up schmaltz for some bloke none of us knew and it's out of proportion. People of his generation (like my parents) would never go in for this.