Captain Sir Tom Moore

Yesterday the world lost one of the greatest people to ever live when Captain Sir Tom Moore died from Covid-19 at the age of One hundred. Born in Keighley West Yorkshire on April 30^th, 1920, Captain Sir Tom Moore was a World War Two veteran who fought in Burma for the Royal Army and went on to raise a grand total of £39 million for NHS Charities by walking one hundred laps of his garden before his one hundredth birthday. Some news broadcasters have said that Captain Sir Tom Moore raised £32 million, however that does not take into account the £7 million extra raised through Gift Aid. As well as the astonishing amount of money raised for NHS Charites by completing one hundred; twenty-five-metre-long laps of his garden, Captain Sir Tom also had a number one single in the UK charts when he recorded, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with Michael Ball OBE, became an Honorary Colonel of the Royal Army on his One hundredth birthday and was Knighted by the Queen.

Tributes to this remarkable man have been led by Queen Elizabeth the Second, recognising the inspiration he provided for the nation and the entire world. In her statement Queen Elizabeth spoke of how she enjoyed meeting Captain Sir Tom and the entire Moore family when she Knighted him in July 2020. In his tribute British Prime Minister Boris Johnson described him as, “A Hero in the truest sense of the word”. Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer said, “Captain Sir Tom Moore put others first at a time of national crisis and was a beacon of hope for millions”. A sign of just how remarkable Captain Sir Tom Moore was is the fact that US President Joe Biden paid tribute to him through the White House’s official Twitter page.

During his final year Captain Sir Tom Moore won two Guinness World Records. These were the oldest person to get a UK number one single and the most money ever raised doing an individual charity walk. Captain Sir Tom originally wanted to raise £1000 for NHS Charites and ended up raising £39 million. He also wrote his autobiography: Tomorrow Will Be A Good Day as well as appeared on television programs such as Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. During these television appearances the public got a chance to see the real person behind the fame, a man who loved his family, loved his country and a man who even at the age of One hundred had a true passion for life. What made me smile the most was a clip shown on ITV’s, Good Morning Britain from his appearance on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories. A simple request for his dressing room was a can of coke, a Dairy Milk chocolate bar and six blonds.

A truly great man, Captain Sir Tom Moore there will never be another like you.

30/04/1920 – 02/02/2021

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