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Old is Gold: Captain Tom Moore
Until a few weeks ago, Captain Tom Moore was enjoying a quiet retirement in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire where he lives with his youngest daughter, Hannah, her husband, and their two children. But all that changed on 6 April 2020, when Captain Tom (as he’s now affectionately referred to by the British press) decided to start a fundraising campaign to support the NHS during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 99-year-old Moore could not possibly have imagined, when he announced his plan on JustGiving to walk 100 lengths of his 25-metre back garden before turning 100, that by the time his centenary birthday celebrations arrived, he would not only be hailed as a national treasure, but would also exceed his adjusted target of £500 000 (he had initially hoped to raise £1000) by an astonishing 6000% (and counting)!
The captain completed the final 10 laps of his walking challenge on Thursday, 16 April and as of his 100thbirthday today, 30 April 2020, has raised a staggering £30 009 971 in aid of NHS Charities Together – all while capturing the hearts of a nation and bringing hope in some of the most unsettling times in recent memory.
He has also set two remarkable Guinness World Records along the way, taking the title for the most money raised by charity walk (individual) – a record that stood for 40 years – and becoming the oldest person to reach number one in the UK charts with You’ll Never Walk Alone featuring himself, Michael Ball and the NHS Voices for Care Choir – take a listen to the single here.
On being notified of his achievements, Moore remarked, “I feel very honoured to receive recognition from Guinness World Records. My charity walk has raised more money than I could have possibly imagined and I am so thankful to those who have donated money and bought the single so we could achieve these records together and raise money for our incredible NHS during these difficult times. These really are Guinness World Records titles for all of us.”
Captain Tom’s centenary celebrations will be marked by an RAF flyover – that’s in addition to the more than 125 000 birthday cards, including ones from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and England football captain Harry Kane, he has received in the lead-up to today. This mountain of mail, which currently fills the hall at his sixteen-year-old grandson’s school, will also include many cards postmarked “Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020″ – wording that is to appear on all Royal Mail sent between 26 April 2020 and 1 May 2020.
Born and raised in Keighley in Yorkshire, Moore attended Keighley Grammar School before completing an apprenticeship as a civil engineer. At the outbreak of WWII, he enlisted in the 8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s Regiment or 8 DWR. In late 1941, Moore became a member of the Royal Armoured Corps, when the 8 DWR became the 145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps. While serving in India, first in Mumbai (then Bombay) and later in Kolkata (then Calcutta) Moore transferred to the 9th Battalion (now the 146th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps). He also served in Myanmar (then Burma) and Sumatra, rising through the ranks to become a captain. After the war, Moore was an instructor at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Bovington and became the managing director of a concrete company. In 1968, he married Pamela, who passed away in 2006, with whom he had two daughters.
So, how will this inspirational centenarian spend his big day? In an interview with the BBC’s Radio Two on 27 April, Moore said, “I am hoping we shall have a little family party, we can’t have a big one. We can’t all stand close together so maybe we will have a good party afterwards when we can all come. I might have a little drink.”
Happy 100th birthday, Captain Tom Moore, may it be your best yet!
Meet Evergreen’s very own centenarian
While many of us are finding it especially tough to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, one hundred-and-two-year-old Henri Postuma, a resident at Evergreen Broadacres, certainly seems to be taking the pandemic in his stride.
Earlier this week, Village Manager Wilma Swart checked in with Henri and was told with a chuckle, “I feel stronger since the lockdown. I can’t exactly say why, but I do. It’s important for me to keep exercising and Anastacia, my carer, has been an absolute star, helping me daily. At my age, I feel proud about showing other residents that it’s okay to accept assistance from others and I recently repaired and gave my spare walker to a resident who struggles to walk.”
