Sir Tom Moore | |
|---|---|
 Moore during the period of his 2020 fundraiser | |
| Birth name | Thomas Moore |
| Born | (1920-04-30)30 April 1920 Keighley,West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 2 February 2021(2021-02-02) (aged 100) Bedford,Bedfordshire, England |
| Awards | |
| Alma mater | Keighley Grammar School |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1940–1946 |
| Rank |
|
| Unit | |
| Battles / wars | |
CaptainSir Thomas Moore (30 April 1920 – 2 February 2021), more popularly known asCaptain Tom, was aBritish Army officer andfundraiser. He made international headlines in April 2020 when he raised money for charity in the run-up to his100th birthday during theCOVID-19 pandemic. Heserved in India and theBurma campaign during theSecond World War, and later became an instructor inarmoured warfare. After the war, he worked as managing director of a concrete company and was an avid motorcycle racer.
On 6 April 2020, at the age of 99 during the first COVID-19 national lockdown, Moore began to walk 100 lengths of his garden in aid ofNHS Charities Together, with the goal of raising £1,000 by his 100th birthday on 30 April. In the 24-day course of his fundraising, he made many media appearances and became a household name in the UK, earning a number of accolades and attracting over 1.5 million individual donations.
In recognition of his efforts, he received theBBC Sports Personality of the Year Helen Rollason Award at the2020 ceremony. He performed in a cover version of the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" sung byMichael Ball, with proceeds going to the same charity. The single topped theUK Singles Chart, making him the oldest person to achieve aUK number one.
On the morning of Moore's 100th birthday, the total raised by his walk passed £30 million, and by the time the campaign closed at the end of that day, had increased to over £32.79 million (worth almost £39 million with expected tax rebates). His birthday was marked in a number of ways, includingflypasts by theRoyal Air Force and the British Army. He received over 150,000 cards, and was appointed ashonorary colonel of theArmy Foundation College. On 17 July 2020, he was personallyknighted byQueen Elizabeth II atWindsor Castle. He died on 2 February 2021 aged 100, atBedford Hospital, where he was taken after being treated forpneumonia, later testing positive forCOVID-19.
Moore was born inKeighley,West Riding of Yorkshire, England, on 30 April 1920, and grew up in the town.[1] He was the son of Isabella (née Hird) and Wilson "Wilfred" Moore.[2] His father was from a family of builders,[3][4] and his mother was ahead teacher.[5] Moore was educated atKeighley Grammar School and started an apprenticeship incivil engineering.[6]
Mooreraced motorcycles competitively – he acquired his first when he was twelve and wore the number 23.[7] He rode aScott Flying Squirrel motorcycle, winning several trophies.[8] Moore was a member of the Keighley and District Photographic Association between 1934 and 1936, as his father had also been.[9]
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Moore wasconscripted in the8th Battalion, Duke of Wellington's Regiment (8 DWR) in June 1940, stationed at Weston Park inOtley, nine months after the beginning of theSecond World War.[10] He was selected for officer training later that year,[6] and attended anOfficer Cadet Training Unit before being commissioned as asecond lieutenant on 28 June 1941.[11]
On 22 October 1941, Moore became a member of theRoyal Armoured Corps. This was because 8 DWR became an armoured unit designated as the145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps.[6][12] Later that year, he was transferred to the 9th Battalion (9 DWR) inIndia, which had converted to become the146th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps.[13] While in India, he was tasked with setting up and running a training programme for army motorcyclists.[13] He was initially posted to Bombay[14] (nowMumbai) and subsequently to Calcutta (nowKolkata).
He was promoted to war-substantivelieutenant on 1 October 1942 and to temporarycaptain on 11 October 1944.[15]
As part of theFourteenth Army, the so-called "Forgotten Army", he served inArakan in western Burma (nowMyanmar) – where he surviveddengue fever.[13] Moore returned to the UK in February 1945, to take a training course on the inner workings of theChurchill tanks, learning to become an instructor. He did not return to the regiment, remaining as an instructor and the Technical Adjutant of the Armoured Vehicle Fighting School inBovington Camp, Dorset until the end of the War.[6][16][17] He wasdemobilised in 1946.[2]
For 65 years, Moore organised the annual reunion for the 9th Battalion veterans.[10]
Moore was officiallydemobilised in October 1946. After leaving the army at 26 years old, he joined the family building company, the name of which was altered to W. Moore & Son (Builders) Ltd.[18] In 1960 he took a job as a travelling salesman for a roofing materials company called Nuralite inGravesend, Kent.[19] Seven years later he became regional manager, for the north of England and Northern Ireland, for the company.[20]
He was later appointed general manager of Cawoods Concrete Products Ltd., manufacturingconcrete pipes inMarch,Cambridgeshire, with a view to restoring it to profitability or closing it down, after its owners had failed to find a buyer.[21][22] Moore led amanagement buyout in 1983, with the assistance of localMember of ParliamentClement Freud, who also became an investor in the renamed March Concrete Products Ltd.[2][21][23][24] The company traded successfully for several years until market conditions and technical issues forced the investors to sell it toAmalgamated Roadstone Corporation in 1987.[21][23]
On 6 April 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic, and with his 100th birthday approaching, Moore began a fundraising campaign forNHS Charities Together, a group ofcharities supporting staff, volunteers and patients in the BritishNational Health Service (NHS). He aimed to complete one hundred 25-metre (27-yard) laps of his garden, ten laps per day, with the help of awalking frame, branding the endeavour "Tom's 100th Birthday Walk for the NHS".[25][26][27]
The initial £1,000 goal having been realised on 10 April, the target was increased, first to £5,000,[28] and later to £500,000 as more people around the world became involved.[29] Contributions rose quickly after British media publicised the endeavour, beginning when Moore made a brief appearance by telephone, onMichael Ball's Sunday programme onBBC Radio 2 on 12 April.[30] Moore, who joinedTwitter in the same month, used the site to express joy at the public's generosity in donating such a large amount of money.[31]
He achieved his target of one hundred laps on the morning of 16 April, watchedat a safe distance by aguard of honour from the1st Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment,[32] the regiment into which the DWR were merged in 2006.[33] He said he would not stop, and aimed to do a second hundred.[17]
On the morning of his 100th birthday, he had raised £30 million.[34] TheJustGiving page for his campaign closed at the end of that day; the final amount raised subsequently being stated there as £32,796,475 (plus another £6,173,663.31 expected in tax rebates under theGift Aid scheme)[35] – a record for a JustGiving campaign,[36][37] beating the previous record of £5.2 million raised (partially posthumously) byStephen Sutton.[38][39] More than 1.5 million individuals donated.[35]
Funds raised by Moore were spent on such things as well-being packs for National Health Service staff, facilitating rest and recuperation rooms, devices to enable hospital patients to keep in contact with family members, and community groups who support patients once discharged from hospitals.[17][40] Once his campaign ended, Moore encouraged people to continue to donate, directly to the NHS Charities Together's urgent appeal,[41] and subsequently via his own Captain Tom Foundation.[42]
On reaching £5 million, Moore explained his motivation:[43]
When we started off with this exercise we didn't anticipate we'd get anything near that sort of money. It's really amazing. All of them, from top to bottom, in the National Health Service, they deserve everything that we can possibly put in their place. They're all so brave. Because every morning or every night they're putting themselves into harm's way, and I think you've got to give them full marks for that effort. We're a little bit like having a war at the moment. But the doctors and the nurses, they're all on the front line, and all of us behind, we've got to supply them and keep them going with everything that they need, so that they can do their jobs even better than they're doing now.
To mark Moore's 100th length, the singerMichael Ball sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" for him live onBBC Breakfast.[44] Within 24 hours, the performance was made into a digital single featuring the NHS Voices of Care Choir, and Moore's spoken words.[44] Released byDecca Records,[45] on 17 April, with all proceeds going to NHS Charities Together, the recording topped the United Kingdom's "The Official Big Top 40" chart. It sold almost 36,000 copies in its first 48 hours,[46] and was the "biggest trending song" as measured by theOfficial Charts Company.[45] On 24 April, it went straight to number 1 in theUK Singles Chart, making Moore the oldest person to achieve that position and meaning that he was at number 1 on his 100th birthday,[47] and became aone-hit wonder.
Moore's bid to reach number 1 was boosted when his leading competitor, the then-current number 1 actThe Weeknd, asked people via Twitter to support Moore and make him number 1 for his 100th birthday.[48][49] The Weeknd's song, "Blinding Lights", duly dropped to number 2.[47]
On 16 April, after Moore's 100th length, a UK Government spokesman said "thePrime Minister will certainly be looking at ways to recognise Tom's heroic efforts."[50] Brigadier Andrew Jackson, Colonel of the Yorkshire Regiment, described Moore as "an absolute legend [from] an exceptional generation that are still an inspiration for our Yorkshire soldiers today."[51] Via video link, Moore was guest of honour at, and opened, theNHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber, inHarrogate, on 21 April.[51][52]
On 23 April, he was given aPride of Britain award in recognition of his efforts, after "thousands of nominations" were received.[53][54] He was appointed the firstHonorary Colonel of theArmy Foundation College inHarrogate, Yorkshire, a training centre for soldiers under 18, on his 100th birthday.[55][56] When acting in that capacity, he was addressed as "Colonel Tom".[57] He also received theYork Medal for his "outstanding contribution to our military effectiveness and military reputation".[58] He made his first visit to the college on 10 September, when he was Chief Inspecting Officer at their annual graduation parade.[59]
On his 100th birthday, he was also named a "Point of Light" by the Prime Minister.[60] In early May, he was awarded a goldBlue Peter badge, the highest accolade issued by theBBC Television children's programme.[61] Keighley Town Council stated that they would grant Moore theFreedom of Keighley.[62][63] On 12 May, he was granted theFreedom of the City of London, via a video call.[64]
By 20 April, more than 800,000 people had signed a petition calling for Moore to be knighted.[65] Late on 19 May, it was announced that he was to be made aKnight Bachelor following a special nomination by the Prime Minister.[66][67] The knighthood is part of the2020 Special Honours,[68] and was conferred on 20 May.[69][70] The investiture, byElizabeth II, took place outdoors, in the quadrangle atWindsor Castle, on 17 July; Moore was the only person honoured at the ceremony, and it was the Queen's first official engagement in person since the start of theCOVID-19 lockdown.[71] She used the sword that had belonged to her fatherGeorge VI.[71] On 7 September, SirGary Hickinbottom, the Knight Principal of theImperial Society of Knights Bachelor presented the Knight Bachelor's Certificate (the official documentation of aKnight Bachelor) to Moore at his home, and gave him the ISKB's officialNeck Tie. At the same ceremony, Robert Pooley, theCEO ofPooley Sword, presented him with a Knight Bachelor'sSword.[72]
Cranfield University, near Moore's home in Bedfordshire, awarded him an Honorary Doctorate of Science. It was presented to him byBaroness Young, Chancellor of the university, and SirPeter Gregson, Vice-Chancellor, in a video call.[73] He was awarded theHonorary degree ofDoctor of the University (D.Univ) by theUniversity of Bradford as part of their 2020 Graduation Ceremonies.[74] In July, Moore became the first member and captain of theFootball Association andEngland National Football Team'sLionhearts squad. This honour was presented by former England captainDavid Beckham.[75][76]
A number of artists painted portraits of Moore; some said they would gift the paintings to him,[77] or sell them to raise more funds.[78] Others depicted him inmurals, including examples inCambourne,[79]Tamworth[80] andThetford.[81] On 14 August, an official portrait painted by Alexander Chamberlin was unveiled. It is in the collection of theNational Army Museum.[82]
Moore gave over 150 media interviews.[13] On 6 May,BBC One changed its advertised schedule to screen a 30-minuteBBC News Special,Captain Tom: We Salute You, presented byMichael Ball.[30] During the programme, Ball visited Moore at his home, and at the end of the programme the pair duetted,a cappella, the first verse of their hit single.[30] Another UK television channel,ITV, screened a 30-minute documentary,Captain Tom's War, on 8 May, in which Moore reminisced about his military career,[13][83] followed by the hour-longThe Life & Times of Captain Sir Tom on 13 August.[84] He was the guest on an episode ofPiers Morgan's Life Stories on 13 September.[85][86]
In November 2020,British GQ magazine named Moore its "Inspiration of the Year" as part of itsMen of the Year edition. Moore also appeared on the front cover of the magazine, making him the oldest cover star in the magazine's history.[87][88]
In February 2021,Lake District brand Herdy made him a "Herdy Hero" and created a free poster that people can download with one of his sayings on it.[89]
Moore held twoGuinness World Records: as the fundraiser raising the greatest amount of money in an individual charity walk, and as the oldest person to have a number-one single on theUK Singles Chart.[90]
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Over a week before Moore's 100th birthday, so many cards had been sent to him thatRoyal Mail had had to introduce dedicated sorting facilities and around 20 volunteers were recruited to open and display them, at the localBedford School.[91][92] By his birthday, over 150,000 cards had been received.[93]
Royal Mail announced that all stamped post between 26 April and 1 May would bepostmarked "Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020". Royal Mail also celebrated his birthday by painting a postbox, near his home, the shade of blue used by the NHS, with a golden balloon and inscription on the side.[94]
On the morning of his birthday, aHawker Hurricane and aSpitfire from theRoyal Air Force'sBattle of Britain Memorial Flight performed aflypast over Moore's house.[93] In the afternoon, a second flypast featured twoArmy Air Corps helicopters, aWildcat and anApache.[95][96]
Michael Ball appeared live onBBC Breakfast to sing "Happy Birthday to You" to Moore.[93] Birthday congratulations were also made by Prime MinisterBoris Johnson, English footballerHarry Kane, andthe Prince of Wales.[97] Moore also took a video call from theSecretary-General of the United Nations,António Guterres.[98]
Instead of the standard 100th birthday message fromQueen Elizabeth II, he received a personalised card, presented in person by theLord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire,Helen Nellis.[99]
Keighley Bus Company named one of itsOptare Versa busesCaptain Tom Moore on 20 April, and reprogrammed the electronic displays to show a "Thank You Captain Tom" message intermittently in between the vehicle's route and destination. A plaque inside the bus gives further information of Moore's life and fundraising.[100] Other buses in the town, and across parent companyTransdev Blazefield, displayed an intermittent "Thank You NHS" message. Alex Hornby, chief executive of Transdev Blazefield, described the vehicle as the "pride of the fleet" in dedication to Moore, thanking him for his fundraising efforts.[101] On 25 April, bus companyStagecoach East, which runs services inBedford where Moore lived, named one of itsAlexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC double-decker busesCaptain Tom Moore.[102]
On 29 April,Great Western Railway named aClass 800 train, 800 025,Captain Tom Moore.[103] On 30 April,GB Railfreight named aClass 66, 66 731,Capt. Tom Moore – A True British Inspiration.[104]Hornby Railways produced aOO gauge model locomotive, and donated £140,000 raised from its sales to NHS Charities.[105][106] This locomotive was a record for Hornby, which sold 3,500 units in four days – on average one every two minutes and 26 seconds.[107]
In late April,West Midlands Police named aDutch Sherderpolice dog puppyCaptain Tom Moore, the name being an "overwhelming favourite" in an online vote to name dogs after "NHS heroes".[108]World Horse Welfare named a foal, recently born at its base inThetford,Captain Tom, after a poll on social media.[109] AClydesdale horse born in the Lake District on Moore's birthday was also namedCaptain Tom.[110]Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service named a powerboatCaptain Tom.[93] Bedford Hospital also named a new landscaped garden after him.[111]
Moore was awarded the followingBritish medals and honours:
| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
.svg) | Knight Bachelor | 20 May 2020[69][112] |
 | 1939–1945 Star | [113] |
 | Burma Star | [113] |
 | Defence Medal | Reissued 30 April 2020[58] |
 | War Medal 1939–1945 | [113] |
Moore first married in 1949 a woman who was known as "Billie".[114][2] The marriage was never consummated and was subsequently annulled.[115][116] In January 1968, he married Pamela, fifteen years his junior.[117] They had two daughters: Hannah and Lucy.[118][117]
Moore was a contestant on the Christmas Day 1983 edition of theBBC Television game showBlankety Blank.[119]
When Moore was working at Cawoods and then March Concrete, the family lived inWelney in Norfolk.[24] The couple retired to theCosta del Sol, Spain, but returned when Pamela developed a form ofdementia. She spent her last years in anursing home, where Moore would visit her every day.[84] She died in 2006.[25] Moore lived with his younger daughter, her husband, and two grandchildren Ben and Georgia, inMarston Moretaine,Bedfordshire, from 2008 until his death.[17]
In 2018, he received treatment from theNHS, for abroken hip, broken rib, punctured lung and other serious injuries, following a fall.[85][25][26][93][120][121] He was still recovering from these injuries when he started his fund-raising walk.[85] The same year, he was also treated formelanoma of the head. In addition, Moore had ahip replacement and a doubleknee replacement.[122]In December 2020, Moore and his family took a holiday toBarbados afterBritish Airways paid for his flight.[123][124]
Moore was admitted toBedford Hospital on 12 January 2021. He was diagnosed withpneumonia and treated. Ten days later he was discharged to his home in Marston Moretaine. Both before and during his stay in hospital, Moore was tested regularly forCOVID-19. On the day of his discharge, 22 January, he first tested positive for the coronavirus. He remained at home for the following nine days while receiving care and treatment. Having difficulty in breathing, Moore was re-admitted to Bedford Hospital on 31 January with COVID-19 and pneumonia.[123][125] He died on 2 February, aged 100.[126][127] His funeral took place on 27 February at Bedford Crematorium.[128][129] Moore asked that "My Way" byFrank Sinatra be played at his funeral. Theguard of honour arrived on a pair of vintage double-decker buses, including members of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, Keighley Cougars Rugby Club and the Bangladeshi Community Association.[130]
Manypublic figures, includingMPs,sportsmen andcelebrities paid tribute to Moore through their social media channels.[131][132][133] The NHS Twitter account issued a statement saying "Thanks for everything, Sir Tom ♥".[134]
Buckingham Palace issued a statement: "The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore. Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Captain Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year. Her thoughts and those of the Royal Family are with them".[135]
The Prime Minister,Boris Johnson, called Moore "a hero in the truest sense of the word" and praised him for both his military service and fundraising efforts. Johnson also announced that the flags above10 and11 Downing Street would be flown athalf-mast as a sign of respect.[136] Johnson also appealed to the country to join thenational clap for Moore at 6 pm on 3 February 2021.[137][138]
Both Houses of Parliament observed a one-minute silence in honour of Moore on 3 February.[139][140] TheBBC News special programmeCaptain Tom: We Salute You was re-broadcast onBBC One the same evening.[141]
Achange.org petition calling for Moore to receive astate funeral received almost 200,000 signatures within the first two days of being launched.[142]
Radio DJAmanda Holden announced during the 3 February edition of theHeart Breakfast radio show that she was launching a campaign calling for an official memorial statue of Moore to be erected.[143] Holden's campaign received support from theDaily Mail,[144]Health SecretaryMatt Hancock,[145] and members of Moore's family.[146] In a debate onGood Morning Britain on 4 February, TV presenterNick Knowles suggested that Moore's statue should be placed permanently on thefourth plinth ofTrafalgar Square,[147] whereasCarol Vorderman suggested Moore should have a memorial stone inWestminster Abbey.[148]
On 4 February,Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, who had met Moore during his visit to Barbados, issued a statement of condolence on behalf of herself and her nation, after learning of his death.[149] Col. Glyne Grannum, Chief of Staff of theBarbados Defence Force, who met Capt. Tom along with other Barbadian veterans also extended farewell condolences along with the PM.[150]
On 27 February 2021, Moore's funeral was held, and he was cremated. Six members of theYorkshire Regiment, of which Moore was a member, carried his coffin, with anhonour guard of 14 firing three volleys and aWorld War II-eraDouglas C-47 Dakota, part of theBattle of Britain Memorial Flight, performing a fly-past.[151][152][153] Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only eight members of his immediate family attended, but it was televised.[151][153] The service also featured Moore's recording of 'You'll Never Walk Alone', Vera Lynn's anthem "White Cliffs of Dover" andMichael Bublé's rendition of "Smile"'.[151][153] His family said that once COVID-19 restrictions allow, Moore's ashes would be interred in the Moore family plot inYorkshire.[153] This was done on 5 July 2021; the epitaph on his gravestone was "I told you I was old", a reference to the epitaph ofSpike Milligan: "I told you I was ill".[154][155]
TheCaptain Tom Foundation was incorporated on 5 May 2020 as a charitable company limited by guarantee, and the charity was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 5 June 2020.[156][157][158] Its declared objectives include the improvement of physical and mental health and wellbeing; providing support and relief to those in genuine need of any kind; the promotion of social inclusion and prevention of social exclusion; and the advancement of any other charitable purposes as the trustees see fit.[156][157] Describing the aims of the foundation, in the prologue of Captain Tom's memoir ‘Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day’, published in September 2020 he wrote: '[The Captain Sir Tom Foundations] goals are those closest to my heart, with a mission to combat loneliness, support hospices and help those facing bereavement – all in the wake of the unprecedented crisis we found ourselves in.'[159] Elsewhere, Captain Tom spoke in detail about his wish to tackle loneliness and social exclusion, in both the old and young.[160][161]
Moore's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, and her husband, Colin, became trustees of the charity in February 2021.[158]
The British media reported in June 2022 that theCharity Commission would investigate the foundation after questions arose regarding its financial relationship to members of the Ingram-Moore family.[158] As of July 2023, the investigation was still in progress.[162][163]
The Foundation stopped accepting donations in July 2023, following controversy arising from the construction of a building in the grounds of the Ingram-Moore family house inMarston Moretaine.[162]Planning permission had been granted to the foundation for a structure which was intended to be used partly in connection with its charitable objectives.[162] However, the structure constructed was actually a pool house which was larger than specified in the planning application.[163]Central Bedfordshire Council ordered the building to be demolished.[162][163] In November 2023 the family appealed against the demolition order but this was rejected. The Planning Inspectorate judged the building harmful to the Grade II-listed family home and the building was required to be demolished within three months.[164] Demolition commenced in January 2024 and was completed by early February.[165][166]
In June 2024, the Charity Commission disqualified Ingram-Moore and her husband from serving as charity trustees for ten and eight years, respectively. The family announced they would not appeal the decision.[167] An inquiry by the Commission reported in November that year that Ingram-Moore and her husband were "culpable of “serious and repeated” instances of misconduct, mismanagement and failures of integrity", with examples including a £1.5m book deal presented as for the benefit of the foundation only enriching the family as well as attempting to have herself appointed as CEO of the foundation on a £150,000 annual salary.[168]
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A mural was created, in honour of Moore, inPontefract,West Yorkshire, in April 2020.[169] Moore was among a number of subjects forgraffiti art created by Pontefract artist Rachel List.[170] On 30 April 2020, a 12-foot-high (3.7-metre) mural, by newsagent and artist Paul Cable, on the wall of a popular restaurant inAbergavenny,Monmouthshire, was unveiled as a tribute to Moore on his 100th birthday.[171]
In May 2020 he inspired Russian veteranZinaida Korneeva to raise funds to support doctors affected by COVID-19, and the project "Appeal to Tom Moore" was launched.[172]
In September 2020, it was announced that abiopic of Moore's life was being produced by Fred Films and Powder Keg Pictures. Upon hearing the announcement, Moore commented: "I don't know of any 100-year-old actors, but I'm sureMichael Caine orAnthony Hopkins could do a wonderful job if they were prepared to age up!". The film is being produced and written byNick Moorcroft and Meg Leonard.[173][174]
A depiction of Moore featured in the 2020–21New Year's Eve fireworks display in London, set to theJess Glynne song "I'll Be There".[175]
At a press conference to mark his own 61st birthday on 19 February 2021,Naruhito, the Japanese Emperor, spoke of Captain Tom's achievements and words as one of the things that had impressed him over the past year.[176]
Born to a builder father and headteacher mother
Once I was back in Keighley the name of the family building company was altered to W. Moore & Son (Builders)Ltd, and at the age of twenty-five I officially became the 'Son' in the title, much to Father's delight.
He gave me the name and number of a company called Nuralite in Gravesend, Kent, and I called and was invited there for an interview whereupon they offered me the job of travelling salesman straight away. The office manager was a pretty young lady by the name of Pamela Paull, who was terribly nice to me.
... with an advert I spotted in the trade papers. Nuralite needed a new regional manager so I applied and waswelcomed back as the north of England and Northern Ireland manager with a good salary and – to my delight – a wedge-shaped, aerodynamic Austin Princess.
... an attractive young lady called 'Billie'. That wasn't the name she was christened but her father had always wanted a boy so that's what he called her.
I instructed a solicitor to start divorce proceedings and when I told him everything that had happened between us he informed me that I could seek an annulment on the grounds that Billie and I had never consummated our marriage. This seemed like the simplest and fastest option, so I agreed.
If your first thought is to troll him and his family on Twitter because they took a perfectly legal trip to Barbados, a trip of a lifetime to give him a break... He was offered a free trip and we have no idea if it had anything to do with his subsequent illness.
Rest in peace Captain Moore, for you have indeed fought a good fight and have completed your course with dignity. All Barbados applauds you.
The Chief of Staff, Colonel Glyne Grannum, with all ranks and civilian staff of the Barbados Defence Force, extend our sincerest condolences to the family of the late Colonel (retired) Sir Tom Moore. [ . . . ] Last December, members of the Force were honoured when he visited St. Ann's Fort and the Barbados Legion where he received honorary membership. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
In the UK, a large amount of money was donated by walking 100 round trips in the garden by the 100th birthday to support medical staff responding to the new coronavirus infection while requiring walker assistance. The actions of Tom Moore, who collected money and became known as "Captain Tom", and the awarding of the title to Moore, and this month when Moore unfortunately died of a new coronavirus infection
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