Sir Tom Moore: Knight of the Realm

~ beetleypete

Not long after the news media began to tell us about the impact of the Coronavirus pressures on the staff of the NHS, there was a feature about an elderly man who was hoping to raise £1,000 to donate to NHS charities in their honour. Known as Captain Tom Moore, he was a 99 year-old retired man who had served as an Army Captain in WW2, with the famous ‘Forgotten Fourteenth’ Army in Burma. With limited mobility now, and using a wheeled walking frame, he was determined to walk one hundred circuits of his garden, before his 100th birthday.

Using a donation page set up by his family, he quickly raised that money, and much more besides. So much more, that he decided to keep on walking until the actual day of his 100th birthday.

By the time that day dawned, he had raised over £30 MILLION pounds!

That huge amount overloaded the system of the company managing the donations, and forced them to hire extra staff. It is the largest donation ever raised by one person in the history of the organisation, and the largest ever donation to one single charity.

Tom became an overnight celebrity. He made numerous TV appearances, topped every news headline, and received so many cards that his local post office could not cope with the deliveries. His story was taken up all around the world, with foreign TV crews making the trip to his home to report it. He even opened one of the new Nightingale Hospitals, by remote video link, and was made an Honorary Colonel of his old regiment, The Yorkshire Regiment. He also received a ‘Pride of Britain’ award, along with personal messages from the Queen, and other members of the Royal family

In every respect, he became the man whose face embodied the fighting spirit of Britain, as it faced this incurable pandemic. People began to clamour for him to receive official recognition. A petition was started to urge the government to award him a Knighthood. Even I signed it, and I rarely sign such things.

On his 100th birthday, he also celebrated another achievement. A recording he had made with singer Michael Ball went to number one in the record charts, giving Tom the distinction of becoming the oldest person to ever top any record chart. The song was ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone”.

Today’s news is that he is to be awarded a knighthood.
He will now be Sir Thomas Moore.
Never has anyone deserved a title more than him.

There is an old old saying, “They don’t make them like him anymore”.
How true, in his case.

Congratulations, Sir Tom.

83 thoughts on “Sir Tom Moore: Knight of the Realm”

  1. Pingback: R.I.P. Captain Sir Tom Moore ~ April 30, 1920 – February 2, 2021 | By Hook Or By Book

  5. He is a truly amazing man. However it absolutely infuriates me that our government is okay with part funding the NHS through an old man walking up and down his drive. It is a distraction from their chronic underfunding.

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  7. I hadn’t seen this story(the only of your readers who hadn’t it appears) so I am very appreciative you shared it. I am so glad this story has upstaged the shenanigans of the royals.

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  9. The story of his achievements brought tears to my eyes. I also heard he’d been offered £1.5 million for his story to be published. I featured him in my newsletter an insert broadcast by Channel 9 in Australia with congratulations from William and Kate.

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  11. Tissue alert combined with a runny nose…I am a sucker for well deserved good news stories…Well penned Pete…Someone who truly deserves his knighthood…Bless him x….I will share this on Whimsical Wednesday next week…x

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  12. This wonderful story has made the news all across America for the last week. And today we find that he will be recognized with Knighthood. America is celebrating Britain’s hero, too!

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    1. I usually have no time at all for the honours system. Especially when they hand them out to the likes of Keir Starmer, James Dyson, and Richard Branson. But people like Tom are what they should be about. 🙂
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  24. what a beautiful and inspiring story, Pete! and kudos to the UK and its people for recognizing such amazing person. thank you for sharing. Sir Tom Moore, congratulations! 🥰🥰

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        1. He is much-loved here. We sent him a 100th brthday card, but as he received 130,000+ of them, I doubt he has enough years left to read each one. 🙂
          His fundraising total is now over £33 million!
          Best wishes, Pete.

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  31. Hi Pete! We’ve all heard about Sir Thomas over here!! Britain has good reason to be so proud and to celebrate this man and his accomplishment! Three cheers for Sir Thomas!! Hip hip hoorah!

    Best from Florida! Have some wine tonight! I will drink to the man this evening!

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