Tomorrow will be a good day
Captain Tom’s exclusive message to our readers
INSPIRING Army veteran Captain Tom Moore yesterday sent a rousing message of hope to the nation and declared: “Tomorrow will be a good day.”
The 99-year-old – who had last night raised more than £23.7m and counting – admitted he was “thrilled” with his fundraising to help NHS staff.
But he was determined to lift every Brit’s spirits during the corona crisis.
Tom told the Sunday Mirror: “My message to the nation right now is, tomorrow will be a good day.
“We’ll get through this and come out of it stronger, more united and ready to face any challenge together.”
Tom had aimed to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden, which he finished on Thursday.
Earlier yesterday he told us: “I’m absolutely thrilled we have raised over £22million for our beloved NHS.
“They have done incredible things for me and my family and I’m glad I’ve been able to give something back.” But last night he looked set to raise even more cash as You’ll Never Walk Alone – his NHS charity single with Michael Ball, was at No1 in the iTunes chart.
Tom, who turns 100 on April 30, has been treated for skin cancer and a broken hip by the NHS. The Captain was born in Keighley, Yorks, and completed a civil engineering apprenticeship before joining the Army in the Second World War. He served in India and Burma, and earned a raft of bravery medals.
After the war, he worked as a salesman and, at 50, had all but given up on love. But then Capt Tom met office manager Pamela, 35. He said: “She looked terrific, like a model, and, shall we say, the attraction with the office manager became stronger.”
They were wed in 1968 and had daughters Lucy and Hannah.
Pamela died 14 years ago. Tom said their marriage had been “a happy time” and joked: “Pamela loved nothing more than a trip to Marks & Spencer. That was her dream day out – so we did that a lot.”
Our hero of the hour has been hailed a “one-man fundraising machine,” by Prince William. A petition for him to be knighted has received over 680,000 signatures. And on Tuesday, Tom will do his bit again by helping to open the NHS Nightingale hospital in Harrogate.
Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said yesterday: “I can’t think of a more worthy person.”
We’ll get through this and come out of it stronger CAPT TOM MOORE NHS FUNDRAISER