Carol: Captain Tom is the ultimate Pride of Britain hero
SAYS CAROL VORDERMAN
His sweet smile and cheery waves as he gently paraded around his garden with his trusty walker showed the whole country the warmth – and strength of character – of Captain Sir Tom Moore.
After his death this week at the age of 100, the hero who spurred the country on in its darkest moments as he raised tens of millions for our NHS has been hailed as the ultimate Pride of Britain.
Carol Vorderman, who has hosted the awards since they began two decades ago, paid an emotional personal tribute to the Second World War veteran.
“Captain Tom was the ultimate Pride of Britain winner,” she says.
“He was the epitome of selfless grace.” The ex-Countdown presenter honoured Captain Tom, who raised £33million for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden, with a Pride of Britain award live on TV in April last year.
Viewers were moved as he called it a “magical moment” yet she recalls Captain Tom was even nicer behind the scenes.
Carol says: “We brought along children he had inspired to fundraise. We thought he would come out, ask their names and ages, and have a little chat. But he did much more than that.
“He researched each child before they arrived so as soon as he met them, he praised their individual achievements.
“He left each one with a different piece of advice. And he had a twinkle in his eye too. Because when he met opera singer Katherine Jenkins, who presented his award, he said he wished times had been different so he could have hugged her.”
Parliament held a minute’s silence in honour of Captain Tom and the public united for a 6pm Clap For Tom on Wednesday in a show of gratitude.
The White House sent a message of condolence and charities around the world vowed his legacy will live on.
Captain Tom, knighted by the Queen in July 2020, tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
His daughters Hannah Ingram-Moore and Lucy Teixeira said due to other medication he was receiving for pneumonia, he was unable to be
I don’t know if we should pass on from mourning too quickly
CAROL ON REMEMBERING HUMBLE HERO CAPT TOM
vaccinated. There are now calls for a statue to remember the Yorkshireman who spent his latter years living in Marston Moretaine, Beds, with Hannah, his son-in-law Colin and grandchildren Benji and Georgia. Carol says: “The last year has bewildered us, and I don’t know if we should
He had a real sense of duty.. which was always to serve
CAROL ON CAPT TOM’S WINNING CHARACTER
pass on from mourning Captain Tom too quickly.
“Maybe we should take some quiet time to think about him, to dwell.
“And maybe we could celebrate him on his April 30 birthday, which we could call Captain Tom Day, and mark it as a day we celebrate all the older people in our lives.”
Carol, who has presented the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards in partnership with TSB since 1999, recognised extraordinary personalty traits in Captain Tom, which made him become a national treasure.
Carol believes it was not only his fundraising but also his background, outlook, manners and humour which inspired us.
She says: “He first came to our notice two weeks after lockdown started, when none of us knew what to expect and we were all scared because everything was alien.
“Yet here was an amazing old gentleman wearing his medals, something we’d only usually seen on Remembrance Sunday, just quietly going up and down his garden with his walking frame. He was just doing what he could to help NHS charities.
“At a time when many people shout and scream about themselves, he was doing something so innocent and we knew he wasn’t doing it for himself.”
Born in Keighley, West Yorks, Tom was 20 when conscripted to the British Army in June 1940. He joined the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment.
Carol believes much of his stoicism came from his years in the Forces. She said: “Captain Tom had been through hell in the war. He was just a kid when he first served. But he was not rabid or angry about having his youth taken away. He was so stoical because he felt everything was easier since the war, as nothing could be that bad again.
“That was the essence of Captain Tom. He was imbued with a sense of duty which was always to serve, never about him. He was touched by the Spitfire and Hurricane flypast for his 100th birthday. He said he’d seen the planes fly in anger and it was wonderful to see them fly in peace.”
Welsh-born Carol lived in Yorkshire for many years while recording Countdown and admired Captain Tom’s Yorkshireman’s grit, politeness and ability to underplay everything.
She says: “When he recorded a song with Michael Ball and became the oldest man in history to achieve a number one hit, he said, ‘That’s not bad’. He was always polite, always thanking people. He made us all want to be better people.
“We will never forget him and always be grateful to Captain Tom.”
■ Read emotional tributes to Captain Sir Tom at www.thankyoucaptain sirtom.com/