Off Topic February RIP

Nice obit RIP
Captain Sir Tom Moore obituary
Multimillion-pound fundraiser for the NHS whose campaign began with a walk around his garden
Stephen Bates1d ago

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Tue 2 Feb 2021 16.14 GMT
Last modified on Tue 2 Feb 2021 20.15 GMT

It is given to few people after a life of decent and unremarkable obscurity to be catapulted to worldwide fame in the three weeks before their 100th birthday, but that is what happened to Tom Moore. Universally known as Captain Tom because of his former rank in the British army, Moore achieved celebrity by deciding to walk round the garden at his daughter’s Bedfordshire home 100 times in the weeks leading up to his centenary in order to raise what he hoped would be £1,000 to help NHS staff during the Covid-19 pandemic in April last year.

The modest aim of the daily walks, which began on 6 April, was quickly exceeded and the target was adjusted first to £5,000 then £500,000. As images of the old soldier, who has died aged 100, dressed in his blazer, wearing his medals, leaning on a wheeled walking frame, making 10 25-metre laps of the garden each day, were broadcast first nationally, then internationally, the money kept rolling in, soon at the rate of several million pounds a day.

His daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore told reporters: “He’s a stoic Yorkshireman, an unruffled, straight down the line kind of person and has embraced this adventure as the next stage in his life. What the British public and everyone who’s supported him is giving him is his next purpose.”

Wider public interest was spurred by an appearance on the singer Michael Ball’s Radio 2 Sunday programme, followed by national newspaper coverage, then reports on outlets from Paris to Jakarta. A correspondent for the Times of India reported that the amount raised had increased by £2m during the time it took him to drive back to London after interviewing Moore. The attraction of one very elderly man’s quiet fortitude at a time of a national lockdown emergency, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of VE Day in the second world war, in which he had served, struck a resonant chord.

Soon Ball and Moore had completed a rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone that rocketed to No 1 in the UK charts, making Moore the oldest person to achieve that feat. There were messages of support from celebrities, sportspeople and politicians, including the prime minister, Boris Johnson, and an honour guard by troops from the Yorkshire Regiment – successors to his former battalion.

The 100 laps were completed on 16 April, by which time the total had reached £3m, and on his birthday a fortnight later the figure totalled an astonishing £32.8m, with a further £6m to come from Gift Aid reimbursements. There were 1.5m donations from 53 countries.

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Tom Moore is knighted by the Queen at Windsor Castle in July 2020. Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
On his birthday there was a fly-past above his home by the RAF and by a Hurricane and Spitfire from the Battle of Britain squadron; there was also an announcement that he was to be promoted to honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, a personal message from the Queen, as opposed to the normal printed birthday card, and, in July 2020, a knighthood, carried out by the Queen in a one-off open-air ceremony in the quadrangle at Windsor – her first official appearance following the start of the conronavirus lockdown.

Buses, a train, a police puppy, a foal and a Clydesdale horse were named in his honour as was a powerboat for the Northamptonshire fire and rescue service. Prompted by an eight year-old child in Port Talbot, 150,000 people sent him birthday cards: 20 volunteers were assigned to opening them and they filled a local school hall. An autobiography, Tomorrow Will Be a Good Day, followed in the autumn of 2020 and a film of his lifewas promised.

Such an onset of celebrity might have overwhelmed a lesser man, but Moore remained admirably calm: “When we started we didn’t anticipate we’d get anything near that sort of money,” he told the media. “It is really amazing. All of them, from top to bottom in the NHS, deserve everything we can possibly put in the place. They are all so brave because every morning, or every night, they are putting themselves in harm’s way. We have got to support and keep them going with everything they need, so they can do their jobs even better.”

Moore was born and raised in Keighley, West Yorkshire, the son of Wilfred, who worked for the family’s building firm, and his wife, Isabella (nee Hird), who was a primary school headteacher. Wilfred’s early ambition to work as a professional photographer proved impossible when he became deaf following a virus infection as a young man – a disability that, as his son wryly pointed out in his autobiography, at least prevented him from enlisting in the first world war and thus kept his father safe from harm.

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Tom Moore was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 1941 and served with the Royal Armoured Corps in India during the second world war. Photograph: Maytrix Group/Reuters
Moore was educated at Keighley boys’ grammar school and then became an apprentice civil engineer. When the second world war broke out he was called up into the 8th battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment and selected for officer training. The battalion was subsumed into the Royal Armoured Corps, and he served on tanks and was stationed in India. A temporary captain in the latter stages of the war, Moore was assigned to run a training programme for army motorcyclists and later served in Burma and Sumatra.

After the war he was stationed as an instructor at the armoured vehicles school of fighting at Bovington Camp in Dorset before returning to civilian life as a salesman for a roofing materials company in Yorkshire. He became the managing director of a concrete products company, organising a management buyout in 1983 before it was sold to the ARC conglomerate four years later. Hitherto, his only brush with fame had been an appearance on the BBC television quiz show Blankety Blank on Christmas Day 1983.

Moore was a motorcycle enthusiast from his youth, racing competitively for many years, and he organised annual regimental reunions for 64 years “until there was no one left but me”. He had lived with Hannah and her family in the village of Marston Moretaine since 2008.

His admiration for the NHS had been enhanced by treatment for skin cancer, knee replacements and a broken hip caused by a fall in his kitchen in 2018. Colin Ingram, his son-in-law, told the Daily Mirror about the walk: “It was something in the garden to keep him walking to help his recovery from his hip operation. We said we’d give a pound a lap – thank goodness I didn’t say I’d match any money he raised.”

After an unhappy first marriage, Moore married Pamela Paull, who was the head office manager of the concrete company where he worked, in 1968. She died in 2006. He is survived by their daughters, Hannah and Lucy.

• Thomas Moore, soldier and fundraiser, born 30 April 1920; died 2 February 2021

 

Christopher Plummer, the Canadian-born Shakespearean actor who starred in films including “The Sound of Music” and “Beginners,” died on Friday morning at his home in Connecticut. He was 91.

 

Christopher Plummer, Sound of Music, age 91. RIP

Apparently he was quite unpopular during the making of that film because he disliked children!

 

Christopher Plummer, superb actor. His last role in Knives Out was absolutely fantastic.

 

Yes it was, as was Knives Out overall.

 

sorry to hear that. friend of mine is in castle hill for an op to remove a c. tumour and caught the virus there. fortunately appears to have the asymptomatic version and should be free of it now.

 

ezra moseley, west indian fast bowler, 63. knocked off his bike.
https://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/52437.html

 

Former World Heavyweight boxer, Leon Spinks died on Friday.

 

Terry Glenville, Hull. Represented England in the Commenwealth Games in the 60's. Butterfly was his speciality. Ex teacher at Leo Schultz and Hymers Collage. Taught half of the people in Hull to swim. Good bloke. RIP old pal.

 

Mary Wilson , co-founding member of the Supremes. Age 76. RIP

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55993045

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A 'SUPREME' talent.... RIP

 

Gutted!!! My first musical experience was Motown and the Supremes were simply superb..RIP Mary Wilson.

 

I wish she could have seen to me. God bless and RIP.

 

Was fortunate to see The Supremes back in the day at Batley Variety Club. Highlights chicken in the basket, first pint in a plastic glass, surrounded by lots of buddies and a fantastic night's music! RIP Mary

 

Chick Corea
US jazz musician
Aged 79
RIP

 

Hope this is ok to post in here
if not apologies and just remove.

On this day 3 years ago we laid to
rest our nephew. Take far too early
aged just 41. The two poems are
about the day we said goodbye
and the other a year later when
a memory popped in my thoughts.



“Goodbye our beautiful Nephew.”


This day upon us finally falls
blanket of white covering
grey and the grass.
A Strange festive look
but no gifts are exchanged
On this our darkest day.
Over An hour to iron
a single pale blue shirt
Every crease, every fold
collar sharp not bent.
My mind wanders far away
Memories follow close behind.
Our house is quiet except
the bell on the telephone
Daughters and son
questions needing an answer.
I notice The wind blowing
from front to back,
Through our garden and
and around to the front door
wooden chimes playing
almost orchestral sounds.
the Auntie cannot make up
her mind up which scarf,
a pale blue and grey one
the final answer...
I park my car, then a short walk
around the corner to a sea of people
a celebrity funeral this isn’t
but one who was so very loved.
Inside a church’s capacity
of just a hundred
was more than doubled
more stood braving the wind outside.
The service was beautiful,
tears and laughter in equal mix
No hymns or prayers
but favourite music played.
I am trying to be strong
But when Julie’s last words
were spoken
tears could not then be denied.
Carried to his final resting place
held high by cousins and friends
we stood in silence,
just the sound of the wind.
Holding tight to each other
love moved throughout.
His Halloween birthday night
will forever be celebrated.


A is table set, an empty chair
but David in our hearts
You will always be there.




Indivisible ( cannot be separated)

All sound lay silent
The bells stopped
But that day
Knew nothing at all
No wind whistling tree
Or buzzing honey bee
But that day
Knew nothing at all
Oceans lay as glass
Ships could not pass
But that day
Knew nothing at all
Aircraft stood still
No visiting thrill
But that day
Knew nothing at all
Time sat there waiting
For the very last tock
But that day
knew nothing at all
We watched you pass
Feet on snow covered grass
But that last day
Knew nothing at all.

 

Just read there that a veteran of the battle of Arnhem(a bridge too far),Les Ransom from Hull,has sadly passed way at the age of 97(Sorry it's the HDM and it says 97 then further down 98).
Sincere condolences to his family on the loss of one of our brave heroes.

 

Snooker player Doug Mountjoy, 78

 

Sad to hear that,he seemed like a gentleman....I think he'd had lung cancer some years ago but had overcome it?RIP Doug