Unfortunate scenes in the main Tory WhatsApp chat last night, as finger-on-the-pulse MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown announced to the group “Let’s hope Sir Tom recovers well“… sadly, one hour and thirty two minutes after his family announced his death. It took an intervention from Pauline Latham to convey to Clifton-Brown the sad news.
A statement from Sir Tom’s family:
“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our dear father, Captain Sir Tom Moore.
“We are so grateful that we were with him during the last hours of his life; Hannah, Benjie and Georgia by his bedside and Lucy on FaceTime. We spent hours chatting to him, reminiscing about our childhood and our wonderful mother. We shared laughter and tears together.
“The last year of our father’s life was nothing short of remarkable. He was rejuvenated and experienced things he’d only ever dreamed of.
“Whilst he’d been in so many hearts for just a short time, he was an incredible father and grandfather, and he will stay alive in our hearts forever.
“The care our father received from the NHS and carers over the last few weeks and years of his life has been extraordinary. They have been unfalteringly professional, kind and compassionate and have given us many more years with him than we ever would have imagined.
“Over the past few days our father spoke a great deal about the last 12 months and how proud he felt at being able to leave behind the growing legacy of his Foundation.
“We politely ask for privacy at this time so we can grieve quietly as a family and remember the wonderful 100 years our father had.
Thank you.”
R.I.P.
Speaking after his socially-distanced knighting by HM the Queen, Tom Moore tells the press:
“It’s been an absolutely outstanding day and you could never have believed I was never going to get such an honour as I have today. I really believed never ever would I be so privileged I could be so close to the Queen and speak to her, and that really was something absolutely outstanding”
Britain is being treated to a number of uplifting birthdays at the moment, with Boris’s child born yesterday and today bringing the hundredth birthday of Captain Colonel* Tom Moore, who just today surpassed £30 million raised for the NHS. To mark his birthday, along with an RAF fly-past of his home, Boris sent his heartfelt birthday message to Colonel Tom thanking him for his efforts, calling him “a Point of Light in all our lives”. Responding, Colonel Tom thanked the PM saying getting the message was:
“really outstanding because he has been doing so well; and look what he’s produced recently, or what Carrie has produced, we’ve got another boy into the country. Well done Prime Minister”.
Birthday cake all round…
*Her Majesty the Queen promoted him this morning.
