Did the captain Tom foundation charity really use the money to build their own spa pool??

It was a nice story to run with at the time. Especially with all the other relentless shit.

It became just as relentless.

That’s what I mean! Why couldn’t people have their own opinions? Why the collective “love” for him? Didn’t get it and I never will.

It was a nice story to run with at the time. Especially with all the other relentless shit.

I do criticise the BBC because they were relentless in their coverage on Breakfast News, the family, Captain Tom, and all were on every single morning.

Agree with this.

IIRC think it was BBC Breakfast that first picked it up and ran with it. I suspect they were cynically picked as the easiest target by the PR daughter given their long standing practice of highlighting tug-at-the- heartstrings 'human interest' stories.

Set that against the background of constant broadcasts of clapping for the NHS and the propaganda about being kind, looking out for each other and saving lives beamed to a bored nation with nothing to do but watch TV and it's no wonder it took off.

I didn't have a view on Captain Tom one way or another. He seemed like a nice old man trying to do a good thing. I wasn't so keen on the publicity hungry daughter and the media's obsession with him. I certainly wouldn't have taken my elderly and frail father to Barbados at the height of a pandemic knowing that catching covid could kill him. Which it did. But perhaps the lure of the business class flights (which I'm sure were provided free by BA) was too much. I don't know. It wasn't wise and I wouldn't have done it.

I very much doubt that Hannah intended to let the neighbours use it.

I voiced a criticism of Captain Tom on here when he was knighted and, metaphorically, that's exactly what happened. The whole thread (I wasn't the OP) ended up being deleted as folk were getting vicious whenever anyone dared say anything about him that wasn't a fawning accolade.

Did he? I didn't feel cheered up by the old chap walking around his rather large garden (for a photo op) distracting the media away from the actual news. I didn't buy any of it at the time and found it all quite nauseating. I found it odd at the time he was being made out to he some hero, getting a knighthood?? It was all very bizarre, almost like everyone had lost touch with reality!

How naive

Oh sure, dear old Doreen from number 15 is having a lovely little jacuzzi sesh as we speak.

I remember it being clearly stated that the money was going to NHS charities and not the NHS itself.

If people want more money for healthcare then either we all need to pay more taxes or have some insurance type scheme to help cover some of the costs, the NHS can’t carry on as it is

Love this. No, he didn’t cheer me up either. Was sick of the hype

Speak for yourself, he didn't cheer me up. I just thought how utterly depressing it was that the public would cheer on fundraising for the NHS. It's not a fucking charity.

As for a stiff upper lip, he was wealthy man who'd lived a lovely privileged life walking around his lovely garden enjoying the side of lockdown many less privileged people couldn't.

And selfless? He travelled to Barbados unvaccinated in the height of the pandemic. Not very selfless.

It sounds legit! Old people need spas and water exercise venues. Captain Tom was a hero and a doer. He offered hope to the locked up. If a spa building is built on his walking track all the better for his elderly friends, family and neighbours.

I didn’t think it was sketchy until Barbados. I thought it was just an old man who was trying to keep busy in lockdown and raise a few quid.
then every opportunity he got wheeled out for more and more. It would be too much for most.

All bent. The lot of it

Tbf it was documented that they were raising money for the NHS together charities not the actual NHS there was reports on breakfast tv and what not what the charities do/provide, it might have got lost in translation though.it 🤔

It appears that gin company owner is married to the Carillion bloke who pocketed millions.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/captain-tom-moore-charity-gin-law-b2075691.html

My understanding was that the money was being used for 'goody bags' for nurses, or things like refreshments for them. All very well but I don't think this is what people donated for. They assumed it might be for more staff, scanners, etc.

I think that she liked being on the news and in the forefront, it was a bit all about her

What many people didn’t understand at the time is NHS core funding is ring fenced.

you cannot donate money to provide core services. That is provided from the NHS budget.

so none of the money could ever have gone to “the nhs”.

what you can do is donate for non-core provisions. Donations can fund research projects, set up iPad lending schemes, pay for play specialists, therapists etc.

the money was never going to go where the public though it was.

Yep!

I don't think he was doing laps as he had that walker, he was going up and down that large drive/pathway.

Yes. Not on threads where it isn’t relevant, though. Endless whataboutery doesn’t get any of us anywhere, it just is a way of deflection.

Did he actually do all the laps of his garden? I wouldn't bet on it if the daughter was counting..