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Silvered · 15/08/2023 21:04

It's quite something watching the unfolding of what appears to have been a shameless grift.

I'm sure I have read somewhere that the laps round the garden was picked up by the press following a fairly sustained PR effort from his daughter. How true that is I'm not sure, but something smells off about the whole thing.

Port1aCastis · 15/08/2023 21:04

Hmmm, I didn't give a penny to that nonsense, always seemed a bit off to me. Then when a few quid was raised didn't they all trot of the Bahamas and the poor old boy caught covid and died. Something not quite the full ticket going on with the whole caboodle I fear.

WizardinTraining · 15/08/2023 21:09

@Witchinawell I’m not sure tbh but it used to make me laugh when he first became famous and was talked about as a little old man walking in his garden - the house and garden are massive and would fit mine in several times over!

LakeTiticaca · 15/08/2023 21:10

I didn't donate. The NHS does NOT need more money . It needs proper management

Kendodd · 15/08/2023 21:15

Livelovebehappy · 15/08/2023 20:34

Have to say I found some of Captain Tom’s interviews very cringey and inappropriate. But he was not called out on it because he was elderly and raising money for the NHS.

What did he say?

CrushingOnRubies · 15/08/2023 21:28

LakeTiticaca · 15/08/2023 21:10

I didn't donate. The NHS does NOT need more money . It needs proper management

This!!!

If ever there was a time for a like button mumsnet.

I " donate" enough to the nhs through taxes they don't need my charitable donations as well.

MotherEarthisaTerf · 15/08/2023 21:42

Money raised went to NHS charities - the type who support families who have a relative in long term care, provide refreshments, christmas presents for kids in hospital etc.

What did Tom say in interviews that was suspect and what did he say about his wife?!

Jessbow · 15/08/2023 21:50

"The marriage was unconsummated.
"Billie was very shy and restrained and I assumed that she'd relax in time but, to my disappointment, she never did.
"When I tried to talk to her, I discovered that sex wasn't something her family discussed."
He also admitted that the marriage was too "impulsive" and soon felt like he had sunk into a deep hole and couldn't get out.
SEXLESS MARRIAGEDespite how hard and fustrating things became, Tom never cheated on his wife.
He said that he had signed a contract - and that he "didn't believe" in being unfaithful.

Tom also spoke about when his family company went into liquidation, forcing him to get a job as a manual labourer.
Meanwhile, Billie's mental heath was deteriorating, and she developed what would now be called obsessive compulsive tendencies.
She also then decided to get a job as an assistant to a doctor who treated patients with sexual disorders, and he protested, saying: "But Billie, love, you are completely the wrong person for that."
He then landed a job as a travelling salesman for a company called Nuralite, selling building supplies - where he met Pamela Paull.

After months of appointments with a psychiatrist at their flat, while Tom was away, Billie one day shockingly told the Captain that she was moving in with her psychiatrist.

CaramelMac · 15/08/2023 22:26

Silvered · 15/08/2023 21:04

It's quite something watching the unfolding of what appears to have been a shameless grift.

I'm sure I have read somewhere that the laps round the garden was picked up by the press following a fairly sustained PR effort from his daughter. How true that is I'm not sure, but something smells off about the whole thing.

I still can’t believe so many people fell for it, I can remember saying to DH at the time who give a flying duck if some old fella walks around his massive garden?

If I remember rightly there was also a young boy who’d had his legs amputated who was doing something similar at the time who I thought was more deserving of the praise.

PleaseGiveMeBackMySummer · 15/08/2023 23:03

I thought it was all quite sweet and endearing at the time, like clapping for the NHS. Loved it all at the time, and it felt like some light relief and solidarity in the covid crisis.

But when I think about it now, (really properly think about it,) it was all really very twee and a bit cringe. And I do wonder where a lot of that 32 million pounds went. I think Captain Tom was very sweet and genuine, but do think his family are a bit questionable.

I didn't give any money by the way, because when I went to give money, I had to put my bank card details in and couldn't pay by paypal. So I left it. I thought, meh, I give enough to charity by buying from charity shops and giving my own stuff to them. So I have done my bit!

LibertyLily · 15/08/2023 23:16

I also always felt it was rather cringe and didn't donate...but I felt the same about the truly awful clapping for the NHS too.

I'm sure Captain Tom's heart was in the right place. His daughter, otoh, always came across as an attention seeking grifter and I'm not at all surprised at the shit that has since hit the proverbial fan!

socialdilemmawhattodo · 15/08/2023 23:22

CaramelMac · 15/08/2023 22:26

I still can’t believe so many people fell for it, I can remember saying to DH at the time who give a flying duck if some old fella walks around his massive garden?

If I remember rightly there was also a young boy who’d had his legs amputated who was doing something similar at the time who I thought was more deserving of the praise.

Show quote history

There is also local concern about the enormous publicity for the young boy (Kent based?). Many feel the adoptive family perhaps don't need to always involve the young boy in their many campaigns.

AutumnCrow · 15/08/2023 23:28

And what was that godawful song all about, other than a moment of collective madness for some of the population?

PyongyangKipperbang · 15/08/2023 23:52

I think that Covid did cause a collective madness in that boredom, lack of social interaction and huge media coverage of things like this (as lets face it, apart from Covid there was nothing else to report on) made us all focus on things that we wouldnt have given a second glance to 6 months earlier.

We literally had nothing else.

Funnily enough I was talking to DP about MN during Covid the other night. I stayed at his a lot more during covid (by choice, we live together apart iykwim) and one of his favourite things was me reading him the crazier threads on MN! I looked back at some of my own posts during that time.....and I am embarrassed at some of the shite I posted! Although I firmly stand by my Lockdown Espresso Martini recipe! We all lost touch with reality a bit I think, and this was one of the symptoms of that.

MotherEarthisaTerf · 15/08/2023 23:54

Recipe please! @PyongyangKipperbang

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/08/2023 00:00

Ok.....but dont blame me for what happens!

Google standard Espresso Martini recipe.

Bollocks up the amount of espresso as you only have instant in so guessed and what you thought was "a shot" was in fact enough to have an elephant pogo'ing for days.

Try Martini

Once you have stopped gasping and come down from heart palpitations, add more Tia Maria and Vodka to "water it down".

Try Martini

Once you have stopped gasping from the eye watering amount of Vodka, add more Tia Maria.

Transfer to much larger jug as you are now running out of space.

Add more Tia Maria.

Drink lying on the living room floor, as that is where you will end up anyway and send apologies in advance that you will not be coherently contactable for the next 72 hours.

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/08/2023 00:03

Oh and instead of cutely putting three little coffee beans on top of your martini, just eat them like crisps so you are not only so fucking pissed you cant speak, you are also wide awake and twitching like you've just been tasered.

You. Are. Welcome.

😁

TimeToMoveIt · 16/08/2023 00:05

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/08/2023 00:00

Ok.....but dont blame me for what happens!

Google standard Espresso Martini recipe.

Bollocks up the amount of espresso as you only have instant in so guessed and what you thought was "a shot" was in fact enough to have an elephant pogo'ing for days.

Try Martini

Once you have stopped gasping and come down from heart palpitations, add more Tia Maria and Vodka to "water it down".

Try Martini

Once you have stopped gasping from the eye watering amount of Vodka, add more Tia Maria.

Transfer to much larger jug as you are now running out of space.

Add more Tia Maria.

Drink lying on the living room floor, as that is where you will end up anyway and send apologies in advance that you will not be coherently contactable for the next 72 hours.

🤣 sounds a bit like my lockdown cocktails

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/08/2023 00:10

TimeToMoveIt · 16/08/2023 00:05

🤣 sounds a bit like my lockdown cocktails

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Its an unpopular opinion, but in many ways I miss lockdown!😅

ShipSpace · 16/08/2023 00:29

LakeTiticaca · 15/08/2023 21:10

I didn't donate. The NHS does NOT need more money . It needs proper management

If only more people actually understood this.

Samcro · 16/08/2023 08:00

socialdilemmawhattodo · 15/08/2023 23:22

There is also local concern about the enormous publicity for the young boy (Kent based?). Many feel the adoptive family perhaps don't need to always involve the young boy in their many campaigns.

Show quote history

that little lad has no privacy

Tippley · 16/08/2023 08:04

manticlimactic · 15/08/2023 20:56

I lost real life friends over calling this out at the time. Plus the grief on SM

Feel quite smug now.

Surely they weren't actual friends if they'd not be friends with you because of this?

DoraSpenlow · 16/08/2023 08:55

LakeTiticaca · 15/08/2023 21:10

I didn't donate. The NHS does NOT need more money . It needs proper management

I totally agree with you that the NHS needs better management.

But the money raised by Capt Tom was never for the NHS as in providing medical care. It was for charities that support the work of the NHS. Things like kitting out rest rooms for doctors and nurses to have proper breaks away from the wards and mental health support.

This was made very clear at the time. The amount Capt Tom raised was massive but as funding for the medical side of the NHS would have lasted for minutes.

I do think his daughter is a bit dodgy though but that is a separate entity.

WhatInTheNameOfGodIsThis · 16/08/2023 08:58

She's a twat

Packageholiday · 16/08/2023 09:00

@Theeyeballsinthesky thank you