Page 2 | Captain Tom Moore's birthday cards

LivingOnAnIsland · 2020-04-30T00:12:07+00:00

What do you think of the thousands of cards he has received? I think it's a lovely gesture, but the money spent on cards could possibly have been donated to charity, as well as the amount spent on postage, and the posties must have worked their socks off to deliver them. Don't want to be a grump, as I think Captain Tom has done a grand job, but what will he do with all those cards - apart from recycle them?

paradisefalls · 30/04/2020 09:00

Here's where they went. So he didn't even open them

www.facebook.com/BBC3CR/videos/898853830618246/

virginpinkmartini · 30/04/2020 09:14

He's done a wonderful thing, but we need to keep things in perspective and stop with this 'flavour of the month,' putting people on a pedestal nonsense.
The reality is, the man walked up and down his garden 100 times with the aid of a walker. No easy feat, I'm sure, and I'm not belittling his efforts in any way. But it's the hysteria the media whipped up, and the thousands of people who collectively donated the millions of pounds that actually gave the money.

He should be praised for his efforts, in proportion to the intent and actual physical effort that he made. After all, he did not anticipate for it to get so much attention. His local community could well have been the only ones who donated, and it would have gone under the radar. But people feel like they have to be 'part of something' and there are a lot of virtue signallers out there that give these things traction.

The thing is, no one knows anything about the man and his past. Yet we're all glamming on and praising him like he's a literal Saint and a total altruist. Not actually comparing him to Saville, Captain Tom is likely a very nice man, but ever since JS was exposed I've been extremely wary of putting any individual on a pedestal purely because of their philanthropic efforts.

As well as the fact that its just not nice to build someone up so much, only for them to be forgotten within weeks because the public are fickle and have found something else to share on Facebook.

1066vegan · 30/04/2020 09:15

He seems a nice man, the money he has raised is going to good causes and the amount is amazing. But the media circus around him gets more ridiculous and embarrassing each day.

I also don't like the way people (both individuals and companies) feel the need to piggyback onto other people's temporary fame and try to make themselves part of the story. It's like the crowds laying flowers when Diana died even though there were already thousands of bouquets, nobody was going to read all of the messages and they didn't know the poor woman.

Jeniwren64 · 30/04/2020 09:26

I’ve just been watching the bbc breakfast news, which seemed to be dedicated to his birthday this morning. It all felt a bit much for my liking. Promotion to colonel, message from boris, an honoury member of the English cricket team, all those birthday cards (I did wonder how they had prevented a small draft knocking them all over like dominoes though?) DH thinks I’m being grumpy, but I didn’t like the feel of it all. Raising £30million is Absolutely fantastic, but it shouldn’t have been necessary, the NHS should be funded properly or it’s boundaries changed to accommodate what it can afford (and I don’t think that is the right way to go, but if it is chronically underfunded, they need to be honest about what it can and can’t afford).

There are a couple of 100+ year olds in my grandmothers care home. Their birthdays pass with a very small amount of fuss, even though they would have been completely capable of walking 100 lengths of the building. He hasn’t really raised the money on his own, Tom has been marketed extremely well. His family seem lovely, but I always assume the middle class find fundraising far easier than the working classes, to get it all started would have been far easier for a more affluent family in Bedfordshire, than a low income family in the north.

But, even saying all that, Tom seems a lovely old gentleman and he has done something lovely for his country (as have my niece, the girl round the corner and all the others who have done fundraising efforts during this time).

WhentheRabbitsWentWild · 30/04/2020 09:32

What a load of f'king miseries

So what if people chose to post a card . Perhaps they also donated to "charity"

The amount of fun suckers on here is depressing

Blackbear19 · 30/04/2020 09:38

I'm assuming that the £30m will go to 'extras' that the NHS doesn't normally provide.
My 3yo had an outpatient appointment, a Play Therapist turned up with a box of distraction toys provided by a charity. TBH they were a blessing just to take his mind off seeing his dressings getting changed.

It's the first time I've ever received any charitable help ever. And I really appreciated it.

Noodlenosefraggle · 30/04/2020 09:47

Seriously what is the POINT in keep making threads like this? It helps no one. There is nothing constructive about it. If it gives people a little light in their fucking day to send an old man a birthday card then honestly. This site is just awful this week. Just let there be a little happiness for once
Agree with this. As if people can't spend £1 on a card and give to charity! Or should they not be giving to charity because charities shouldn't exist? People just seem to want to make a bad situation worse in any way they possibly can on here. And the money is going to nhs charities, not the nhs. They are 2 different things.

ALovelyBitOfSquirrel · 30/04/2020 09:54

Seriously what is the POINT in keep making threads like this? It helps no one. There is nothing constructive about it. If it gives people a little light in their fucking day to send an old man a birthday card then honestly. This site is just awful this week. Just let there be a little happiness for once

Agreed.

Threads like this one is where you find all the fucking miserable,negative whingers. Not happy in their own lives so of course they'll never be happy for anyone else.

It literally makes NO difference to them how many cards he got, but still they have to piss on his chips and the chips of those who kindly made and sent cards. I wonder how many of these negative nellies have done anything amazing?

1066vegan · 30/04/2020 10:07

I'm one of the negative posters. Disagreeing with the media circus doesn't make you a whinger. I haven't denigrated his achievements or cast aspersions on his character; nor have the other posters who have expressed discomfort with the situation.

FYI, I am very happy with my life and quite able to feel happy for others. How ridiculous to make such an assumption based on no knowledge of other people's lives.

PianoTuner567 · 30/04/2020 10:27

Right now, the royal family are looking more irrelevant than ever. The younger members have done very little during this, and we've had a greater insight into what they consider to be 'work'.

Done very little? What do you want them to do? They’re forced to stay at home same as the rest of us. Cambridges have done a few things with video calls but quite reasonably, they probably think if they do too much they’ll be criticised for making it about them/showing off from their mansions/‘what do they know’/being patronising and all the other things they get moaned at for.

100Intheyear2020 · 30/04/2020 10:28

Have a care

Some people currently live alone in isolation. Possibly with no social media & no local family & friends. Perhaps a TV or radio

An uplifting, "feel good story" may provide a ray of hope for many people who have found the lockdown difficult

Mucklowe · 30/04/2020 10:30

I feel sorry for the poor blighter. The media circus can't be good for him.

Cyllie33 · 30/04/2020 10:34

I really cant find it in me to get worked up that an elderly man got loads of cards. I know it’s not a competition but SO many more important things happening in the news to get worked up about right now. Tom’s cards didn’t really register tbh.

bewilderedhedgehog · 30/04/2020 10:39

I think he's great. And the funding issue around the NHS has been misrepresented - any money raised cannot substitute core NHS funding. I really think he is inspirational, and a break from bad news

MereDintofPandiculation · 30/04/2020 10:42

Happy Birthday, Capt Tom and have a great day ! Col Tom now, apparently.

ReceptacleForTheRespectable · 30/04/2020 11:28

Done very little? What do you want them to do? They’re forced to stay at home same as the rest of us. Cambridges have done a few things with video calls but quite reasonably, they probably think if they do too much they’ll be criticised for making it about them/showing off from their mansions/‘what do they know’/being patronising and all the other things they get moaned at for.

For a start, I'd rather the Cambridges HADN'T done a cringy photoshoot showing them 'working from home' in an attempt to seem relatable. And I wish they HADN'T given interviews where they pretend to be finding juggling work and homeschooling tricky, again in an attempt to seem relatable.

They have continually insulted our intelligence throughout this.

Toddlerteaplease · 30/04/2020 11:52

He fought in the war, yes, but so did millions of others of his generation.

00100001 · 30/04/2020 11:56

I just wonder when the romanticising of WWII will bloody well end.

Probably not until the last veterans die, and it leaves living memory.

BessMarvin · 30/04/2020 12:37

Are we sure that people who sent a card would also have donated to charity? I was under the impression from Christmas each year that these things are mutually exclusive events

100Intheyear2020 · 30/04/2020 14:14

I sent a birthday card to Col Moore

I sent a card & money to my friend who had a baby

I've donated/ purchased from a couple of businesses that I use

I've donated to some volunteers

I've clapped & made drawings for the windows

I'm supporting EVERYONE during this time
The workers
The stay at home
The volunteers
It's not just about the NHS

Mittens030869 · 30/04/2020 14:28

I think it's happened because it's positive news, which is seriously lacking right now, with illness and death all around us. I think it's gone a bit OTT, and my DH also says that it's taking attention away from the chronic NHS underfunding over the last 10 years (he's a union rep for Unison).

MorganKitten · 30/04/2020 14:30

I think it's a lovely gesture, but the money spent on cards could possibly have been donated to charity

Three online card stores donated all money from the cards sent to him.

Also he had an agent during his laps... I think he’s more switched on than people think.

Those talking about the royals - they are still working and promoting mental health. William wanted to return to air ambulance Tuesday was advised not to.

Generalblah · 30/04/2020 14:57

I think in times where there is so much negativity that perhaps those slating such kind gestures should be focusing on the good. Like we need your moaning on top of everything else...

RingaRosie · 30/04/2020 15:03

Maybe they are from older folk, who identify with Tom Moore. It’s a nice thing to write a card. And it’s a good thing if it’s from kids, teaches values.
In Ireland the post system here sent postcards out to homes, so you can keep in contact with grandparents etc...

Genderwitched · 30/04/2020 15:04

I must admit I did think like this at fist, it's easy isn't it, to criticise everything and look for political motivation. But I've changed my mind.

I think that the joy that it has spread has been very valuable. I'm a massive old cynic but he gives me pleasure. The hangers on like Michael Ball can go away, but Captain Tom can stay. It will all end with his birthday, he obviously wants it to wind down now, but I can't get worked up about the cards. Making them has given children something to do and then look for the results on the news.

And as for millions of his generation having fought in the war, what a stupid comment. Most of them are dead, we remember them on Rememberance Day. Most of his generation are dead for heaven's sake. He is special.