Minute Silence at 6pm for Captain Tom.

[Doomsdayiscoming]

I will be standing outside my house with my head bowed to remember Tom, and all the others that have lost their lives during this pandemic due to covid directly, or indirectly.

My hands will not meet. I don’t care what Supreme Leader Johnson orders us to do.

AIBU?

Huge respect for the gentleman but clapping? That is so wrong.

Captain Tom didn't do his walks for publicity, he did them to raise money. However much we all appreciate what he did, clapping someone's life after they've died is a very odd thing to do.

I'm sure many of us felt emotional , including me, when he died, surely a memorial such as a plaque as a permanent reminder of what he achieved would be a better idea.

The fact that it’s a doorstep clap says it all, really. Pre-Covid such things weren’t about making sure all of your neighbours could see FFS.

Tells me everything I need to know. It isn’t about Captain Tom. I’m sure there are people who will genuinely do it to honour Captain Tom. But many will just lap up another opportunity to show off “Oooh look at me look at me look how good I am doing my bit look at me look at me”.

Also, if hear fireworks at 6pm, I’m going to find the culprit and shove them up where the sun don’t shine.

Another of Saint Boris's clumsy attempts to score Brownie points; just like he did with his "grovel, grovel, I take full responsibility" (like fuck he does) for the dead last week.

Because Saint Boris, the patron saint of lying and waffling has personally urged this, I certainly will not be doing it.

I'm almost feeling guilty though: a year ago, I witnessed a primary school head teacher roundly telling off one particular class (not in front of the rest of the school) for not clapping during assembly, when awards were given out, lecturing them about the importance of clapping and appreciation "how would you feel if they don't clap you?": I expect those chastened year 5's will be telling off the adults who refuse to clap on principle.

Can I ask why everyone seems so overboard on Captain Tom

I am sure he was a lovely guy and raised a lot of money but I am having trouble with the over the top outpouring of grief.

I am fully aware I might have missed something as I rarely watch news or day to day type programmes.
Even my husband was in tears and thinks I am heartless.

Also, if hear fireworks at 6pm, I’m going to find the culprit and shove them up where the sun don’t shine.

There will be music going for sure!!

The thing is, sunset will be at 5pm tonight. So if you do outside and observe a minute’s silence, no one else will see you (unless you are somewhere very well lit). If the point is to quietly think of this man then it may make more sense to just do it inside.

I just have an image of you standing outside your house with your head bowed and it's so weird.

All of it's weird.

@wanderings On one of the first NHS clap’s the NDN’s 6 year old was obnoxiously shouting “CLAP CLAP CLAP” to everybody, and even knocked on our door because we hadn’t come out

I can only think it was encouraged by the parents.

If it makes you happy go ahead I suppose

Cue the Beckham's posting later or are they still in Miami for "work"?

It's populist bollocks from Johnson, of course it is.
'Distract, distract, distract...paint self as a nice guy'

@hamstersarse

It's for the neighbours. We call it virtue signalling

Exactly that. I can't imagine many people who live in the middle of nowhere bothering

If I do it then it will start my ewes bleating for feed. No other bugger around. Plus it's freezing.

@Crunchymum

Boris is saying tonight at 6pm, FB is saying tomorrow at 8pm

I mean are we so pathetic as a country we cannot actually organise a clap? Rhetorical question there.

I will not be clapping or bowing my head or howling [yes this is a thing too - Google it!]

You have to love a bit of misdirection.

It looks like there's going to be two claps for Tom.

Some people on here are quite pathetic to be honest. Your own little one man protests really don't mean anything. If they want to clap for him, let them.

Personally I won't be because I think it was unfair that he was allowed his family around him in the hospital, when the other thousands have people have had to die alone. But I still believe he was a great man and did a lot of good.

@PretendLife, you’re not the only one, there’s a few of us in the Coronavirus section having a discussion about how OTT it is.

OK, he did some walking and raised masses for good causes, but the reason he managed it was mainly because his daughter is into "brand development", the mainstream media latched on and promoted him, and he went viral. You need to tick boxes or tug at emotions to get the media attention and he had it; NHS. Tick. Military veteran. Tick. Very old. Tick. During lockdown and people wanted a good news story. Tick.

He succeeded and became this “hero” just as much because of circumstances/timing/PR/brand/media as achievement. Yet I know people who have done similar great things, longer term, but because they didn’t tick the right boxes the media didn’t promote them and they were ignored. Without the backing behind him he would just have been another insignificant charity fundraiser, getting into the local paper at best and raising a few hundred quid, which is why I’m uncomfortable with the fawning and hero-worshiping.

This is as close as you can get without being in 1984

If you mean the George Orwell novel, you may wish to re-read it.

Where was the minutes silence last week for the 100k who have died ?? Absolute over the top nonsense.

Of course it's respectful and appropriate to honour such a life as his, serving in the War and then becoming a father-figure to the nation at a time of crisis. He epitomised hope for us all, and his positive messages about tomorrow being a better day were made even more poignant given his lived experience.

But I don't think we should do it in public. That's not very British. I hate all this standing on the door-step manically clapping, it's just too overtly demonstrative for my liking. Why do I need (or want) others to see me clapping like a loon in the street?

I will silently think of him, as I have been since he died.

If no one claps tonight it sends a message to the incompetent fools that they do not have public support.

Do you genuinely think that Boris/government will notice? Or give a shit?

and then becoming a father-figure to the nation at a time of crisis.

I think that's pushing it a bit.

Johnson politicised this by going against the will of Tom’s family. Has he asked them if this is what they, or Tom wanted?

I understand that the family have specifically said they don’t want this, on their village fb page

I kind of had my one minutes silence , at the moment when his death was announced on the BBC the other night. I don't think there is any need for any more hand clapping, and silences, as there has already been a country wide, and world wide offering of condolences for him.

Boris doesn't give a sh*t whether or not you clap, stand in a minute's silence or whatever. He doesn't give a shit about Captain Tom except in as far as he can use the man's actions and image to bolster his own position and promote the charitisation of the NHS.