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Original poster

Captain Tom

212 replies

ssd · 01/02/2021 18:35

I know this is a really self indulgent post. So sorry in advance.
I'm worried about captain Tom. I know its ridiculous, I dont know him. Maybe because hes just a bit older than my dad would have been.
But I feel if he dies with coronavirus , it'll be the final straw for me. Hes been the only bright light in this.
If he doesn't recover I think I'll sink.

OP posts:
stairway · 01/02/2021 22:49

I think it was the family tbh. I’ve never heard someone his age mention ‘ bucket list’. Regardless they should have declined the invitation. It couldn’t have been very nice for him.

stairway · 01/02/2021 22:50

I don’t know why so many people had to say goodbye on face time, maybe they didn’t want to expose themselves to covid.

smoothchange · 01/02/2021 22:51

I think it was the family tbh. I’ve never heard someone his age mention ‘ bucket list’.

'Wants to go to' same thing Hmm

Regardless they should have declined the invitation. It couldn’t have been very nice for him.

They? Again you are assuming he had no opinion.

ParkheadParadise · 01/02/2021 22:54

My friend's dad died in July from covid.
Her mum got to be with him when he passed away. My friend and her sister had to stay in the corridor outside.

starch23 · 01/02/2021 22:55

It's not speculative to read a public statement about a public figure and to turn to other humans in sadness about what it means. There's no point in humanity if we're not even allowed to connect with one another anymore.

Trumplosttheelection · 01/02/2021 22:56

Family can come in to covid wards but in limited numbers and they will have to isolate. It also exposes them to risk to some degree despite ppe. Many families choose not to do this because of other people they might expose. And even if somebody is dying you don't always get called. We didn't two weeks ago and that was a non covid death in a nursing home. It's a hard, hard time to lose somebody.
Losing somebody to covid is just awful and the body has to be treated in a certain way due to the infection risk which makes it more complex for people to see their loved one etc. It's pretty bleak. So if captain Tom has some family with him tbh they are luckier than many.

stairway · 01/02/2021 22:58

The family should have said that they didn’t think it was a good idea, they are well off I suspect they have already been on many foreign holidays.

Youngatheart00 · 01/02/2021 23:03

It’s terribly sad that he’s so unwell but it’s wrong to throw rocks and say it’s due to his trip to Barbados. Whether or not it was right to go, it’s not right to somehow make him or his family culpable. I really hope he pulls through.

BlueTimes · 01/02/2021 23:04

@the80sweregreat

My dad asked to go into hospital and they agreed. He had some oxygen therapy there which couldn't be administered in the care home. I like to think he died peacefully.
I’m sure he did and oxygen therapy helps lots of people in a gentle and peaceful way. I’m really sorry for your loss. Flowers
smoothchange · 01/02/2021 23:07

@stairway

The family should have said that they didn’t think it was a good idea, they are well off I suspect they have already been on many foreign holidays.

Why do you think this was a decision for anyone but Sir Tom himself to make?

Inkpaperstars · 01/02/2021 23:09

@the80sweregreat Flowers

Rightleftupdown · 02/02/2021 07:58

wrong to say he shouldn't have gone to Barbados over Christamas? - wasn't that the message the government was pushing? Stay home unless essential? Don't meet people over the break esp in certain areas? It's interesting that his free family holiday hasn't been mentioned at all in the news I've seen - but maybe that doesn't fit with the narrative?

Trumplosttheelection · 02/02/2021 08:02

I think we need to remember that life wasn't too abnormal at the beginning of December. Bedfordshire ended up in a high tier at the end of the month but at the beginning we were coming out of the circuit breaker lockdown (remember that) and we were told it could all be fine for Christmas. Things changed. If the travel weakened him or affected him I'm sure his family will be mortified but he demonstrably had capacity to make choices himself.

NorbertMeubles · 02/02/2021 08:05

You can't start a thread about captain Tom because not everyone agrees he is the hero of the nation. Mumsnet HQ has gone very weird over this. Say what you like about anyone else though. Mumsnet will delete this with one sniff of negativity about him.

NorbertMeubles · 02/02/2021 08:08

Are families now allowed to visit Covid patients in hospital? If so, that good news that people can see their loved ones and be with them when they are so desperately ill rather than just wait for a phone call.

NerrSnerr · 02/02/2021 08:11

His daughter runs a PR company so I assume they are all over it.

It really wasn't a wise decision for Tom or his family to make to go abroad over Christmas especially as there are further photos circulating of them posing with 3 other people (one of them being Russ Abbott of all people) with no masks or social distancing.

They appear to be a very wealthy family and I suppose it all comes down to them feeling more deserving than the normal people to listen to the stay at home to protect the NHS advice.

NerrSnerr · 02/02/2021 08:12

@NorbertMeubles

Are families now allowed to visit Covid patients in hospital? If so, that good news that people can see their loved ones and be with them when they are so desperately ill rather than just wait for a phone call.
Depends on hospital policy. At my local hospital family have always been allowed when someone is at the end of their lives.
RedWelliesAreHot · 02/02/2021 08:13

I expect this will be zapped but surely the Q on everyone's lips is how did he catch it?

Travel was more or less banned in Dec, except for essential journeys.
So even if it was his choice to take up the free offer, BA should have not offered it!

And the implication is he caught Covid from a medic looking after him when he was treated for pneumonia.

It seems so sad to lose him through (perhaps) sheer carelessness from someone else.

starfish4 · 02/02/2021 08:23

My Uncle has been in hospital for three weeks with Covid pneumonia. My Auntie hasn't seen him for three weeks as it's phone calls only. Good news is that he's been moved to a recuperation unit today.

smoothchange · 02/02/2021 08:26

@NorbertMeubles

Are families now allowed to visit Covid patients in hospital?

Not 'covid patients' no. Families are allowed to visit dying patients.

smoothchange · 02/02/2021 08:28

@starfish4

My Uncle has been in hospital for three weeks with Covid pneumonia. My Auntie hasn't seen him for three weeks as it's phone calls only. Good news is that he's been moved to a recuperation unit today.

I'm glad your uncle has been mover to recuperation, that's probably the reason he wasn't allowed visitors though. He wasn't at end of life.

Leftontheboaty · 02/02/2021 08:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Athinginitself · 02/02/2021 08:34

@NorbertMeubles

Are families now allowed to visit Covid patients in hospital? If so, that good news that people can see their loved ones and be with them when they are so desperately ill rather than just wait for a phone call.
Only usually if its end of life.
RedWelliesAreHot · 02/02/2021 08:34

Sadly, I don't think we know the whole truth on this.

The family say he has been treated for pneumonia for weeks. That means it started soon after he came back from his holiday. But then to get Covid on top of that- how? From family? Medics?

It's incredibly sad that someone like him aged 100 was put, or put themselves, in a position where they were at risk.

ShowOfHands · 02/02/2021 08:35

He hasn't been the only bright light. The critical workers keeping things going, the NHS, our local community fridge and food bank coming up with new ways of working, volunteer response, our local pub and the Lions stepping up to provide a hot lunch and pudding every day for all children on FSM who can't attend school, my colleagues who have kept our service going, ensuring the continued good mental health and wellbeing of some of our most vulnerable people.

There are bright lights everywhere ssd.