In this very uncertain time, let me tell you a story…

Once upon a time, deep in West Yorkshire, on 30 April 1920, a woman gave birth to a boy called Thomas Moore. His dad was a builder, and he studied to become a civil engineer.When he was 20 years old, the Second World War broke out.
To fulfil his duty, he enlisted in and soon was selected for officer training, being commissioned as a second lieutenant at just 21.

He then fought in India where he participated in the Battle of Ramree Island, in western Burma (now Myanmar), and afterwards in Sumatra after the Japanese surrender, by which time he had risen to the rank of captain.

For his war service, Thomas Moore was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, the Burma Star, Defence Medal and the War Medal 1930-1945, four medals that made him already a Hero of WW2.

That was 75 years ago, he was only 25 years old!
But his heroic behaviour did not end with the surrender of the Axis Powers.

On 6 April 2020, with his 100th birthday approaching, Thomas Moore began a fundraising campaign for NHS Charities Together, a group of charities supporting staff and volunteers caring for COVID-19 patients in the British public health services (the NHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He aimed to complete one hundred 25 m (27 yd) laps of his garden, ten laps per day, with the help of a walking frame, branding the endeavour “Tom’s 100th Birthday Walk For The NHS”.
He achieved his initial target of one hundred laps on the morning of 16 April, watched by a guard of honour from the 1st Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment, and said he would not stop, and aimed to do a second hundred.

The initial £1,000 goal having been realised on 10 April, the target was increased to over £30,000,000 donated by more than 1,5 million individuals.
By 20 April, more than 800,000 people had signed a petition calling for Moore to be knighted.
A real national momentum has been created around Thomas Moore!Over a week before Moore’s 100th birthday, so many cards had been sent to him that Royal Mail had had to introduce dedicated sorting facilities and around 20 volunteers were recruited to open and display them, at the local Bedford School. By his birthday over 150,000 cards had been received.
Royal Mail announced that all stamped post between 26 April and 1 May will be postmarked “Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020”.
On the morning of his birthday, a Hawker Hurricane and a Spitfire from the Royal Air Force’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight performed a flypast over Moore’s house.

Birthday congratulations were also made by Prince Charles, Prince William and his wife, Boris Johnson, Jamie Oliver and so on. Moore also took a video call with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, who wished him a Happy Birthday.
Instead of the standard 100th birthday message from Queen Elizabeth II, he received a personalised card, presented in person by the Lord Lieutenant of Bedfordshire ; She made him a colonel to honour him.

This man is indeed amazing!

A lot of people today are complaining about confinement, about the lack of freedom of movement or so.
To my mind, Thomas Moore embodies that generation where patriotism, altruism, righteousness surpassed personal well-being and selfishness.
Through Thomas Moore’s courageous and positive behaviour, a whole generation is setting an example for us, the same generation that lived through war, bombing, sometimes even enemy invasion, facing a confinement that was much harder than the one we are living in with all the modern comforts.
If you are tired of staying at home, of going around in circles, of not seeing your loved ones, your friends, of not being able to travel freely, look at Thomas Moore who is fighting his own body limits for us, and tell yourself : what is this slowed-down moment in our lives? Isn’t it a bit like tasting a piece of chocolate cake: the slower it is, the more intense is the pleasure!

Thank You So Much, Colonel Moore!