Captain Sir Tom Moore: ‘His greatest legacy will be the hope he brought’

As Captain Sir Tom Moore is laid to rest at a small family ceremony in his home county, Sky News’ Enda Brady describes his impact on the world.

This was the most perfect spring day in Bedfordshire for the final journey of a man who did so much to lift the nation’s morale during the first lockdown.

Soldiers from the Yorkshire Regiment – Captain Sir Tom Moore’s home county – received his coffin as his voice rang out on the chart-topping version of You’ll Never Walk Alone that he recorded with Michael Ball.

That unmistakable Yorkshire accent echoing through a tiny crematorium, with just eight family members present, in keeping with government guidelines.

Before the service we were told that Michael Buble had recorded a special version of the song Smile for the funeral.

And there were smiles later when it emerged that Captain Sir Tom had written his own epitaph, with a nod to his comedy hero Spike Milligan.

Milligan had the words “I told you I was ill” put on his headstone.

Captain Sir Tom’s epitaph will read: “I told you I was old!”

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This was a beautiful send off for an old soldier who got moving as Britain came to a standstill.

And of course, the NHS is £40m better off because of his 100 garden laps.

But perhaps his greatest legacy will be the hope that he brought to so many people with his incredible action and spirit.

Tomorrow truly will be a good day, Sir.

(c) Sky News 2021: Captain Sir Tom Moore: ‘His greatest legacy will be the hope he brought’