Capt Tom daughter says spa 'for elderly people' & won't commit to demolishing it
Captain Tom Moore's family have claimed the spa pool they built at their home was meant to help local elderly people - and did not commit to knocking it down.
Hannah Ingram-Moore, her husband Colin Ingram, and their children Benji and Georgia have addressed critics that they used money from a foundation in the hero's name to build a spa at home. The World War Two hero won the nation's hearts when he began raising money for the NHS during the first coronavirus lockdown by doing laps of his garden - and reaching a staggering total of £38million for the NHS Charities Together cause.
But his family became concerned as, after he passed away in February 2021, they were targeted by abuse and negative headlines, which they feared would overshadow his legacy. Captain Tom's loved ones spoke to TalkTV's Piers Morgan during a 90-minute special after facing critics that they have made money from the hero's memory, with his daughter admitting to keeping £800,000 from the sales of her father's books she insists she was entitled to. They also spoke about the woman's controversial role as the CEO of a foundation created in Tom Moore's memory and addressed the £18,000 fee Hannah was paid to appear at the Virgin Media 02 Captain Tom Foundation Connector Awards.
Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter talking to Piers Morgan (Piers Morgan Uncensored)In July this year, Hannah was accused of using her late father's name to build a spa facility at her £1.2million home in Bedfordshire. Since then, the 52-year-old and her husband have been ordered to tear down the luxury outbuilding, which houses a pool and changing facilities, after it emerged on Tuesday it had been built without planning permission.
Under the name of the Captain Tom Foundation, the family erected the building in 2021 "in connection with the Captain Tom Foundation and its charitable objectives". However, after building the complex and deviating from the original plans, the husband and wife submitted a retrospective planning request, which was consequently rejected.
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During their TalkTV interview, the couple admitted they made mistakes but said the building was going to be used as somewhere to “put some of his things in it, some of his memorabilia” - and would also be a sort of “community building, so that we could help some of the local ageing population”.
Captain Tom Moore raised £38million for the NHS during lockdown (PA)The TV presenter said: “I think that was a mistake. I think that was always going to attract, and the original plan, yes, I mean I've been walking around here, and the memorabilia is incredible, from the cricket memorabilia, Joe Root's shirt, Michael Vaughan's England blazer, you know to the pictures here, incredible stuff, but it's very hard to argue that you need a spa pool to pay tribute to your father.
“And it's very hard to argue that whatever the original plan in your heads, that he would be able to use it, obviously once he died, that argument is gone too. I just don't think you should have done the spa pool, and I think that's what angered the public, because they're like, ‘how does that add anything to the memory of, that looks like you are giving yourselves, as a family, a nice little treat’, but you are using the Captain Tom Foundation umbrella to justify it, that would be what I would say to you.”
The couple's son Benji also joined the conversation, saying: “Yes, what I hope people understand as well, is we did not use charity money for this. Hindsight, we shouldn't have called it the Captain Tom Foundation building, it slipped through the net and that is a responsibility that we take, but never once did we use money from the Foundation, and I hope people can understand that part of it. And also the eyesore thing, granted when you build something, people are going to have objections to it, and what I hope they understand is, it's also not finished. We haven't finished it.”
The outbuilding houses a pool and changing facilities (@piersmorgan / Twitter)During the interview, the family also revealed they were left "disgusted" as the 100-year-old's granddaughter was targeted by hate mail following his death. Hannah admitted: “Of course, with the love that comes with something like that, and there really was love, global adoration of him and everything he had done to give hope to the world… there was always an underbelly of hate.”
Speaking of the "campaign of hate" they faced, her husband Colin continued: “I think it's just disgusting. I mean, it's been horrendous… Yes, I know, well my family, and we've, I have spent many years in rugby clubs and heard lots of language, but all in one sentence, and very personal, and individual, particularly to Hannah, it's just totally unacceptable. And though you try not to read it, you can't avoid it.”
On trolls sending daughter Georgia abusive messages in a pink envelope covered in unicorns, the teen explained: “At first I thought it was from my friends saying I'm so excited to see you back at school and stuff, and then my dad took it and was like, ‘Don't read it, just don't’, then I said, ‘Oh no, I really want to read it’. And then I was like, ‘Oh, that's ridiculous, why would someone say that?’”
Speaking about the threats, Hannah told Piers: “There's a forum… if you looked, you wouldn’t be able to cope… They were all discussing how they were going to come and kill us all in our beds, with pitchforks and hammers.” Colin went on to say: “[And] firebomb our house.” He also revealed that some threats have been reported to the police.
Piers Morgan talking to Hannah during the interview (@piersmorgan / Twitter)Hannah also addressed the backlash the family faced following their trip to Barbados with Captain Tom and explained it was his dream to visit the country in the Caribbean, as she said: “It was his dream. Barbados, if you go back in time, he was interviewed, I can't remember which newspaper said, ‘What's on your bucket list Captain Tom?’ And he wanted to go back to India.
"He wanted to jump out of an aeroplane, attached to somebody and a parachute, and he wanted to go and watch the cricket in Barbados. And Barbados Tourist Board and their Prime Minister were quick off the mark. This was back in, very early, in the second week of his walk, so he said, ‘Yes please, he would love to go’. We just couldn't go because we were in multiple lockdowns. Finally, we found a period of time when we could all go, and we were all invited. And his dream was to go, to go and see the cricketers in Barbados.”
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On whether she was worried he was not physically strong enough to travel, she added: “Not at all, in fact, we had doctors to check, and they said, ‘Go, Captain Tom! Enjoy it, be happy’. No one knew how long he was going to live. We also didn't know that he had silent pneumonia, nor did they, but nonetheless, we got on the plane, and we have photos of him on the plane. He was treated like a king.”
Colin said: “We paid, the first week was as the guests of Barbados tourist board but after that we paid for it, it was paid for by us, so it wasn’t free.” They also spoke about his death, and how he was “really with it” until the last few hours, even joking at points. Hannah said even when he went into hospital for the last time, they assumed he would be coming back out again.
For the full interview watch tonight's Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV at 8pm, or on YouTube or the TalkTV app.
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