Captain Sir Tom Moore's family find forgotten mystery Christmas present to open this year

  • ITV News Anglia's Claire McGlasson interviews Captain Sir Tom Moore's daughter


The daughter of the late Captain Sir Tom Moore says she found a mystery Christmas present in her father's bedroom - which the family will open as they mark their first year without him.

Hannah Ingram-Moore said her father had a tradition of giving gifts, which he ordered and wrapped himself, after the Queen's speech, but she believes that one gift may have been overlooked last year.

She said the family would wait till Christmas Day to unwrap the gift, adding that it would be a "special moment" albeit tinged with sadness.

Mrs Ingram-Moore said: "I think it's going to be happy and sad, riddled with sorrow and loss, and simply pure thrilling happiness for what his legacy is doing for the world."

Captain Tom, who lived in Bedfordshire, inspired the nation after walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday in 2020, raising more than £39m for NHS charities.

The present, now nestled under the family's Christmas tree, is in a small square box neatly wrapped with a festive paper, mostly white with sprigs of holly.

"We have no idea what it is, we probably don't need it but we'll love to open it," said Mrs Ingram-Moore.

The most special moment for Captain Sir Tom Moore was meeting the Queen.

Reflecting on the experience of being part of Captain Tom's whirlwind fundraising campaign, his daughter said she looked back on it all with a degree of incredulity.

"Heads of global organisations, head of countries were calling my phone to speak to my father. We still have to pinch ourselves," she said, speaking to ITV News Anglia at her home in Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire.

But of all the many adventures the centenarian had, it was meeting the Queen that was the most special, she said.

On a sunny day in July 2020, the family travelled to Windsor Castle for the investiture.

Mrs Ingram-Moore said she remembered watching her father "drink royal apple juice out of HRH glasses" before meeting the Queen. She described the whole day and experience for the family at Windsor Castle as "ridiculously, crazily, just brilliant."

"I wish I could bottle the feeling and let everyone share it," she said.

Sir Tom died in Bedford Hospital on February 2021 aged 100 after suffering from pneumonia and Covid-19.

After inspiring so many with his 100 laps, his 100th birthday in the April of 2020 became a chance for many to show how much his efforts had meant to them during lockdown.

There was an RAF flypast by a Spitfire and a Hurricane which flew over Sir Tom's home in Marston Moretaine on his birthday, and he was made an honorary colonel.

A train was named after him and he was inundated messages and 150,000 birthday cards.