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Mountain of Mail sent to Marston Moretaine Post Office to mark Captain Tom Moore's 100th birthday
A mountain of 125,000 birthday cards, gifts and donations of more than £60,000 have been sent to Marston Moretaine Post Office for fundraising legend Captain Tom Moore to mark his 100th birthday on 30 April.
The family of Captain Tom asked Marston Moretaine Postmaster Bill Chandi and his wife Rani if they could help by providing an address for people to send birthday cards when it became clear that people wanted to celebrate the milestone birthday. They were very happy to help as they know Captain Tom and his daughter Hannah and son-in-law Colin Ingram well.
The 125,000 cards have been sorted and displayed at Bedford School where Captain Tom’s grandson Benjie Ingram-Moore attends. The school rallied together a large group of volunteers to open and display all the cards in their large school hall, dining hall and cricket pavilion, which are not being used because of lockdown.
Inside the cards and letters were the donations for more than £60,000. These will be processed by Marston Moretaine Post Office. Donations are also being taken at the branch.
This amount will be added to Captain Tom’s Fundraiser for NHS Charities Together, which has already raised more than £29 million.
A message on behalf of Captain Tom Moore and his family said:
"We are so deeply grateful to Bill, Rani and the Post Office team, we remain humbled by the most incredible work they have done to support my family and me through this unexpected but extraordinary time. We will be forever grateful."
Bill Chandi, who has been Marston Moretaine Postmaster for 32 years, and is a local councillor, said:
“My Post Office is at the heart of the Marston Moretaine community and I am delighted to have played a part in this amazing story by accepting 100th birthday cards for this community’s most famous resident.
“Not everyone can make donations on line so it was great to provide Marston Moretaine Post Office as somewhere to send donations by post. It is fantastic that more than £60,000 has been donated inside cards and letters for such a worthy cause.
“This has been an incredible time – far, far busier than even Christmas, but I am very happy to help as Captain Tom is a remarkable man, a real role model.”
Cards and presents have arrived from across the UK and around the world. Cards were sent from famous names including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Dame Kelly Holmes and England football captain Harry Kane. Whiskey, flowers, cakes and large paintings are among the gifts arriving at Marston Moretaine Post Office.
Birthday cards, including donations, can still be sent to for Captain Tom Moore c/o Marston Moretaine Post Office, 67 Bedford Road, Marston Mortaine, Bedford, MK43 0LA.
