Swan is named Sir Tom in village poll
He flew in to be the hero of the hour as a mate for lonely swan, Beatrice on the moat at Whittington Castle.
Now the male swan has been named after another hero who raised spirits as the pandemic hit.
The swan has been christened Sir Tom in a poll run by the castle preservation trust, after Captain Sir Tom Moore who raised almost £33 million for NHS charities when he walked 100 laps around his home for his 100th birthday.
Villagers and supporters of Whittington Castle were asked to come up with a name for the male swan who arrived on the moat a couple a weeks ago when it seemed Beatrice would be without a mate this year.
Her previous beau, Benedict, disappeared after successfully helping her raise their cygnets last year.
Castle manager, Sue Ellis, said the local community named Beatrice and Benedict and so it was asked again to find a name for the new arrival on the moat.
"Sir Tom quickly became the firm favourite," she said.
"In the end it was between Sir Tom and Barnaby.
Let us hope that Sir Tom and Lady Beatrice have a long life together raising their future cygnets on the Castle moat for many years to come. We have our fingers crossed that we may still have eggs this year."
Other suggestions including Fitz and Fulk both of which have historical links with the castle, Bertie and Boris and Lord Bridgerton after the hit television series.
