Born this date in 1869 was Neville Chamberlain, who became British Prime Minister in 1937. 10 facts about him:
Neville Chamberlain was born into a political family, his father being Joseph Chamberlain, a Victorian Cabinet minister.
He was born and educated in Birmingham, Rugby School, and later Mason College (now the University of Birmingham) but wasn’t very interested in studying or politics at that time.
He trained as an accountant and at 21, his father sent him to the Bahamas to establish and run a sisal plantation. That didn’t work out, and Chamberlain returned to England six years later, having lost £50,000. On the plus side, he’d gained a reputation for being a hands-on manager, taking a strong interest in the day-to-day running of a business.
It looked as if he was going to be a lifelong bachelor, but when he was 40 he met and fell in love with Anne Cole. They married, and it was she who encouraged Chamberlain to get involved in politics.
Chamberlain initially became involved with local Birmingham politics, standing as a local councillor and eventually being elected Lord Mayor of Birmingham. Then he stood as the Unionist candidate for Birmingham Ladywood, and was elected with almost 70% of the vote.
He didn’t get on with David Lloyd George. Lloyd George appointed him Director General of the Department of National Service, but he resigned within the year because of personal differences. He later refused to serve under Lloyd George in coalition government.
In 1922 he became Postmaster General under Andrew Bonar Law, and was made Minister of Health soon after. Under Baldwin, he was made Chancellor of the Exchequer all within 5 years of entering Parliament.
His achievements included the Factories Act 1937: limited hours worked by women and children; the Holiday with Pay Act 1938: recommendation of a week’s paid holiday and the Housing Act 1938: to encourage slum clearance and maintain rent controls. However, he’s probably best known for unsuccessfully trying to avert war with Germany but meeting with Hitler in 1938. Initially the result seemed promising. Chamberlain returned from the meeting declaring “I believe it is peace for our time”. Some suggested Chamberlain should be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for this. However, Hitler carried on invading places and his invasion of Poland forced Chamberlain’s hand, and he declared war on 3 September, 1939. Chamberlain’s critics maintained that all the peace talks with Hitler had done was give Germany time to build up its forces.
The first few months of the war didn’t go well and Chamberlain’s reputation suffered. He resigned in May 1940 after the failure of the British efforts to liberate Norway.
Soon after that, he resigned from government entirely because he had cancer, from which he died on 9 November 1940, just a few weeks after leaving office. He was 71.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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