Goodbye, Mr Chips - Facts

 

The author of this book is James Hilton. James Hilton (9 September 1900 – 20 December 1954) was a British-American novelist and screenwriter. W.H. Balgarnie, a master at The Leys School, Cambridge and Hilton's father, headmaster of Chapel End School in Walthamstow, were the inspirations for the character of Mr. Chipping in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, a best-seller.

William Henry Balgarnie (12 May 1869 – 15 July 1951) was a schoolmaster at Elmfield College, Woodbridge School and The Leys School, and was the inspiration for the character Mr. Chips in the book Goodbye, Mr. Chips, written by one of his students at The Leys, James Hilton.

The book follows Chips' life, and he mentions several important names and facts in his life.

Lloyd George was the Prime Minister. David Lloyd George (17 January 1863 – 26 March 1945), was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1916 to 1922. A Liberal Party politician from Wales, he was known for leading the United Kingdom during the First World War, for social-reform policies, for his role in the Paris Peace Conference, and for negotiating the establishment of the Irish Free State.

The book also mentions the death of King Edward VII. Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, died on Friday 6 May 1910 at the age of 68. His state funeral occurred two weeks later, on 20 May 1910. He was succeeded by his only living son, George V.

One of the boys' father was on the Titanic, but he survived. RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on 15 April 1912. Titanic was four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City, with over 2,200 people on board when she struck an iceberg at 23:40 (ship's time)on 14 April. She sank two hours and forty minutes later at 02:20 ship's time on 15 April, resulting in the deaths of up to 1,635 people, making it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history.

Chips was the headmaster during the war years. The First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Major theatres of war included Europe and the Middle East, and well as parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, World War I resulted in an estimated 15 to 22 million deaths, including in mass war crimes against civilians and genocides. 

The book also mentions the strike after the war. A general strike took place in the United Kingdom from 4 to 12 May 1926. It was called by the General Council of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in an unsuccessful attempt to force the British government to act to prevent wage reductions and worsening conditions for 1.2 million locked-out coal miners. Some 1.7 million workers went out, especially in transport and heavy industry.