canadian headhunter

ARE YOU TOO OLD?

By 1930, Churchill was without influence in Britain and it was generally believed that his career was over. One of his great bete noires was Nancy Astor. She had become the first woman member of parliament and she hated Churchill and was constantly deriding him.

She was, on the other hand, a great admirer of the Soviet Union and on a visit to Stalin, that "great man" asked her "Who are the coming leaders in Britain?". She told him that, "Neville Chamberlain is the coming man". Stalin said, "What about Churchill?". "Churchill is finished." she answered. Hitler agreed and when he had an opportunity to meet Churchill, in 1932, refused.

And, in 1930, Churchill also thought he was through. He was well into middle-age and wrote a book called, "My early life" which is the memoir of a man looking back over a life that was in many ways complete. If fact, Churchill says in the book that a man who loses his position in his 30s and 40s will never get it back. He may get another position in his 50s or 60s but the height that he reached in those early years he can never reclaim. He was, of course, talking about himself. He was fifty-six and looked older. Five foot six, stoop-shouldered, 215 pounds. He was once sitting in the barber's chair and the barber asked "What kind of hairstyle would you like?" And Churchill said "A man of my limited resources cannot afford a hairstyle, just cut".