Vic Owen, also known as King Conker, declares the 2004 Championships open.© Ashton Conker Club
Cheese rolling, conkers, pooh sticks, trainspotting, flat cap flinging, well-dressing and turnip rolling – are all things that pick up on an eccentricity that is arguably quintessentially British.
Call it peculiar; call it dotty, daft or
downright silly, but as a nation we notoriously seem to enjoy doing things
‘outside of the box’.
But why exactly are we drawn to weird and wonky hobbies, quixotic ideals and slightly strange ways of passing the time? Well, we certainly boast a veritable feast of eccentrics – past and present - from William Blake to Vivienne Westwood, Jack Mytton to Jimmy Savile.
Biography
Ever wondered why the words “English” and “eccentricity” make such a happy pairing? If indeed they do, for are we truly more eccentric than other nationalities? Or do we just like to think we are…
Features
Where did English eccentricity originate from, and how has it inspired? Meet some famous English eccentrics and discover some of the finest quirky, if a bit eccentric, hobbies...
