Ben Le Vay's Eccentric Britain

Preface vii Introduction viii PART ONE ECCENTRIC THINGS WE DO 1 Chapter 1 The Eccentric Year 3 Daily Events 3, January 4, February 8, March 12, April 13, May 19, June 26, July 34, August 37, September 43, October 48, November 51, December 55, Various dates 58, Fairs 60, Travel information 64 Chapter 2 Eccentric Pastimes 73 Collections of eccentrics 73, Eccentric interests 81, !is rather eccentric race 83, On the road to Eccentricity 91, Odd associations 97, Eccentricity on display: Britain's top odd museums 101, Travel information 112 Chapter 3 Barmy Bureaucracy and Curious Charities 115 Paying the rent in roses, nails and parsnips 115, Britain's weird courts that court disbelief 117, Worth the weight 123, Britain's most eccentric jobs 123, Key to eccentricities 123, Curse of the underground mutton 126, Getting the dole 126, Travel information 129 PART TWO ECCENTRIC PEOPLE 131 Chapter 4 The Aristocrats of Eccentrics 133 !e tunnelling duke and other odd aristos 133, Hellfire and heroism 137, Bonkers, and bonking, MPs 139, Modern marquesses of B 141, Wanted: hermits, running footmen, gossips 142, The duke who goes to the polo by jumbo 143, Sty society: stately pups of old England 146, !ose pesky titles 147, And when it come to Christian names 148, Travel information 148 Chapter 5 Dead Eccentric 151 Bizarre last wishes 151, Land of odd pyramids 154, Leg-end in his own lifetime 155, London's only Nazi memorial 156, Pigeons at war and animal heroes 157, Pickled brains and restless heads 159, Surrey's mystery mosque and a death railway 160, How the living can follow the dead 162, Gone for a Burton: the Arab tent in deepest Mortlake 163, Tombs along odd lines 165, Some very strange organs 167, Evasion of the body-snatchers 173, Travel information 174 Chapter 6 Church Eccentrics 179 Beyond belief 179, Clergy's strange urges 181, Well, well, well - eccentric saints 187, Top ten most surprising places of worship 190, Travel information 193 PART THREE ECCENTRIC PLACES 195

Benedict le Vay is a features editor on a leading British newspaper. He spends his spare time researching zany facts about the British and their way of life. He is also the author of Bradt's Eccentric London and Britain from the Rails.

'Eccentric Britain offers a delightful romp around the British Isles searching out the mad marquess, the eccentric earl and the barmy baron, and gathering crackpot inventors, weird adventurers and curious customs along the way.' Northern Echo 'Anecdote, biography and fascinating snippets of information are all woven into Ben le Vay's survey of all that is weird and wonderful on our shores.' The Mail on Sunday Ben le Vay's invaluable and worryingly entertaining book is the comprehensive guide to British eccentricity you didn't know you needed. The Daily Mail 'Great fun!' Good Book Guide 'Full of the fascinating, curious and downright barmy, Eccentric Britain is packed with anecdotes to help you navigate well away from the mainstream.' Wanderlust 'This book has something to fascinate and amaze everyone, a definite alternative to a travel guide if you're looking for fun on your holidays!' South Wales Evening Post