А) A definition of eccentrics б) A twenty-first century king
в) Eccentric men and women
г) A solitary life
д) Talking to eccentrics
е) An interesting book
ж) A book about eccentrics
1. Most of us have very ordinary daily lives. We get up at the usual time, spend hours at school or work and come home at the same time every evening. In his book on English eccentrics Henry Hemming looks at unusual people with very different lives from ours.
2. According to Hemming, eccentrics are not mad. They are “unusual” or behave differently from how society expects. They see the world differently from us, have their own personal timetables and are not worried about people's opinions of them.
3. In his book, Hemming looks at our national tradition of eccentrics and meets lots of different eccentric people. He interviews a professional boxer in aristocratic clothes, an adventurous inventor, a successful fashion designer and a famous rock musician.
4. Hemming finds people like Tom Leppard, the Leopard Man. Ninety-two percent of his body has tattoos. Tom lives alone on a beautiful, windy Scottish island in a cabin. He does not need a watch or a clock because he has no obligations. He gets up and goes to bed when he wants to. 'I can do what I like and when I like,' he says. 'And that is paradise.' On a typical day, Tom feeds the birds or goes for a swim in the sea. Every two weeks he goes to town in his kayak. He goes to the bank, gets food and then goes back home. Tom is a hermit 'but I never get lonely here,' he says.
5. Hemming's favourite eccentric is the friendly John Rothwell, now called King Arthur after the sixth century British king. 'King Arthur' does not work and has no routine or typical day. He rides around Britain on his motorbike and campaigns to save historic monuments and trees. 'I don't have a home,' says Arthur. 'I never sleep two nights in the same bed.' He does not need a diary to plan his life and his only important date is 21 June, the summer solstice. Then, Arthur goes to Stonehenge to see his 'people', the hippies and pagans at the festival.
6. Hemming's book is full of wonderful characters and is often very funny. It is definitely worth reading.