Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Eccentricity is defined as being unconventional to the point of being slightly strange, and the perception is that the English do it best. This belief has been held so fast by so many for so long that it’s something of a cliché. Yet the truth is, the English really do have a long and fruitful history of being eccentric. And it is perhaps among the aristocracy that this characteristic is most rampant.
Why? Perhaps their glut of time and money allows them to live exactly as they’d like, unencumbered by trivial and tiresome matters like work. Membership of the upper class brings with it a sense of freedom to be entirely oneself and indulge every peccadillo without having to worry about who might be watching. Being eccentric is surely the ultimate privilege.
How the English manifest their eccentricities varies, although often a common theme throughout history is treating animals like humans. Born in 1756, the 8th Earl of Bridgewater famously preferred dogs to people, even eating formal dinners with them. His ancestral seat was Ashridge House in Hertfordshire, just 30 minutes from London and used today as a wedding and
