to wonder what happened to all the eccentrics?

[MomsNatter]

I'm sure there used to be more of them when I was a child.

I am almost 100% middle of the road, so are most of the people I know but when I was growing up I knew all manner of odd people: like the bloke who practically filled his house with newspapers, the woman who had sideburns and DIDN'T CARE and the man on the market who spent more time singing than he did actually selling anything.

I miss those people.

Even on here, the font of all reasonableness, if someone has behaved in a way that is even slightly odd, you can almost guarantee that someone, at some point, will say:

Do you think he/she might have 'Aspergers'?

Has the media turned us all into neat, depilated, boring people or do I need to get out more?

Really interesting point. I have no idea but I am going to watch this one. Maybe the telly's just better than it was and on all day? When we were little it just flipped to the test card.

Actually my village seems to be full of them! Some in a good way... :)

I remember there used to be tramps as well. Actual tramps, in the countryside, not just beggars on the streets of cities. Don't see them any more.

And what happened to white dog poo? There was loads of it in the 70s but now you never see any?

I regularly see a guy in full country n western gear. But he's French so

I think there's a bearded lady in Guildford I'm not sure if that counts as eccentric or not

White dog boo - butcher's bones. Most people used commercial dog food now.

tbh at the risk of being really heavy, I think part of what happened to eccentrics is peeeeeedo hysteria. An odd bloke with weird facial hair who walked down the street singing and saying hi to all the children would have CPOs all over him like a rash these days.

Our village seems to be full of eccentrics. Maybe they are confined to certain places now. Maybe that's why I'm here?

I agree with RevoltingPeasant on the dog poo - most people feed commercial crap these days, which results in crap crap.

There's no shortage of them here. The 'eccentrics' that I know generally have serious mental health issues and badly need help. I hate seeing them because they're obviously very vulnerable people,who aren't getting the care they need.

The nanny state has decreed them unfit to live in polite society and had them all confined to homes for the permanently bewildered.

I suspect the only reason I don't see that many eccentrics is that I'm so eccentric I'm blind to it.
People try to be nice and say I'm "individual" or "unique" or "special", I know quite a lot of stuff I do is a bit crackers. The thing is, it doesn't bother me. Perhaps the eccentric people that really stood out have moved into showbiz?

As other's suggest, I think half the mad eccentrics I used to see are no longer allowed out in the 'community' these days... or sadly died, in the case of our 'local tramp' out of lack of care etc.

Visit any local authority Housing estate and you'll find a fair bunch.. vulnerable people..

However, on a less glum note I think the world is a better place because of some of the mad eccentric friends I have an certainly a visit to Speakers Corner in Hyde Park on a Sunday also had a good 'range' of eccentrics last time we passed by

I've seen the bearded lady in Guildford. It really is a remarkable beard.

Drugs and medication, probably.

What a fabulous question. I think society has changed, when I was growing up there were Punks, Mods, tramps, lovable weirdo?s, we had a neighbour who refused to come out of the 60s fashion and eccentric mad professor type down the road, all these unique qualities in individuals have gone. They?ve been replaced with clones, thanks to the media. I love going into London because its still acceptable to be ?different? there but nothing compared to how it used to be.

We have proper tramps in darkest Wiltshire. And some very eccentric types

There are quite a few eccentrics in the lab at work.

They are just utterly focused on their work, and are otherworldly or content enough not to care what people think of them.

And because they are generally fairly brilliant, they are highly respected.

Also, I think people are just a lot more 'anything goes' these days. Even as late as the 70s, you'd have people scrubbing doorsteps, because it was the done thing, and being scadalised by random stuff.

Now people are much less likely to feel they need to conform, so the more eccentric people don't stand out so much.

It's the forces of the media and advanced capitalism dumbing us all down and making us one lumpen mass of homogeny.

Plenty of eccentrics here. Tend to appear more regularly when the sun in shining.

A couple of examples - a Big Issue seller who sings "big issue, big issue, big big big issue" to the tune of Jingle Bells all day long, all year thank god I don't work in the shop opposite him

A old lady who stands on the main road whenever there is a big tournament (world cup, olympics etc) wearing a baseball cap and waving a St George's Flag at all the passing cars.

Lots more too. hicksville

Ah, so, I need to get out more then. I think I probably live in a bit of a bubble these days.
Or maybe everything was new to me when I was younger so now differences seem less extreme.
HAppyJoyful: I'm only talking about oddballs really but on the subject on mental health, my experience is the opposite.
I have a relative who absolutely should be in residential care but he has been allocated a social worker and LAH flat instead. He (or one of the seven squatters living with him) set fire to it. Mental health care is abysmal IM(limited)E.

very interesting point indeed. Esp parents at schools - we had some really interesting folks when I was young, like the Dad who used to blast Bob Dylan and pile us all into his Allegro for impromptu trips to the paddling pool.
All parents at DD school are so middle of the road, not so much as a sniff of "difference" from the norm...

Definitely 2 that I know of in our village. Both well educated and well spoken (but not connected to each other at all) but according to local gossip, various ' life events' have made them go off the rails a little to the point where their lifestyles are considered eccentric - but harmless to others.

Perhaps people are so worried about being judged, or ostracised or reported that they are only eccentric behind closed doors.

The lady who used to use Quality Street wrappers to decorate the tree in her front garden has died :(

The man who wears full hunting regalia to walk his two pug dogs is still about.

Both used to be very friendly and seemed 'normal' in all other respects, maybe people are still eccentric but more so behind closed doors?

I think everyone has a few eccentricities or foibles.

Usually the people who seem the most straight-laced are the most interesting when you get to know them IMO. Whereas people who are all "I'm MAD, I am MAD I TELL YOU! I'M SO F**ING BUBBLY!" are dullsville.

Driven "underground" , no longer tolerated in the "we are all the same, new world order", one day they will undoubtably come for them that dare show even a smidge of origional thought/ non conform lifestyle, i know it"s old hat but.... front off the pack? Daily vomit", sorry, Mail !as it used to say in early 70"s si-fi movies "if you dont agree you will be sent to "the surface "!!!!!! AND , should i get much older i will wear bloody purple and run my walking stick along the railings! too bloody right i will !!!