An Eccentric - Eccentric - Eccentric - Rebel - 7th Marquess of Bath

Alexander George Thynn, 7th Marquess of Bath was born in 1932 - an eccentric and rather colorful Lord. He was educated at Eton. Art was close to his heart already when he was a young man. He studied under Wilfred Blunt, Oliver Thomas and Gerald Leet at Eton.

In Paris - he joined the art scene of the legendary La Rive Gauche - the "Left Bank". The old era of artists has always been connected with the Left Bank - Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Henri Matisse, Nancy Cunard, Anais Nin, Gertrude Stein...here the life style of bohemians - writers, philosophers,photographers, poets, and artists...can be seen an lived....Atmosphere - fill your soul - Boulevard Saint Germain des Pré's....

.

Longleat - 1675 - Artist - Jan Siberechts

On the death of his father in 1992 he (Viscount Weymouth) became the 7th Marquess of Bath and took control of Longleat House a very attractive stately home which, is set within 900 acres of magnificent landscaped parkland with a further 8000 acres of nature.

His life..... art, writing, and music....

which, you can follow througout his life in his paintings and writings. You can experience his murals entitled "keyhole glimpse into my psyche" at Longleat House.

The Red Library at Longleat has approximately 40000 books... for us who like books....

Strictly Private to Public Exposure - his Biography/autobiography consisting of six volumes.

His "Wifelets" that is another story......

My Father was a true Eccentric...(Part I)

 (All photos of eccentrics except the one of my father in this post by Tim Walker)

His... himself - (My Father), here in his late Seventies.

Here is a photo of Alexander Thynne, Marquis of Bath, with crocodile, at his estate, in Longleat, Wiltshire.

Charlie the Penguin stands among portraits of Marquis of Bath at Longleat, his Wiltshire estate.

Sitting here this evening in Arabia - reflecting over my father and his life, I come to think about and search for the characteristics of an eccentric.

That my father was an eccentric - was no doubt about it, a man from the old school, a man with a definitely nonconforming attitude. 

My father brilliant, handsome and charming belonged to a different world - an eccentric world of thoughts and behavior. He did not ever conform to society.

You will ask - How do I really know he was an eccentric?

Very simple answer indeed - he had no idea that his behavior was anything but absolutely normal...

Others were different.

So, I read as follow; "according to studies, there are fifteen distinctive characteristics that differentiate a healthy eccentric person from a regular person (although some may not always apply). The first five are in most people regarded as eccentric:" The outcome? 


My father had thirteen of the fifteen characteristics.  The two characteristics he did not have - he was not a bad speller or single. 

Nomadic Jaguars in the Cheviot Walk, Northumberland.

Lady Isabella Cawdor with three of her four children, Eleanor, Jean, and James, at Carnoch, Invernesshire, in the Scottish Highlands.

The Characteristics are:

1 - Nonconforming attitude

2 - Creative

3 - Strongly motivated by curiosity

4 - Idealistic

5 - Happy obsession with a hobby or hobbies

Snowfall in the summer at Eglingham Hall, in Northumberland, owned by the Bewicke family.

6 - Known very early in his or her childhood they were different from others

7 - Highly Intelligent

8 - Opinionated and outspoken

9 -Noncompetitive

10 - Not in need of reassurance or reinforcement from society

Dame Vivienne Westwood, unconventional fashion designer, in the old Camden Palace, in London.

 11 - Unusual living or eating habits

12 - Not interested in the opinions or company of others

Three Guinness heirs.

13 - Mischievous sense of humor
14 - Usually the eldest or an only child
15 - Bad spellers

Guinness heir Garech Browne at Luggala, the family estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, where he has put white sand around his black lake so that it resembles a glass of Guinness.


To be continued 
click here for Part II