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[ti:A Lovable Eccentric]
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[00:01.46]Lesson 31
[00:03.40]A lovable eccentric
[00:12.00]Why did the shop assistant refuse to serve Dickie?
[00:18.28]True eccentrics never deliberately set out to draw attention to themselves.
[00:23.75]They disregard social conventions
[00:26.31]without being conscious that they are doing anything extraordinary.
[00:30.43]This invariably wins them the love and respect of others,
[00:34.53]for they add colour to the dull routine of everyday life.
[00:39.03]Up to the time of his death,
[00:40.99]Richard Colson was one of the most notable figures in our town.
[00:45.63]He was a shrewd and wealthy businessman,
[00:48.62]but most people in the town hardly knew anything about this side of his life.
[00:53.78]He was known to us all as Dickie
[00:56.84]and his eccentricity had become legendary long before he died.
[01:02.32]Dickie disliked snobs intensely.
[01:05.24]Though he owned a large car,
[01:07.46]he hardly ever used it, preferring always to go on foot.
[01:11.56]Even when it was raining heavily, he refused to carry an umbrella.
[01:16.12]One day, he walked into an expensive shop
[01:19.75]after having been caught in a particularly heavy shower.
[01:23.67]He wanted to buy a £300 watch for his wife,