I recently read that more than half of Britons claim to belong to a subculture. This sounded fascinating and I was imagining all sorts of seemingly conventional people who quietly indulge in obscure hobbies like mountaintop poetry reading, traffic-cone collecting or extreme ironing. I should have stopped reading there, but instead I continued and learned that the most popular subculture is gaming. Gaming?! Is that really a subculture? As far as I can see it’s just a very popular pastime. It’s no more interesting (to me) than watching television or reading a book. When I glanced down the list and discovered that number 10 was ‘Role-Playing Gaming’, I did start to wonder. What has happened to our reputation as a nation of eccentrics?
I worry that we’ve passed the baton across the Atlantic, where Americans have taken eccentricity to strange and alarming new levels. In vain we roll our Double Gloucesters down hillsides and snorkel in bogs, but we’re fighting a losing battle. We cannot compete with the Doomsday Preppers anticipating global calamity, religious communities like the Amish living in long-vanished times, or the cryogenics institutes that freeze the newly deceased for possible re-animation in the future. All of this makes British eccentricity look a little tame. I don’t think we’re trying hard enough, which makes me think that maybe I should be making more of an effort. If 56% of British people claim to identify with a subculture, then why not me?
Glancing at the list again, I see that number 2 is ‘Non-mainstream Religions/ Beliefs’, with ‘Hippies’ at number 3. This has definite possibilities and made me think of Druids, who seem to be peaceable people who aim to live in harmony with nature. They don’t build bunkers in anticipation of nuclear disaster or choose to be frozen for use at a later date. Instead, they enjoy private access to Stonehenge and wear truly impressive robes. However, I can’t quite figure out what they believe in. There are Pagan Druids, Christian Druids, Buddhist Druids and those who believe in many Gods. I perked up a bit when I found out that some Druids cast spells, but was disappointed to learn that if Druids choose not to cast spells, no-one thinks any the less of them. I suspect that I would.
There’s not much left on the list for me to choose from. I can’t see myself taking up biking (too noisy), becoming a Goth (too much black) or embarking on a restrictive diet (I’m far too greedy). I’m just going to have to come up with my own forms of eccentricity, but when I think about those joyful (but damp) wassailing celebrations in the Wargrave orchard, that evening when a friend and I took a towel rail out for dinner in Amsterdam, and my plans to attend Pirate Day in Hastings next year, I don’t think it’s going to be an enormous challenge.
Or perhaps your subculture is being in the 44% who don’t have a subculture.
It seems a bit dull to be part of mainstream culture. Although I suppose you’d be in the minority.
How do you fancy Morris Dancing? Did it appear on the list? We have friends who were part of a group in Devon and they thoroughly enjoyed it and when we watched them we did try to enjoy it … really we did …
I didn’t think of Morris Dancing and it wasn’t on the list. I always think that if we saw Morris Dancing in another country that we’d think it was a charming local tradition.
I reckon we qualify for being in a sub culture. Our friends, retired teachers, certainly do!
For years , they have celebrated the summer & winter solstice. Obviously, no summer one this year but in previous years, a gathering of friends celebrate in their field, where they keep sheep & chickens & grow olde English fruit trees. Jim, our friend, is an ardent Hardy fan, writes a play based on a Hardy story & is performed by willing participants. Lines are hardly learnt but are read from sheets, during performance, along with a lot of ad-libbing & much foolhardiness. Always a very enjoyable evening.
For the winter solstice, friends (+ add ons…..friends of friends…..so probably about 50 of us) trek down to their field, become part of ceremony where a person wears a crown made of ferns & the horns of a past ram, lights the fire on which the Wickerman sits. We than dip toast into homemade cider, made from the apples in the field (another annual event where, in September, we all go to pick the apples, they are ‘smashed’ then put the homemade press & we drink homemade apple juice. Later on, we receive bottles of cider!)
We then ceremoniously place the toast on the branches of fruit trees, thus encouraging fertility for a good harvest. All this done in the evening, under the light of the large bonfire. Carols & poetry reading are then read & sung.
Many years ago, Jim used to let off a shot gun to ward off the evil spirits. He no longer does this, since some people were not comfortable with it.
So, I think we can rate ourselves as being conventional people in a sub culture & our friends certainly qualify! It’s good to feel a ‘bit different!’
Ps Jasper looks a strong character!
We obviously need to move to Dorset!