The wackiest man in Britain

10:16am Tuesday 30th October 2001

INVENTOR Lyndon Yorke, who regularly sails a 1920s electric bathchair on the Thames, has just been named Britain's most eccentric man.

But Mr Yorke, of Andrews Way, Marlow Bottom, says he is quite normal really.

He said: "I think I'm normal. It's everyone else that thinks I'm eccentric. It's my mechanical creations which are eccentric rather than me."

He won first place at the inaugural Best of British Eccentrics awards but said he was surprised. He beat nine other finalists to win the title on Thursday.

His inventions include his PP Tritanic, a two-seater pedal-powered floating tricycle, "fully equipped for waterborne safaris and expeditions" and is especially proud of his 1922 Citroen B2 with a wickerwork body.

But if it's luxury you are looking for Mr Yorke can offer the more graceful Tritania, an electric bathchair complete with wind-up gramophone, champagne cooler and picnic basket.

Mr Yorke, who designs and builds his machines at his home, has captivated crowds at Henley Royal Regatta for eight years. He lives near Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave, the other big regatta attraction.

He overcame opposition that included a caped crusader called Captain Beany, who has an orange head and eats nothing but baked beans, to win the most eccentric title.

Mr Yorke was nominated by eccentric expert and author Ben Le Vay who met him while researching the second edition of his book Eccentric Britain.

He once drove a 1928 Model A Ford through Afghanistan back to the UK, and said he was honoured to have won. "This was the first year of the awards but I think this will be the start of something really large," he said.

The awards were presented by comic Sir Norman Wisdom. Other finalists included a 61-year-old knitting-nut who kept an 11-mile piece of French knitting on his front lawn and a man who has more than 100 pillar and letter boxes in his attic. First prize was an Oscar-style trophy and a holiday for two.

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