Daft Old Duffer returns. Guest opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. Ed
I’ve been living on the Island now for close on fifty years. And before that I, of course, visited.
And in all that time I have been constantly astounded by the obvious fact that no-one in a position to do anything about it, apparently gave a damn whether holidaymakers came here or not.
“Isle of .. where is that?”
In fact no-one – including me before my first visit – seemed to know where the place was.
Everyone knew, and knows about the Channel Isles, mainly because posters advertising the place were, and are, on bold display in railway stations, on hoardings and in cinemas. And everyone knows where the Scilly Isles are mainly, it seems, because that is where Prime Minister Harold Wilson almost drowned himself.
But ask anyone throughout the Other Island about the Isle Of Wight and you are more likely than not to come up against a complete blank.
In the Irish Sea?
Except for those whose faces will light up as they assert they’ve, “always wanted to go there, It’s that place somewhere between England and Ireland where they hold the TT races and it has that funny three leg symbol thing, isn’t it?”
Visit The Isle Of Wight Ltd to the rescue
Maybe however the advent of ‘Visit The Isle Of Wight Ltd’ will begin to change all that.
Under the leadership of – and of vital importance, this – a boss from the mainland. Where commercial realities tend to hold sway.
Fly in the ointment
As far as I can see there remains just one fly in the ointment. A rather large one.
And that is that our brand new, keep smiling at all costs holiday venture will be at the mercy of the Isle Of Wight Council
A Council that was, and is, guilty of the utter stupidity of shutting our loo’s and information centres.
Oh well, nice try I suppose.
