Prepare the bunting – we’ve heard a rumour that Joe Duckworth is planning on making Ventnor his home on the Island.

If you’re saying ‘who’s Joe Duckworth?’, you haven’t been paying attention have you (reading the blog that often.)

Joe is the Chief Executive of the Isle of Wight Council – “not a politician”, as he reminded us in the interview we had with him way back (reminded to ourselves, really must get back in contact to carry out our next one). In other words, the biggest cheese in the council structure.

Display Of Good Taste
Beyond his obvious display of good taste of apparently choosing Ventnor, we wonder just how Joe would come to such a wise decision.

He’s obviously not been listening to some of the elected members of the council like Councillor Adams, who was heard in the council chamber as saying that he’d never liked Ventnor.

Will Joe issue an edict that the council will shift it’s headquarters to the Winter Gardens, just so he can enjoy the delicious view towards Steep Hill Cove all day long, while guiding the Island?

Maybe he wants to be close to the Undercliff, to keep a close eye on HPR, especially after the suspensions of council officers that occurred following his arrival.

Given his generous salary and package, he should just about be able to afford a place here.

The biggest laugh for us would be if he were to take on of the flats in the Metropole – goodness knows he’d have a wide enough choice.

If any of this is true, we wonder if Joe and his family were doing a little bit of house hunting when he was spotted eating at the excellent Ventnor Bay Cafe on the Esplanade on the Saturday of the IW music Festival.

We’re not sure if this is drive property values up or down, but it certainly would put Ventnor on the map – perhaps finally shifting the blinkered attitude of a lot of the Island, who can’t see past the historic ignorance of the joys of Ventnor – finally acknowledging that it is the best place on the Island.

As with all of these things, take this with a pinch of salt, it could turn out to be bunkum. If we hear more, you’ll be the first to know.

[Thanks to Dave of VentnorGraphic for permission to use and manipulate his Metropole shot]

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