Dream of Isle of Wight as St Tropez crumbles for former Manton ‘Outside Chance’ proprietor

When taking over ‘The George’ hotel in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight it was reported that proprietor Howard Spooner, formerly landlord of Manton’s ‘Outside Chance’ harboured an ‘ambition of turning the West Wight town into the UK’s very own St Tropez‘. However, just four years later the operating company for ‘The George’, Quay Street Ltd, appointed liquidators to deal with the reported debts of ‘almost £1 million’ – ‘including over £600,000 to HMRC’ (Island Echo).

Howard Spooner ran Manton’s ‘Outside Chance’ (now trading under its former name ‘The Oddfellows Arms’) and the ‘Who’d A Thought It’ in Lockeridge before closing both in 2019.

Even though the original operating company is now in liquidation The George is still open and trading. However It is operated by a different company ‘Solent View Hotels Ltd‘, incorporated in February of this year with a sole director – twenty six year old Felix Spooner.

Both West Kennet Valley pubs were closed well before the pandemic and subsequent lockdown. ‘The Who’d A Thought It’ was closed for many months after Howard Spooner decided not to continue, as was ‘The Outside Chance’ in Manton, where the doors shut at the end of August 2019. Since then ‘The Oddfellows’ has just had a recent change of landlord but ‘The Who’d A Thought It‘ is now running successfully, having endured the worst of the pandemic and has built up a strong reputation as an excellent example of a well run rural pub, with good food, beer and service.

When ‘The George’ was taken over by Howard Spooner he was welcomed with open arms by the Isle of Wight community. Even the Daily Telegraph, describing him as ‘Prince Harry’s friend’ reported his vow to ‘turn Yarmouth on Isle of Wight into St Tropez of the UK’. It was reported that he had signed ‘a 3-year lease’ on The George.

Four and a bit years on and The George is under different management, the original operator having called in the liquidators, owing nearly £1m to a mixture of local traders and businesses on the Isle of Wight and elsewhere, and HMRC.