By Isle of Wight Observer
by A & S Whitewood
After 28 years in post, Richard Smout has retired as manager of the IW Council’s Heritage Service.
Before he relocated to the Island, Richard held a similar post in Gloucester but realised he was unlikely to make career progress there. He researched other posts, including one in Wales, but his inability to speak the Welsh language would hamper his chances. In 1995 he took up a post here, mainly because he would be able to witness the Glanville Fritillary in flight.
After being hailed as an inspirational leader, Richard responded by saying every pillar needs good foundations and he was fortunate to have had good staff who shared his vision and supported him. He described one researched subject that stood out; in 1888 a whale was butchered in Seaview and put on display; the smell of its putrefying flesh killed the tourist season.
Now aged 65, he and his wife Anne, who was in the legal profession, have co-ordinated their retirement dates. He remains a lay-reader in the Newport and Carisbrooke with Gatcombe Parish.
At a gathering of colleagues at the Museum of Island History in Newport’s Guildhall, to mark his retirement, representatives spoke glowingly of his expertise and knowledge across a variety of fields.
As a nature lover, Richard now hopes to devote more time to his numerous interests including his garden, and hopes he will spot a Glanville Fritillary along the way.