THE 400-year-old famed Three Salmons Hotel, at Usk, has changed hands. And the couple who have bought a 15-year-lease from Town and Country Hotels are partners Clive Hughes and Tracey Lewis (pictured).

The deal has made Clive the envy of some locals. For he has now acquired the pub which he rated as his "local" many years ago.

For six years the couple have been successfully running the Castle Inn, a stone's throw from the Three Salmons.

"It's a new challenge. You don't stop still and when we were asked about the lease, we immediately said 'yes'," said Clive.

The couple have big plans for the 24-bedroom hotel with its four-posters and bridal suite. For a start the award-winning restaurant has been made a no-smoking area and for licensed weddings and civil ceremonies they will be providing a huge drinks marquee-cum-reception area.

Aside from that the couple are providing their own wedding car hire.

So successful has been the changeover that both Tracey and Clive are publicly thanking the townspeople for the "tremendous support we have received. Their encouragement has been tremendous and we do sincerely thank them for it," said Tracey.

In keeping with Clive's background - the former entertainer spent "years on the road" working as a DJ - the couple's takeover of the hotel was celebrated with an opening party with an upstairs-downstairs theme - a jazz band upstairs and a blues band downstairs.

If the Castle Inn was anything to go by hotel guests should prepare for a musical treat, a classic "jam session" as friends of Clive look him up and try to tempt him back "on the road".

Both Tracey and Clive don't believe in standing still. With a successful Christmas and New Year over they are already planning Christmas 2002.

But in between times will come cabaret evenings, murder mystery evenings, wedding and antique fairs as well as a couple of summer balls. The first wedding fair is next month on February 17.