A FORMER prison governor has taken over an old-established Gwent pub and seasoned drinkers with a sense of humour have been talking of a drinker's dream - a long after-time lock-in!

It's all a big joke, of course, and David Yeomans and his wife Denise have taken the humour in their stride.

They took over the Rogiett Hotel in early December. Denise had helped out at a friend's pub many years before and had always yearned for her own.

So, when David retired after thirty years in the prison service - he rose through the ranks from officer to governor - he asked Denise: "What do you want to do?" Out of the blue she replied: "I want my own pub."

That was it. The Yeomans', with their 15-year-old twin sons, took a hard, steady look around and settled on the Rogiett Hotel.

The early weeks have been hard work and, indeed, there is more to come but already the hotel is getting back to its old self as the heart of the community it serves.

Trade has shot up by upwards of thirty per cent as the eight bedrooms are constantly let. That may not worry some publicans but David can't get into the rooms to replace the furniture and make them all en-suite as yet.

"And that has to be done soon. I have already had the kitchen refurbished and at the moment we are repairing and replacing the pub's 32 windows." The Yeomans had put more of a family emphasis on the hotel particularly on the restaurant side. Midday lunches are looking up and as for Sunday lunches David says: "please book."

Both Denise and David have been overwhelmed by the magnificent support they have had from local people.

"We want the Rogiett Hotel to again become the village pub. That is our aim," said David. His twin sons are already in the thick of community action. They and 18 other teenagers have, with the help of the Rogiet Sports Council, reformed the village football team - the Rogiet Rovers.

They brought back to life the old village team that was swept away when the former Severn Tunnel FC took over.

As one villager commented: "The Tunnel side was good but the old Rovers side, now there was a team!"

One can't really end this piece without a further reference to David's former job as a prison governor.

When he calls time the regulars just can't resist the quip: "You're used to locking them in, why can't you lock us in?" Laughs all round, of course, but it's hard to break thirty years of tough discipline.