A hugely experienced gig promoter is hitting all the right notes in Largs after revitalising one of the town"s oldest venues. The Victoria Hotel in Gallowgate Street was re-opened in March under the bold management of Tam Skinner, 59, and it has never attracted so much interest - from musicians and the public alike.

After falling into disrepair for over a year, the historic venue has recently enjoyed a huge renaissance through an exciting range of visiting acts, offering the kind of music capable of drawing big crowds from inside and outside the town.

With the emphasis firmly on offering quality musicians almost every night of the week, Tam has welcomed such hugely respected UK acts to Largs as Stranglers guitarist Baz Warne, Albert Lee and Hogan"s Heroes, Martin Stephenson, and Alabama 3 - with the likes of The Proclaimers and the Lonnie Donegan Band earmarked for future appearances.

Exclusive performances have taken place in the Victoria"s upstairs bar with word-of-mouse website interest adding to the success story, and even a MySpace page now online.

However, its not just the Victoria that is benefiting, with Inverclyde Sports Centre and Vikingar! also hosting the big names thanks to Tam"s entrepreneurial flair and long-held dedication to 'working hard and playing hard'.

Diehard music fan Tam has been promoting gigs throughout Northumberland and the West of Scotland for years, regularly welcoming American and European acts to his venues.

Starting in business at school age in Prestonpans, a small town east of Edinburgh, his diverse talents saw him carrying out door-to-door milk deliveries, before getting into fashion sales and then recycling.

However, it was while running a business in the latter trade after moving to the village of Belford, Northumberland, that he 'fell into' music promotion.

Friends told him that a local pub was lying empty and that he and wife Jill were just the right couple to take it over - despite having no experience whatsoever in the licensed trade.

On visits home, Tam would see bands playing live in Edinburgh and put agreements in place for them to play back at his pub.

Eventually, he found himself heading north again and took over the running of the Aldersyde Hotel and the Douglas Hotel in Arran, followed by the Dundonald Inn, South Ayrshire - all with a firm agenda of great live music for local people.

Now, he lives in Rothesay, but spends almost all of his time in Largs running the Victoria with Jill and sons Sean, 18, and Fraser, 20, working alongside them. 'At least, they call it working,' Tam laughed.

Asked the secret of his success, he said: 'With everybody that plays for us, there"s not an agent among them. We are on first name terms with everybody and are friends more than anything else.

'I believe the Victoria has massive potential and it"s been bursting at the seams lately. The majority are loving it and there are some great musicians here too. It"s really going well and will hopefully just get better.' Full story in Largs News of May 20