AFTER 31-years as a GP serving the community Dr Tim Billington is retiring - and he's invited 250 of his patients to a strawberry tea this afternoon to mark the occasion.

For 31 years he has cared for the patients he now regards as friends and witnessed social change on a major scale.

And this afternoon, he will celebrate his retirement with patients ranging in age from the youngest at three weeks old to the eldest at 92.

When he first went to Lordshill, Southampton, in the early 70s the estate was still being constructed and the health centre wasn't built until 1980.

"We started off in two council houses with a temporary building.

"There have been huge changes since I started - the majority of people didn't have cars or telephones.

"You no longer see anybody having operations for stomach ulcers because the treatment has changed and hysterectomies are rarities now because there are other ways to treat women.

"I have treated the parents, their siblings and now the grandchildren in the time I have been here," he said.

Dr Billington, 64, has always had close links with the medical school in Southampton and many trainee doctors have had placements at Lordshill.

"I have done a lot of teaching over the years and that has been just wonderful.

"The trainee doctors really enjoyed being here and the patients just loved it too," he said.

Over the years he built up a strong rapport with his patients and was able to empathise when visiting recently bereaved families. I would turn up with my bag but that's the one time when you know you've got nothing inside it that will help. On those occasions only a hug will do," he said.

Dr Billington was born in Uganda and still has strong feelings for the country of his birth.

He is involved with a charity called Send a Cow that gives livestock to families so children can have milk and any calves go to help families.

Any donations collected today will go to Send a Cow