While at medical school at St Thomas’, General Practice was always an intended destination and, after the usual round of house jobs, a further year in London taking the DPH course was also an excellent preparation.

I was very fortunate to meet Mary, a Nightingale Nurse before going to work in a Cottage Hospital in a northern Newfoundland outport for two years.

Six months in an Edinburgh practice followed, readjusting to the NHS, and then thirty extremely happy years in Romsey’s Alma Rd Practice with wonderfully supportive partners.

Following retirement in 2001, a few weeks of locum work over five years in the Orkneys was an excellent way to wind down.

The sad and sudden death of Dr John White lead to a fairly full time involvement with the Romsey Hospital Appeal over several years and a long term interest in the restoration of small unloved older buildings through our local Buildings Preservation Trust has continued: in spare moments the golf course and tennis court have successfully beckoned (very enjoyably but with no noticeable improvement!) together with regular visits to the splendid Fives courts in Winchester College.

Ten years at the back of the ‘cello section of the Winchester Symphony orchestra was a huge privilege and an experience not to have been missed.

We are fortunate to have a daughter and two sons with a total of nine grandchildren, six living in Romsey.

What do I find to do in my spare time? I have no idea as I have never had any! 

Dr Alister Hutchin was a general practitioner in Southampton from 1977 until 2010.

He qualified at UCH, London, in 1965. Initially keen to pursue a career in Obstetrics he held O&G posts in Luton and then spent a year at UCH during which time he married and realised that obstetrics and marriage are not easy bedfellows.

In consequence in a sideways move to general practice he joined his Father’s practice in Hatfield, north of London, before moving to Germany for 3 years.

There he was a GP to the civilians and families accompanying the army. This was at a time of maximum security. The forests nearby were also consumed in a forest fire one summer.

After returning to the UK he came to Southampton and joined the Victor Street Practice.

He became secretary to the Southampton Medical Society in 1979.

I qualified from UCH in 1977, having obtained a BSc in Physiology in 1974.

I decided I wanted a career in general practice and did the Whipps Cross rotation and subsequently worked in east London as a GP for 3 years.

We moved as a family to Hampshire and I joined Alma Road Romsey as a partner. There I stayed for over 30 years. I was also a trainer and an appraiser.

I retired in October 2014 and now work part-time, doing locums, teaching at the University, still appraising and doing some work for CQC.

Now my four children have grown up I enjoy travelling with my husband Neil, and have bought a small apartment in the south of France. I have done some medical work abroad both In the slums of Nairobi and also on a medical boat on the Amazon in Peru.

Phd, FRCPI, FRCP

Read medicine as mature student at University of Leicester.

Post graduate training in General Medicine and subsequently GU/HIV Medicine in Leicester, Southampton and London. Lecturer in GU Medicine University of Cambridge.

Appointed to NHS post as consultant in Southampton 1993. Major interest was HIV management and HPV infection in immunocompromized patients. Co-ordinated student electives for some years and it was through this became involved with Southampton Medical Society.

Retired from full time clinical practice in 2014 but still teaching medical students and doing occasional locums.

Now busy, trying to improve speaking Italian.

Martin Radford is a retired Consultant Paediatrician from Southampton General Hospital. He qualified at UCH London and trained as a Paediatrician in Perth, Hobart and the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Australia, then Brompton and Hammersmith Hospitals in London.

In addition to general paediatrics he developed an interest in paediatric oncology and was a cofounder of the Piam Brown Children’s Cancer Unit which provides a regional service for a large part of Southern England and the Channel Isles.

In 1987 he spent a sabbatical year setting up a Children’s Cancer Unit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Since retiring he has spent some time working at a Catholic Mission Hospital in Uganda and has raised funds to improve facilities there.

He is an active member of the Romsey Test Rotary club which, like all Rotary Clubs, is heavily involved in the Polio Eradication Mission and other local, national and International charities.

Two of his five children are doctors, both in General Practice.

His wife, Diane, who died in 2004 was a Midwife at UCH.

His partner, Jean is a regular attender at SMS meetings.

Having trained in Cambridge and St Thomas' in London, I worked in Southampton as a House Physician for Kenneth Robinson in 1966.  I was appointed Consultant Ophthalmologist in 1976, working first at the Eye Hospital in Bedford Place and more recently at the General when the Eye Unit moved there.

From my training days at Moorfields, and a fellowship in Miami, my interests have been  in Medical Retina and Age Related Macular Degeneration.

I developed a medical retinal service in Southampton along with General Ophthalmology being involved in research in Southampton and at Moorfields.  I retired in 2005 continuing for a few years with some Private and GMC Fitness to Practice work.  

Life has always been busy with family, living in Farley Chamberlayne with house and garden, travelling and walking.  For many years I have organised long distance walks to sponsor our local church and others.

No one can say that retirement isn't busy.

MBE FRCGP MHM

Following retirement in 2007, after 33 years as a GP in Totton, John spent 3 years as Named Doctor for Safeguarding Children with Hampshire PCT finally hanging up his stethoscope in 2011 when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease.

During his career he was a GP trainer and a previous Chairman of the West Hampshire LMC, a performance assessor for the GMC and a GP appraiser.

He is a past Chairman and Provost of the Wessex RCGP Faculty, and was a member of RCGP Council for many years.

Married to Merrilyn for 50 years, and with three grown-up children, one of whom is a consultant psychiatrist, he enjoys singing, gardening and bell ringing and is a keen member of his local U3A.

He holds a Masters Degree in Health Service Management and was awarded the MBE for services to health care in 2007.

A Southampton graduate Alex is a GP in Southampton.

As well as still working as a GP partner she is also a member of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Medical Committee, and is involved in the BMA, having previously served on its Council and chaired two of the national committees.

Currently she is an officer of the South Central Regional Council.

Between 1999 and 2008 she was elected by the profession to serve on the General Medical Council, and has a particular interest in medical education and equality and diversity.

A BMA medalist, Alex also holds a Masters degree in health policy and management from Columbia University in New York.