THEATRICAL lawyer Tony Hubbard, a former mayor of Woodbridge, has retired from law, after decades of service to the stars.Mr Hubbard, 67, practised for 44 years.

THEATRICAL lawyer Tony Hubbard, a former mayor of Woodbridge, has retired from law, after decades of service to the stars.

Mr Hubbard, 67, practised for 44 years. A former pupil of Ipswich School, he can recall cycling from Ipswich to Woodbridge as a boy and spending lazy summer days by the river Deben.

His love of Woodbridge grew from an early age and today he lives in the market square in Woodbridge, where he can now spend more time fighting for the environment and for a blueprint for the river's future.

He was articled to Cecil Lightfoot, clerk of Suffolk County Council, and then worked in London, where he was solicitor to the National Film Finance Corporation.

He moved to Bartlett and Gluckstein, a West End practice, and became a partner.

Mr Hubbard's famous clients included Julie Andrews, comedians Jimmy Tarbuck and Max Wall, and The Ted Heath Band.

His practice broke up and Mr Hubbard and his wife, Susan, decided to move to Woodbridge to avoid the ''rat race.''

They bought one of Woodbridge's most prestigious houses, The Town House overlooking the Market Square, and he worked in nearby Church Street.

Mr Hubbard was a resident partner with Prettys before setting up his own practice when Prettys wanted to pull out of Woodbridge. Hubbard and Co merged with Margary and Miller 18 months ago.

The premises now occupied by Margary, Miller and Hubbard have been used by solicitors for nearly 200 years.

Mr Hubbard, married for 35 years, was a town councillor for ten years.

He is chairman of Woodbridge Society, Woodbridge in Bloom, Cedar House Trust and the east Suffolk branch of the NSPCC.

His house backs on to St Mary's church, where he is a churchwarden. Across the square, his son-in-law Russell Stowe restores violins.