PROFESSOR Guy Higgins has knocked his Punch and Judy shows on the head after 30 years of entertaining children on Weymouth beach.

Following a bout of ill health last year doctors told the 71-year-old 'that's not the way to do it' and suggested retirement.

But despite the order, Professor Higgins will be making one last official appearance at the resort next week to receive personal thanks from Weymouth and Portland mayor Lynne Herbert.

Professor Higgins said: "Weymouth is a lovely, lovely place to work. It has a mild climate and that is important. And the overall ambience of the holiday town is wonderful, everyone's so friendly."

He said he had fond memories of Weymouth as it was the seaside resort, which, with a little help from the Dorset Echo, launched him into the big time.

During the early 1980s he made a puppet of JR Ewing - the doomed villain of hit US TV show Dallas - and had him play the Devil's part. The Dorset Echo penned a story about the new 'member of his cast' and earned the puppeteer nationwide attention.

Professor Higgins said: "That went everywhere, in all the national newspapers and even in American papers. I was invited on Wogan, The Generation Game, Pebble Mill At One and other shows.

"But I always tried to mention Weymouth as much as possible. I remember the night JR was shot. On the television news the presenter said something like 'and if you are missing JR you can still catch him at Weymouth'. That must have been worth hundreds of thousands to the town."

He added that although he will not be performing at Weymouth he will be travelling from his Worcestershire home to catch the occasional show by protg professor Mark Poulton.

Professor Poulton, 33, of Paignton, said: "It's a shame that he's retiring but I'm extremely honoured he's asked me to take over.

"I saw him in Weymouth when I was about three or four and that's when I decided I wanted to be a Punch and Judy man. I went home and pulled all the stuffing out of my teddy bears and made puppets with them.

"He's helped me over the years and he's going to be a hard act to follow."

Mayor Herbert will host a presentation to Professor Higgins at 2pm at Weymouth Beach on Tuesday.