IT was a visit to an Ideal Homes Exhibition which led former district nurse Bob Belding to move to Stourport 31 years ago.

He had been offered a job as a district health education officer in the West Midlands but his wife Maude would only make the move from Bedfordshire if Bob found the home he had seen at the Birmingham exhibition.

After scouring round and being told they were all taken, persistence finally paid off and the couple found their ideal home in Lower Lickhill Road.

During his time in health education, he started a shirt sponsorship of West Bromwich Albion Football Club in an anti-smoking campaign and began what is thought to be the first anti-glue sniffing clinic in the country.

He then met health secretary and minister Norman Fowler and Ken Clarke through the football/anti-smoking campaign and Tony and Cherie Blair through his work for the Carers' National Association. Next month he will meet the Queen when he collects his MBE.

His interest in caring for carers dates back to when he was young and looked after his mother who had rheumatoid arthritis. After serving as a nursing orderly in Aden following the Second World War he became one of the first male district nurses in the country.

He worked in Bedfordshire and around London until he was persuaded by a local headteacher to give a talk to schoolchildren. It became a weekly event and Mr Belding enjoyed it so much he decided he would like to go into health education.

He worked in Warley - which later became Sandwell - until 1987 when he retired. But he cheerfully admits he is busier now than he has ever been.

Among his many "hats", he is founder trustee of the Carers' National Association and branch chairman and associate director of the Black Country Mental Health NHS Trust.

When the police decided not to have an officer running Neighbourhood Watch he stepped into the breach to become chief co-ordinator for Stourport and he is now chairman of Wyre Forest Crime Prevention Panel.

Widowed in 1982, the sprightly 72-year-old, who is a twin and has two children and four grandchildren, became a governor at Stourport First School and Lickhill Middle School. He is now chairman of Wyre Forest governors' association and vice-chairman of the countywide association.

He was clearly shocked and delighted when he learnt of his up-coming New Year's Honour, but insists there are many people who do much more and go unrecognised.