Take one dad at large, a radio show host, and two skirts . . .

An Evening With Dad At Large is a sell-out tonight at the Hall Garth Golf and Country Club Hotel, at Coatham Mundeville, near Darlington.

About 150 guests will gather for a three-course meal and an after-dinner talk by Peter Barron, editor of The Northern Echo and Dad At Large columnist.

The occasion is the official launch of the second Dad At Large book - To Vasectomy And Beyond.

For every book sold, £1 goes to the Butterwick Children's Hospice at Stockton, which will also benefit from the sale of tickets for tonight's event.

Paul "Goffy" Gough, from Century FM, is compere for the night and will be raising extra money for the hospice with a fun raffle and auction.

Goffy has donated two special prizes for the auction - skirts worn by soap stars Barbara Windsor and Helen Worth. Barbara plays Peggy Butcher in EastEnders, and Helen plays Gail Platt in Coronation Street.

Other prizes include mini-holidays, rounds of golf, cases of wine, a Boro shirt signed by Carlos Marinelli, signed footballs, meals, and hair-dos.

However, the star prize in the auction is a non-scalpel vasectomy donated by Dr Andrew Dawson, of the Hartlepool Vasectomy Clinic.

Mr Barron said: "I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone on the night. It should be a lot of fun and it's for a great cause."

* Peter Barron will be signing copies of the book at Ottakars in the Cornmill Centre, Darlington, between 1.30pm and 2.30pm on Saturday.

l We would like to thank the following for donating prizes for the Dad At Large evening: Shearings Holidays; Sherwoods, Darlington; Walworth Castle; Catterick Golf Club; Croft Circuit; Claire Metcalfe; Mardi Gras, Darlington; Toni and Guy hairdressers, High Row, Darlington; JB Sports; Jigsaw hairdressers, Gladstone Street, Darlington; Hall Garth Golf and Country Club; Darlington FC; Century FM; Middlesbrough FC; Mayfair Group Travel, of Seaham; Dr Andrew Dawson, of the Hartlepool Vasectomy Clinic.