Gardener Stephen Relton did not have to dig far into his address book when he needed help to organise a fundraising event for a hospital baby care unit.

He simply turned to Sir John Mortimer, one of his famous clients.

There was of course good advice in spades. But more than that, the playwright and author planted the seeds of an idea that will come to fruition with a not-to-be-missed show at Abingdon's Amey Theatre next Friday.

Sir John, who today celebrates his 83rd birthday, agreed to host one of his celebrated evenings of stories, recollections and readings from plays and novels.

Mortimer's Miscellany is usually performed with a couple of showbusiness friends. But the date at the theatre at Abingdon School will also feature a guest appearance from the former Deep Purple keyboard player Jon Lord.

Sir John's other guests will include the actresses Joanna David, who has appeared in Inspector Morse and TV productions of Bleak House and Pride and Prejudice and Rohan McCullough, who is something of a Mortimer's Miscellany regular.

Stephen is delighted how his idea to raise money for SSNAP (Support for the Sick Newborn and their Parents) has grown into a feast of poetry and prose.

He and his wife Sara, of Little Milton, both saw at first hand the work of the special care baby unit at Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital when their son Nathan was born last September.

Stephen, 40, said: "My wife Sara suffered very suddenly from pre-eclampsia and gave birth to our son two months early. Nathan was born weighing only 2lb 10oz.

"He spent the next two months in the special care baby unit in the JR and initially he needed help with his breathing and was too small to feed. He also suffered from a stomach infection, jaundice, anaemia and a low blood cell count.

"Happily, he now looks and behaves like any other baby of his age. We cannot thank the JR staff enough, because without them, we wouldn't have our son today."

To begin with, Stephen, a former assistant manager at Waterperry Gardens, near Wheatley, thought of hosting a fundraising question and answer session. Then it was suggested that he recruit a celebrity to act as question master to pull in more people.

Stephen said: "When I mentioned it to John, he thought for a moment, and said, 'Why don't I put on one of my gigs?'"

Stephen hopes next week's show will raise £10,000 for the unit. It is now estimated that one in 10 babies born at the JR needs the support of the special care unit.

Sir John , who lives in Turville Heath, near Watlington, said several of his friends, like Stephen, had also benefited from the unit's work.

He said: "Stephen is a brilliant gardener, I would say a genius. I knew it had been a terrible worry for him. But his baby is now fine because he was so well looked after."

At the fundraising Abingdon concert there will also be music from flautist Clive Conway and cellist Samantha Rowe.

Tickets cost £21. They are available from the Amey Hall box office (01235 849063, open mornings only) and Oxford Playhouse (01865 305305).