Jasper Carrott returns to the stage at the NEC Arena on Sunday - and this time it's for one night only. Back in January he single-handedly sold out the NIA for 14 successive nights. It's a remarkable feat which will probably never be equalled because it's hard to imagine anyone ever being daft enough to try. But this weekend will be different. Jasper is hosting his fourth all-star, surprise-guest charity night in 15 years, which he has again taken upon himself to organise. The show sold out even though only Jasper knows who will be on the bill. Surprises can still be so much collective fun that £25 tickets were up for grabs on e-Bay last month for £60 each. It remains one of my favourite Midlands' show-business memories that the first time Jasper tried this at the Birmingham Hippodrome 15 years ago, the punter sitting behind me groaned loudly when Bob Monkhouse walked out to close the first half. Yet he was laughing his head off by the end of Bob's act, since the star - who sadly died a year ago this month - stole the show which included Rowan Atkinson and Lenny Henry on the bill. "Just come along and enjoy this year's show," says Jasper. "But I just can't tell you who will be on. No way, that's not how I get people here to do it! It's to the credit of the people of this city that they all turn up in support - no other city does anything like this." Next March, Jasper will turn 60 - and he intends to use the milestone for his own benefit. "I'm going to be taking it easy next year for all sorts of reasons," says the Moseley Grammar School old boy. "One thing we plan to do is to 'Skiing' - that's Spending the Kids' Inheritance. There will be a fair bit of that. "I also want to see my grandchildren growing up. I'll also do the odd show, but probably nothing public. "If I'm being honest, I don't know what to write about. "I'm loathe to talk about the grandfather side of it. Have people done it before? "If I could come up with some stuff I would be interested in talking about, then, yes, I would go back on the road, but I've got no incentive to do that for the time being." Jasper also plans to sit back and collect his thoughts for his autobiography. "I think it will take two years to do it and the plan is to get it on sale for Christmas 2006. "It won't be kiss and tell because I haven't kissed anybody worth talking about. There will be nothing sensational - what I have got to rely on is the comedy. One of my favourite autobiographies is The Moon's A Balloon by David Niven, who simply talked about the people he had come into contact with. "That's my benchmark so it won't be easy to write, but at least I will have the time so it will be all my own work, guv --apart from getting somebody to do the punctuation! "As a former journalist, my wife, Hazel, always knows what I am trying to say." In May, Jasper is looking forward to starring in Go Play Up Your Own End with Malcolm Stent, Don Maclean and Lizzie Wiggins. "After that," he says, "well, given a fair wind, maybe I've got another 20 years left. That's not a long time. "It will be a balance between enjoying my work and my grandchildren - and spending the money I've earned!" * All profits from Jasper's Christmas Cracker will go to charity. Tickets cost £25 plus £2 booking fee plus £1.50 transaction fee. For availability call the NEC on 0870 909 4133. | 
