GP and comedian Dr Phil Hammond will be reliving his childhood in Marlborough when he brings his one-man show to Wiltshire next month.

The 48-year-old Bristol doctor, who combines his practice with investigative journalism for Private Eye, a stand-up act and appearances on panel shows such as Have I Got News For You, is appearing at Swindon Arts Centre on November 18. He is also starring at a charity gig in aid of the St Nicholas Hyrotherapy Pool appeal at the Neeld Hall in Chippenham on February 14.

“I’m looking forward to being back in the area,” said Dr Hammond, whose mum Pat Bunce and stepdad Stan live in Sherston.

He was born at Marston but moved to Australia where his father Barry, who had taught at Marlborough College, got a new job.

His father died when he was seven and he and his mother moved back to Cardigan Road in Marlborough. “It was a great town to grow up in, I went to all the schools there,” he said. “I was at the old grammar school when it became St John’s and then I went to Marlborough College for the sixth form. They kept me a place because my dad taught there.”

His dad’s legacy opened another door for him in the town. “He had taught Nick Maurice chemistry. Nick then allowed me to sit in on his consultation. His holistic approach made a real impression on me and he inspired me to become a GP,” he said.

Another memory of the town, which will make it into his act, is having a paper round. “I can still recall which houses I used to deliver the Fiesta to,” he said.

He will also be mentioning the closure of the Minor Injuries Unit at Savernake Hospital.

“I followed the story about how Val Compton led the fight against it. What she did was remarkable,” he said. “The closure is one of the things about the NHS that annoys me. They spend millions building something, then they close it on a whim.”

The acerbic anti-establishment views that pepper his act were hardened at Marlborough College. “There was a feeling of town versus gown there,” he said. “Mind you, I had become a prefect by the time I left there.”

His mum, who went on to be headteacher at the former Westmead Infants School in Chippenham, still lives in Sherston. “I get back to see her often,” said Dr Hammond, “I love coming to Wiltshire.”