Film stars strip for WI calendar

Helen Mirren gets to grips with being Ms January

Actresses including Helen Mirren and Julie Walters posed for the 2004 calendar with six women from the Rylstone WI in North Yorkshire.

The actresses play the parts of the women in the new film Calendar Girls, which tells the story of how posing naked for the calendar in 1999 led to them becoming international stars.

The idea for the charity calendar came about when the husband of one of the women, Angela Baker, 57, died from leukaemia.

They expected to sell a few hundred copies but instead sold more than 300,000 and raised �578,000 for leukaemia research.

And the six women, who all appeared in the original calendar, have high hopes for their new edition.

Five of the girls decided to retire and hang up their pearls so we decided to let these other girls have a chance. Tricia Stewart, Ms August In pics: The new calendar girls

The calendar features the women in various poses, including sewing, cooking and gardening.

Mirren - Ms January - is pictured squashing apples in a cider press, while Walters, as Ms February, is seen playing piano.

Mrs Stewart, who appears as Ms August, said she was grateful to the actresses for stepping in after five of the original 11 women dropped out.

The women have not ruled out a third calendar

"We thought they might need it to boost their careers."

Ms March - Lynda Logan, 60, whose husband Terry took the photos - said: "I think if we're lucky enough to live into our 90s, we might think about doing another one then."

Calendar Girls, which also stars Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton and Annette Crosbie, is released in London on 5 September and nationwide on 12 September.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version