IT ALL started back in 1999 when a group of middle class, middle aged Yorkshire women posed in the buff to raise funds to buy a sofa for their local hospital oncology unit. This concept came to these game gals when the Women’s Institute President asked if their branch could supply photos for the annual WI calendar, traditionally made up of country scenes, bored sheep, and post boxes.
The thought was to create an ‘alternative’ publication — featuring traditional WI crafts like jam making, floral arranging, baking, and knitting, but being performed (tastefully) in the nude.
And the rest, as they say, is history: clad solely in pearl necklaces, the 12 ladies went on to not only sell out the 3,000 print run in the first week, they ended up making half a million pounds from the 88,000 reprint sales, and so the oncology unit benefited from more than just a few soft furnishings. Hollywood soon heard of the story, and more money poured into the hospital charity, with the rights being sold to make the current movie Calendar Girls, starring the mature and very sexy ‘drop ’em anytime’ Helen Mirren, and closet nudist Julie Walters.
Since then, just about every professional club and organisation has followed in their birthday suits. Instead of perennial pics of cute kittens, soulful looking Labrador puppies, or scenes of snow-clad mountains, we are now reminded that it’s October by the blue tinged buttocks of Fred Gimstone and his mates from a Yorkshire butchery chain, (is this a weird Yorkshire thing I wonder?) who posed for their 2001 calendar wearing blood-stained Wellingtons, and nothing else except the odd lamb chop and string of sausages.
Flashing for cash then saw a staid Bristol based law firm throw their briefs out the window to reveal the whole truth and nothing but… a few strategically placed legal documents.
Twelve bakers from Doncaster followed, and got their kit off to pose with a motley selection of mixed bread products (cue puns about the raising powers of yeast), followed by members of the Milton Keynes crown green bowling club with their ‘Stoney Bowlers in the Raw 2002’ calendar.
Now for those who believe that going naked in middle age contributes little to the public good then think again, for all the above calendars sold out on the first print run, and hopefully so will Calendar Boys, Cyprus style. Yes folks, you can now take immense pride in the fact that by the end of the year we will have our very own ‘Full Monty’ monthly guide to 2004, courtesy of 12 residents of Paphos.
Paul Lowndes, 56, a retired banker, kicks off the new year strategically clutching his much-loved shiny tenor saxophone. Ron James, 56, a retired deputy school principle will cheer us during the grim month of February astride his throbbing Harley Davidson. March will celebrate the endless uses of a Sporran, courtesy of James Herd, 62, while in April we have Bryan Drake, aged 51 a retired marketing director and published author who poses holding his latest book title, lending a much needed aura of intellectual gravitas to the enterprise.
Barrie Hattam, a 60-year-old retired airline pilot and member of the Paphos Tigers rugby club, bravely flies the flag for the month of May, caressing his old rugby ball.
Don Bramhall, 53, retired fireman, is, alas, not wearing his long rubber boots (a grave marketing mistake here, I do believe), instead he is Mr June in his birthday suit, immersed in a swimming pool holding a long hose (nice one Big Don!). Stephen Ward, 53, a retired newsagent is a bit of DIY and avid gardener expert so naturally he is ‘doing it’ for July in his garden with a strategically placed tool. August and the heat is on for Carl Johan Rosenquist, 59, a Danish IT consultant: he dons rubber in the form of his diving gear, with only one large swim fin ensuring a due sense of propriety is maintained.
Firm young flesh pops up in September with the inclusion of Brett Clatworthy, aged 17, a brave move by the older chaps to include this fine formed youth in the line-up, he is seen wearing only an apron (he aspires to becoming a chef, and may his soufflés always rise perfectly).
Retired helicopter pilot Bill Pollard is 61, posing for November between a rock and a hard place, not playing with his rotary blades, but astride some large boulders, clad solely in Wellingtons and a hard hat.
The festive season rounds off this celebration with Santa in the genial form of retired engineer Rodney Mayor, age 59. With a ho ho ho, he exposes himself as… a very nice man who would no doubt delight any discerning lady lucky enough to find him filling her stocking come Christmas morning.
David Clatworthy, the owner of the Tala pine furniture shop and the sole sponsor of the calendar, has risked his fine veneers for the cover, showing his products are indeed high quality solid pine, after having 12 strong chaps mount them for the group photograph.
He agreed to sponsor the calendar “to get our name known around the island as importers of the finest quality solid pine furniture”.
SPECIAL OFFER OF CALENDER BOYS FOR CYPRUS MAIL READERS
Normally retailing at £5, we can offer readers copies at £3.40 including postage and packing anywhere in Cyprus.
Please send cheques, made out to Newcrest limited, and this coupon to:
1 Goumenou
Leodiou
Paphos
Telephone inquiries 99-967539
Publication date November 8, 2003.
And don’t forget your name, address/postal information
Tala Pine showroom is in Trimithousa, Agiou Neothytou Street 33
Tel 26-652484. www.talapine.com
All the money generated from the sale of this calendar will go towards the building of a hospice.
