The “Calendar Girls” of the Women’s Institute of Rylstone, North Yorkshire in England became a worldwide phenomenon after some of their older members posed for a tasteful “nude” calendar in 1999 to help raise money for leukemia research. The women were shown in domestic settings, their naughty bits covered by props like flowers, food, and yarn. The calendar became a huge sensation and a best seller, bringing media attention to their small community and cause. Their inspiring tale was made into a play and a Hollywood film in 2004 starring Helen Mirren. Now 6 of the original 11 members have put out another semi-nude calendar for 2010. They range in age from 57 to 75 and hope to raise another £2 million for leukemia research, having already raised around £2 million.

Wearing little more than a smile and a trademark set of pearls, six members of the Yorkshire-based Women’s Institute have been reunited for a new 2010 calendar.

The youngest of them, Chris Clancy, is now 57; the oldest, Beryl Bamforth, is 75. They are pictured in typical WI scenes, their modesty protected only by a baby-grand piano, a tea pot and sprouting broccolli on a vegetable patch.

The women launched the full colour calendar for Leukaemia Research at Harvey Nicholls in Leeds yesterday.
Angela Baker, 63, whose husband’s death from lymphoma led to the idea for the first calendar, was surprised that people were celebrating their reunion.

“Thank you for coming,” she said. “We were a little worried whether anyone would turn up 10 years on but it has been brilliant to see you are.”

With a combined age of 379, the women are perhaps old enough to know better by now. But Mrs Baker suggested not and said she could not rule out another calendar in the future.

She said: “I think if we’re all still there, and we didn’t look too awful … [but] we would definitely have to have bigger props.”

When they made the original calendar in 1999, the women’s ambition was to generate enough money to buy a sofa for a hospital waiting room.

But over the next decade, they found themselves travelling the world, being portrayed in a West End play and by Dame Helen Mirren in a film, and have now raised around £2 million for Leukaemia Research.

Meanwhile, almost every WI, fire brigade and sports team in the country have followed their lead.
The 2010 calendar is the first to be shot in colour rather than sepia.

Mrs Baker, 63, who can be seen playing the piano in February, said: “I was a bit apprehensive about colour, because older women can look a bit funny in colour, and we wanted it to be just as good as the first one.
“Then, when I did see it in colour, I thought ‘Well, maybe, why not?”‘

[From Telegraph.co.uk]

The Calendar Girls 2011 calendar is available through the website for the Leukemia Research Foundation for £9.99. I remember this cute movie and love that the inspirations for the film are doing it again this year. Good luck to them all and let’s hope they raise another couple million for a great cause.

Some of these photos are semi-NSFW so view with caution if you’re in a public place!