Calendar Girl offers inspiration for local WI members

Audrey Binyon and Dorothy Wheeler, past and current president of Stoke D’Abernon WI, joined several hundred ladies at the Queen’s Stand, Epsom Racecourse to be inspired and amused by the creator of the Alternative WI Calendar as portrayed by Helen Mirren in the film “Calendar Girls”. Tricia was appearing as guest speaker at Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation Ladies Spring Lunch held on Wednesday, 18 April.

And, in true WI tradition, Audrey and Dorothy were far more than guests on this occasion as they had offered to man the reception desk for the day. They are no strangers to the Foundation or its work as they have been volunteering their services for many years handling administrative tasks and raising funds by hosting bridge teas.

Ladies may be known as the fairer and perhaps ‘weaker’ sex, but when they unite in aid of a good cause, it is surprising how and what they can achieve. When Tricia moved to Cracoe in the Yorkshire Dales, she was told by Angela, a neighbour, that people would think she was odd if she didn’t join the WI. Who could have guessed that this sleepy little village and the local Rylstone & District WI would never be the same again.

Tricia had joked about producing an alternative WI calendar but it was not until John Baker, Angela’s husband, died of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 1998 that the idea turned into a reality. Replacing the traditional pictures of hills, sheep and village greens, eleven ladies aged between 45 and 65 posed nude, discreetly camouflaged by crafts of the WI.

When it was launched in 1999, the media coverage was huge with stories appearing every day in the national newspapers for 3 weeks. “We modelled at the Savoy in London fashion week, were voted Women of the Year, baked a spotted dick on Thames TV and took calendars to the palace for the Queen and the Queen Mother. We were delighted when the Oldie magazine named us as ‘the Oldie Exposure of the Year’ but must confess that on hearing we had been awarded an ‘Erotic Oscar’, no one volunteered to attend the acceptance ceremony.” said Tricia.

A year later, the calendar was published in America selling a further 240,000 copies. In 2003, came the blockbusting film, ‘Calendar Girls’ and an updated calendar featuring six of the acclaimed actresses and six of the team involved in the film. The original aim had been to raise £5000 and dedicate a calendar to John’s memory. To date, over £1million has been raised for Leukaemia Research. Their fabulous fundraising work continues with book sales, personal appearances, speaking engagements and much, much more.

An extremely witty raconteur, a constant stream of laughter rang through the Queen’s Stand as Tricia told her amusing, emotional and inspirational story.

The Foundation’s Spring Lunch was yet again kindly sponsored by the Blair Foundation with money raised going towards the charity’s Development Centre in Leatherhead. This Centre works with young people who have a range of complex disabilities helping them to develop the life skills and independence they require so that they may move on to a lifestyle and location of their choice.

For press information, please contact Caroline Barratt, Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation, Leatherhead Court, Woodlands Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 0BN. Email: caroline.barratt@qef.org.uk Tel: 01372 841129. Registered Charity No. 251051.