Helperby mums bare all in calendar to help cricket club and hospital (From York Press)

Helperby mums bare all in calendar to help cricket club and hospital

11:00am Saturday 21st November 2009

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HELPERBY Cricket Club decided to do something a bit different for its fund-raising this Christmas.

Following the example set by North Yorkshire’s own Calendar Girls ten years ago, the idea of a nude calendar was conceived, with some of the wives and mothers of team members taking part using strategically-placed cricket props.

Photographer Rebecca Honeywell, of Myton, was drafted in and a request went out for volunteers.

“I thought it was a joke at first,” said Angela Horner, mother of Jack Stabler-Langer, who plays in the junior team.

“Mind you, when Peter Mitchell, one of the junior coaches, asked if I would do it, it was in the pub after three glasses of wine. When I got the email from the photographer, I thought ‘Oh my goodness, it’s real. I am 40 and I have agreed to do this – in broad daylight’.”

“There were supposed to be well over 20 of us,” said Denise Tribe, mum of junior team member Harry Tribe.

“But on the day, cold feet kicked in and only seven of us showed up – a bit of a problem when there are twelve months in the year.

“Initially we felt a bit awkward, after all it’s not every day you strip off in the middle of a sports ground to have your photo taken.

“After a while though we really started enjoying ourselves. We laughed all the time and Beckie, the photographer was great. Luckily, it was a warm September day.”

“It has caused a bit of a stir in the village,” said Deborah Mitchell, the wife of team member Peter and mother of Alfred Mitchell.

“At the end of the day though, it’s all good fun and if we raise some money for the charities then that’s what it’s all about.”

All the ladies who appear in the calendar have children who play cricket at the club, which has both junior and senior teams based at Helperby. The calendar is priced at £10 and is available from Raines shop, the post office and tearoom in Helperby, the Breast Unit at York Hospital and the accounts desk (second floor) at Browns department store in York.

Half the proceeds go to Helperby Cricket Club and half to the Breast Unit at York Hospital, which covers all the women in North Yorkshire.

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