Photography underway for Bromsgrove Calendar Girls project

Buy photos » A photograph of the group taken at The Wishing Well over Christmas. Picture by Jessy Paston. s

ALTHOUGH 2013 is just a month old, a group of Bromsgrove women are already planning for 2014 by creating a charity calendar, inspired by the hit stage show Calendar Girls.

The 'Beer Festival, Celebration of Life' calendar was the brainchild of Ali Lees and the pictures are currently being taken at a number of Bromsgrove pubs by Droitwich photographerJessy Paston.

So far, the Nailers' Arms has already played host to the shot for June, The Hungry Horse Court Leet for September and the Dodford Inn for November.

This weekend, the group of 18 women will be taking their project to the Ewe and Lamb and Ye Olde Black Cross, which will be the location of the calendar's launch party on June 2.

That will start at 12midday and feature a fancy dress compettion, cake stalls and children's activities, including a bouncy castle and face-painting. There will also be a raffle for which a host of prizes have already been donated.

They include a £200 car service, a Sunday roast and dessert for four people, a two-hour tattoo voucher, two monthly tickets for a Caribbean night, three-course meals, food vouchers for some of the pubs involved and a photography package.

Ali was inspired to organise the calender after watching a stage production of Calendar Girls.

The venture coincides this year with the current Guinness World Record attempt for Calendar Girls to become the stage show with the most productions put on within one 'calendar year'.

Alison said: "I had a cervical cancer scare last year and it opened my eyes to the work that Cancer Research UK does.

"I wanted to do something for the charity and then when I watched the stage show I had the idea to do the calendar."

There is a breast cancer survivor among the 18 women involved in the project and, she added, every one of them had their own cancer-related story to tell, which was why the fund-raiser meant so much to them.

Anyone wanting to find out more about the project, get involved with it or the launch, for example donate a raffle prize or run a stall on the day, can call 01527 870181 or e-mail calendergirlsbromsgrove@gmail.com

To donate, visit Justgiving.com/ali-lees1 or, to contribute a £1, text CGBC£1 to 70070

More can also be found on the group's Facebook page by typing 'Calendergirls, Bromsgrove' into the search box on the site.

Regional news »