Nude stunt eased pain of hubby loss £5M CALENDAR GIRL BARING UP
ORIGINAL Calendar Girl Angela Baker says raising £5million for charity helped her cope with the death of her husband.
John Baker fell victim to nonHodgkins lymphoma in 1998, but his passing inspired the Women’s Institute calendar that became a worldwide sensation.
The story was turned into a hit film starring Julie Walters and Dame Helen Mirren five years later.
Angela said: “When John became ill it was such a shock because he was such a fit man and he was only ill for five months. When he died I thought my world had ended.
“Then when the film came out years later my children couldn’t watch it because it was still a very hard time for them.
“But we’ve done so much good with the calendar since then and that’s what I feel proud of. I know John will be looking down and he’ll be having a smile about it.”
Angela’s best friend Tricia Stewart came up with the idea of a nude calendar in the months before John passed away – and he gave the plan his full backing.
Angela added: “We were trying to think of something that would cheer him up. Trish suggested ED GLEAVE we do a calendar, but we never did anything about it.
“When he became ill we thought it would make him laugh if we did it. When we told him, he said that we would never do it. But you don’t say that to a group of feisty Yorkshire ladies!”
Angela is still close to actress Julie Walters who played her on the big screen. And these days the Calendar Girls work tirelessly to promote blood cancer charity Bloodwise.
Their amazing story is now the focus of a West End musical penned by Gary Barlow.
Angela said: “When we did the calendar we didn’t realise what we were doing. We thought it would be a one-day wonder.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve done and the money we’ve raised.” The girls still meet up at their WI meetings on the first Thursday of every month.
Angela added: “It’s just the same now as it always was. No one makes a fuss of us. We just go as we always have done.
“We haven’t been asked, but we will never do another calendar. We’re all too old now. The props would have to be a little bigger!”
The musical The Girls opened to rave reviews at London’s Phoenix Theatre last week.