Strip plan to light up village

Those involved hope to raise money for Christmas decorations

A hardy group of village men are set to brighten up the long winter nights by baring all in a fundraising calendar.

Tradesmen, chefs and sportsmen in Newtonmore, Inverness-shire, hope to emulate the success of the film Calendar Girls by stripping off to raise money for new festive decorations for their village.

The men hope that by appearing naked with their modesty strategically shielded by tinsel, they will raise the £40,000 needed to buy new lights for the ski and Christmas season.

Grant Fraser, chairman of the village's Winter Lights Association, confessed to posing as the calendar's "Mr April".

He said: "It is not going to be just young men, but a good cross-section of the community. We are all really up for it, but it will be tastefully produced and not offend or upset anyone.

"Each photo will show the boys at work, and Newtonmore is famous for our shinty team so players will also be featured."

The women of Rylstone Women's' Institute in North Yorkshire shot to fame in 1999 after they posed nude for their own charity calendar which sold more than 300,000 copies and raised £578,000 for leukaemia research.

Their story has just been turned into the film "Calendar Girls" starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters.

Light association secretary Jacqueline Stevenson said: "I am sure the calendar will be a big success. The village is buzzing with talk about who is in the calendar.

"We are hoping that it will be a big boost to our fundraising and that our new lights will put our big rivals Kingussie down the road in the shade."