As Tracey McAtamney headed into her 60th birthday year, she made a promise to herself – to do something both memorable and meaningful.
And in the background to her milestone celebrations with family and friends this week, a personal project percolates, which is aiming to do just that – a ‘cheeky’ charity calendar!
She’s also brought 38 plucky members of her Ladies First Professional Development Networking group, aged between 19 and 80, in on the ‘act.’ And the calendar, which is now in post-production after a two-day shoot last month at Mallory Court Hotel & Spa in Leamington, is set for its red-carpet launch in October at Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
A highlight of the journey so far for Tracey and her team, came last week with a visit from the original Calendar Girl, Tricia Stewart, who has pledged her support to the latest venture honouring a legacy of 27 years.
Tricia, now 77, famously had the idea for the Alternative WI Calendar, which launched in April 1999, going on to sell more than 300,000 calendars and raising £6.5m.
As ‘Miss October,’ she was one of 11 plucky Yorkshire ladies, aged between 45 and 65, to pose for the Rylestone & District WI naked calendar, the first of its kind, which inspired a hit movie, West End stage play and musical.
In a private gathering at Nailcote Hall Hotel, Golf & Country Club, Tricia offered words of support and advice to Tracey and the Ladies First Calendar team – Amanda Chalmers, Jane Collier and Bianca Rodrigues-Perry, while being hosted by sponsor, and fellow Calendar Girl, Sue Cressman, last week.
As well as being director of Ladies First for ten years, Tracey also runs Surviving Bereavement Foundation offering bereavement support and cafes in the region.
As a former Coventry Carnival Queen and Miss Coventry City in 1985, she is no stranger to the celluloid spotlight, but admits the motivation for the calendar runs deeper.
She said: “Turning 60 is the heart of this charity calendar – not trying to look younger, but honouring the woman I am today. Like many women, I’ve had moments of doubting myself and feeling the pressure of unrealistic expectations. It’s easy to focus on what we think needs fixing instead of recognising our worth as we are.
“This project is about caring for myself, inside and out, growing in confidence, and choosing to live as the happiest, healthiest version of me. More than anything, I hope it encourages other women to feel proud of themselves too – because we deserve to celebrate who we are right now.”
She added: “I feel truly honoured to have the support of Tricia, the original Calendar Girl. She is an extraordinary woman who created something remarkable at a time when it had never been done before. Meeting her was incredibly special – she was warm, generous, and full of wonderful stories about both the calendar and the film that followed. Hearing her experiences firsthand made the whole journey feel even more meaningful.”
The mix of local and national charities set to benefit from the 2027 calendar are: Surviving Bereavement Foundation; Molly Ollys; Coventry, Warwickshire & Worcestershire Mind; Prostate Cancer UK; The Esther Project; Teenage Cancer Trust; Arrive Alive; Shakespeare Soroptimists; The Luca Foundation; A Child’s Heart; Anthony Nolan Trust; Women’s Aid; The Katie Piper Foundation; Birmingham Hospice; The Friendship Project; SAMM (Support After Murder & Manslaughter); Birmingham Children’s Hospital; The National Autistic Society; The NTCG Rock Community Food; WAITS; DORCAS; Endometriosis UK; Myton Hospice; Purple Community Fund PCF; Blue Badgers; Dementia UK; The Queen Brain Tumour Fund; Blood Cancer UK; Edward’s Trust and breast cancer equipment for Birmingham hospitals.
Tricia said: “It was wonderful to meet the ladies and see first-hand all the work that’s going into this latest calendar.”
Recalling her story, she added: “We did it as a team in memory of my friend Angela Baker’s late husband John, never realising that it would become so huge. It was when we saw a proof of the calendar for the first time that it hit home what we were actually doing and how amazing the photographs looked, that was a magic moment.
“The idea started off as me making a joke! It was totally against the image of the WI which is why I thought it was so funny.
“We just couldn’t believe it when, in 1999, we were approached by Disney about making the film, but we were aware we had to let them use dramatic licence on the story a bit, this wasn’t going to be a documentary.
“Angela had rights on the script, and happily, before we all signed up, we were assured it was being filmed mainly in the Dales with mainly English actors.
“Angela got a phone call from Julie Walters one day to say she’d like to come to lunch and meet us, which she did and, over time, we met them all. Helen Mirren turned up with sunflowers for Angela – and a cheque for £5k for the charity! We even went to Cannes with them which was a very special memory, as was performing at The Royal Variety Performance. They are all fantastic actresses and it felt incredible to be a part of it.”
Headline sponsors for the calendar so far include Mallory Court Hotel & Spa, where the calendar is being shot and Unique Venues Birmingham. Any companies interested in getting involved are invited to contact Tracey McAtamney at: tracey@ladiesfirstnetwork.co.uk
In the meantime, what advice would Tricia offer the 2027 calendar cohort?
“You have to just keep trusting in what you’re doing and keep sight of why you’re doing it,” she said. “Every calendar sold will make a difference. But what becomes quickly clear, is how it also makes a difference to the people taking part, not just the charities.”
More information can be found HERE.
The Original WI Calendar
The aim had been to raise £5,000 and to have a calendar dedicated to the late memory of her friend Angela Baker’s late husband John. The effect of the calendar was expected to last three weeks, but 27 years on it has raised a whopping £6.5 million for the then-named Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, now Blood Cancer UK.
In September 2003, the blockbusting film ‘Calendar Girls,’ based on the story of the Alternative WI Calendar, was premiered at the Odeon, Leicester Square, with Tricia’s character played by Dame Helen Mirren.
The following year the book “The Calendar Girl’s Story” was published and, has since been reprinted and translated into many languages, including Japanese. The girls also posed for further calendars in 2004, 2005 and 2007, as well as a recipe calendar in 2008 and a ten-year anniversary edition in 2010.
The stage musical version, ‘The Girls,’ written by Gary Barlow and Tim Firth, has throughout the world including Australia, Canada, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Russia, Denmark, Israel, Brazil and Greece, as well as enjoying two UK national tours and a stint in London’s West End. Post-show bucket collections have added thousands more to the charity funds.
Tricia Stewart
Tricia Stewart was born in Sunderland in the North East of England. She trained as a diagnostic radiographer, moving to Skipton in Yorkshire in February 1973, with her husband Ian, who worked for Ilford in the x-ray division. Tricia worked at Airedale General Hospital, leaving in 1976 to have daughter Lizzi. Her son, Micky, was born in 1978.
After living in Skipton for 10 years, they moved into a small village of Cracoe in the Yorkshire Dales. Tricia still lives in the Yorkshire Dales and, as well as undertaking regular speaking engagements about her Calendar Girls experience, runs Body Control Pilates classes.
On her arrival there, a neighbour, Angela Baker invited her to join the WI, telling her that the locals would think she was being funny if she didn’t join.
So Tricia joined Rylstone & District WI in 1985 and became great friends with Angela. The rest, as they say, is history!
