Original Calendar Girls bare their souls at Shropshire cafe

The original Calendar Girls stopped off for tea in a Shropshire cafe – and told the story of how baring all for a calendar led to an award-winning film and £4 million raised for charity.

The original Calendar Girls at he Ludlow Food Centre. Back, from left, Linda Logan, Chris Clancey, Angela Baker. Front, Beryl Bamforth.

It is 15 years since the ladies of Rylstone WI caused a sensation with their alternative WI calendar, which saw them disrobe and pose behind strategically-placed items.

Since the first calendar in 2000 they have done many more – but this year's will be the last time they take their clothes off they said, on a visit to Ludlow Food Centre yesterday.

Angela Baker, now 68, said: "It's our last one. We decided it's 15 years, we're getting on and we wanted to end on a high.

"It's a really lovely one because it has the pictures we did right at the beginning as well as pictures taken last year."

A picture from the original calendar. It is 15 years since the ladies of Rylstone WI caused a sensation with their idea.

But Lynda Logan, 70, was not so sure. She said: "Every time we say we'll end on a high then they ask us to do another one and you can't really say no."

Their 2013 calendar was on sale at the centre where the women had been invited to take tea and talk about their story.

Looking at the sumptuous spread of food at the centre's Ludlow Kitchen cafe, Christine Clancy, Miss September, 61, said: "I've never seen such large salmon sandwiches."

Angela, Miss February, cheekily added: "And I'm sure the buns are big enough!" – referring to a scene in the 2003 film starring Helen Mirren and Julie Walters, inspired by the women's story.

The idea for the original calendar was sparked when Angela lost her husband John to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1998, and her friends rallied around to help raise money.

Asked if they could have foreseen what would happen, Lynda said: "Never in a million years. I'm still awestruck that it happened."

It was not the first time she had been at the centre. She said she had stopped off with her photographer husband Terry – who took the calendar photos – on the way to Chipping Norton a few years ago.

The four, who stayed in The Clive Hotel, were used to doing such talks, but 80-year-old Beryl Bamfort, Miss January, said: "We go where we're asked, we don't push it."

Edward Berry, from Ludlow Food Centre, said: "They have such an amazing story and when we had the opportunity to bring them to Shropshire we couldn't resist."