Harrogate charity to host special evening with inspirational WI member who came up with idea for Calendar Girls
The ‘Calendar Girl’ who came up with the idea and was played by Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren in the hit movie is to open up in Harrogate soon about her amazing and inspirational story.
Tricia Stewart was the inspiration for the risqué Alternative WI Calendar which portrayed 11 middle-aged members of the Women's Institute in Rylstone in North Yorkshire posing in the nude.
The charity calendar became a global sensation when it was launched in April 1999, changing people’s minds and touching people’s hearts.
It changed the image of the WI forever, the perception of the older woman and sold thousands of copies, leading to the blockbusting film Calendar Girls in 2003.
An all-star cast played the women who had taken the plunge, including Julie Walters, Annette Crosbie, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton and Helen Mirren as Tricia, renamed Chris Harper for the purposes of the film.
This week will see Horticap present An Evening with the Original Calendar Girl when Tricia Stewart will talk about her experiences before, during and after the phenomenon of the Calendar Girls.
Taking place on Thursday, September 10 at 7pm, the event is based at Bluecoat Wood Nurseries on Otley Road and tickets, which include tea and biscuits, are available solely from the Horticap shop there.
Horticap is a registered charity in Harrogate that provides training in horticulture, rural skills, and allied crafts for adults with learning and other disabilities.
It has also hosts a garden centre and nature trail.
For more information, visit: https://www.horticap.org/