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Stranger than fiction: birthplace of the Bronte sisters creates two nude calendars

A Yorkshire town noted for its literary heritage has created two nude calendars for 2012, in a bid to raise sufficient funds to finance the restoration of its parish church. 

Fears that  parishioners in Haworth – the birthplace of the Brontë sisters – might deem the idea as being in bad taste were soon overcome when the Vicar, the Revd. Peter Mayo-Smith, demonstrated the tasteful way the photographer planned to capture the naked ambitions of local volunteers. The pictures are great fun, especially the three councillors in the stocks by the side of the church.  

Cartoon imitation of Branwell's Brontë's portrait of Charlotte, Emily and Anne
The idea first emerged when the village exercise and dance class visited the Yorkshire Dales and found a copy of the Grassington Calendar Boys 2011. Following in the footsteps of the original calendar girls – the ladies of the W.I. in nearby Rylstone – some of the men of Grassington stripped off to raise money for a local cause.  

So many people came forward in Haworth that it was eventually decided to produce two calendars, one featuring men and the other featuring women. A little friendly rivalry has been introduced to see which version sells in greater quantities. 

The calendars include a local councillor, a former Lord Mayor, a senior district councillor, some of the Haworth traders, a host of interesting characters from the wider Worth Valley, a bell ringer, a minister and his wife, a plumber, a mechanic, a busker, and a retired Haworth bobby and oompah band leader. 

You can see some of the photos for yourselves and place your orders online at the calendar website. The Brontë sisters must be turning in their graves.

Dick Skellington 24 February 2012

Cartoon by Catherine Pain.

 

Further information 

Brontë landscape's battle for survival 

 

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Cartoon of Dick Skellington

About Society Matters

Provocative, relevant, current: for the last decade Society Matters magazine has been informing, engaging and annoying social sciences students in equal measure.  Now, its move online has given us the chance to bring its lively mix of analysis and opinion to a wider audience.

Society Matters online started in October 2010 and has, so far, covered a wide range of issues and topics ranging from inequality and the big society to arms sales and foreign policy. All can be seen by scrolling down from the top of the Society Matters front page.

We have also illustrated many of these posts with the work of our two illustrators (see below). Serious analyses have been interspersed with posts on a less weighty issues which show both human folly and innovation.

Society Matters continues to be edited by its original creator, Dick Skellington. Dick, pictured above, was previously a programme manager in the social sciences faculty, walks the talk through an active involvement in the affairs of his home town of Stony Stratford, Bucks, and finds light relief through writing poetry and the occasional stage appearance in local productions.

Since many years at the coalface of journalism have taught us all that sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words Dick is aided and abetted by resident illustrators, Gary Edwards and Catherine Pain – both former OU students.

Catherine has drawn and painted all her life, and when she is not pillorying public figures for Society Matters paints animal portraits, works in stained glass and produces alphabet teaching posters for children. Her work is in several galleries in and around her current home in Cambridgeshire and her publications include an illustrated cookbook sold on behalf of the National Trust, a colouring book for small children, Alphabet for Colouring, and The Lost Children, a story for older children. Her website is at catherinepain.co.uk

Gary has written two best-selling books about his travels all over the world watching Leeds United FC, Paint it White  and Leeds United - The Second Coat. His third title No Glossing Over  will be published by Mainstream in September 2011. He has not missed a Leeds game anywhere in the world since February 1968 and married his wife Lesley at Elland Road.

Specialising in wall murals, Gary also holds diplomas from the London Art College, The Morris College of Journalism, has a Diploma in Freelance Cartooning and Illustration and is a contributing cartoonist for Speakeasy, an English-speaking magazine in Paris. During the 1970's and 1980's he collected  hearses and is a long time member of the Official Flat Earth Society as well as the Clay Pigeon Preservation Society.

Please note: The opinions expressed in Society Matters posts are those of the individual authors, and do not represent the views of The Open University.