The wife of a man whose battle against cancer inspired 11 WI women to strip for charity wants a film of their campaign to be home-made.

A London-based independent film company has already held talks with the daring Daleswomen, whose glamour calendar raised more than £331,000 for leukaemia research.

Since the exploits of the women were featured front-page in the New York Times this week, Hollywood agency touts have been e-mailing them with offers.

But Angela Baker, whose husband John was the inspiration for the Rylstone & District WI calendar, wants any potential movie to be Made in Britain.

John, a Yorkshire Dales National Park officer, died of leukaemia in 1998 and was treated at Leeds General Infirmary and Airedale General Hospital.

Angela, who posed as Miss February, said talks had been held with AB television in London about the possibility of a film, but finance had still to be found. Any money made would go to support people with leukaemia.

"It was a very hard decision for the family to make, but we have agreed. It has to be done with sensitivity. It just can't be made by Hollywood - we'd be worried what they would do with it. It has to be sensitive and true to the story - not sentimental.

"The hardest thing for me is that John will have to be played in it," said Angela, 53, who has two adult children and lives in Cracoe, near Skipton.

A spokesman for AB television said the company had made a number of documentaries and dramas for television and was now moving into feature films. It was looking at the story of the WI woman as a potential film.

Tricia Stewart, Miss October, who helped to spearhead the fundraising campaign, said they had received eight e-mails from Hollywood agents saying they wanted to make a film. But they were not taking them too seriously.

"It will have to be made with sensitivity and humour but not sensationalism. After all, we are dealing with a family tragedy and the death of a true friend. It would be awful if it turned out like Terms of Endearment.''

They were aiming to find an agent in the USA to organise the reproduction and sale of the calendar. It was hoped to have it available in the States by Valentine's Day, February 14.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.