Reports in the New York Times and the Herald Tribune as well as a slot on American television have sparked WI glamour-calendar mania in the USA.

Internet sites have been bombarded with e-mail requests for the infamous calendar of the mature nude women.

And now London-based film company Harbour Pictures is looking at the potential for making a film of the women's story.

The Daelnet website, based at Hetton near Skipton, which promotes the Yorkshire Dales National Park, has been getting an average 13,000 hits a day, mainly from America, since Sunday.

And so far there have been 3,000 e-mail inquiries about the Calendar-girls, mostly from the USA and Canada.

The Leukaemia Research Fund in London, has also been flooded with website interest and e-mail requests.

The demand has stunned the 11 members of Rylstone & District WI, near Skipton, who officially wrapped up the eight month-long fundraising campaign earlier this month.

They raised £330,000 for leukaemia research and handed over a cheque at the Devonshire Arms at Cracoe, near Skipton, where the campaign was launched in April 1999.

But a front-page story and picture in the New York Times, features in the Herald Tribune, highlights on CBS television on NBC news have thrust the daring Daleswomen back into the limelight.

Now, says Tricia Stewart, the 50-year-old Miss October, they are investigating the possibility of selling the calendar in the States.

"It's unbelievable how it has taken off,'' she said. "We expected to be in demand for some advertising but not this level of interest again. On Tuesday Ros Fawcett, Angela Baker, Lynda Logan and I were on a live satellite link from Linda's house in Threshfield to CBS television in New York.

"And on Wednesday a crew from American ABC television is coming to film a documentary which is to be shown on the Barbara Walters show in America. She's the equivalent of David Frost in Britain."

Simon Fern, of Daelnet, said: "Since the story appeared in America, there's been a tremendous reaction. The women are now considering their response."

Meanwhile, the women are preparing to feature in People magazine, one of the largest circulation magazines in the USA.

A reporter and photographer are due to meet them on Sunday at a location near Cracoe, Skipton.

A Leukaemia Research Fund spokesman said they were looking at the possibility of re-issuing the calendar.

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