Advertisers are queuing up to feature the women who won international fame by posing nude for a WI calendar.

The women, who have handed over a staggering £331,200 to the Leukaemia Research Fund, revealed their mature figures could soon be plastered over billboards.

And there's a possibility they could feature in TV commercials.

The 11 members of Rylstone and District WI, near Skipton, bared all in a calendar which shot the women into the international limelight.

Angela Baker, 53 - Miss February - whose husband John died of leukaemia aged 54 in 1998, was the inspiration behind the calendar. Yesterday she handed over the cheque to LRF executive director Douglas Osborne at the Devonshire Arms in Cracoe, near Skipton.

But Tricia Stewart, 50 - Miss October - said the fund-raising was still not over.

"I think you could see the calendar girls being used in commercial advertising. We have already had people interested. I can't say at this stage what it is, but we haven't stopped yet."

She said there was interest from advertisers which could result in television commercials and their images splashed on billboards. Any money they raised through fees would be donated to local cancer charity organisations, and hospitals like Airedale General Hospital at Steeton and Leeds General Infirmary's leukaemia unit, where John was treated.

"We were inspired by all the people who supported us, by the letters and words of encouragement - it is a wonderful tribute to John who would have been so proud of us," said Mrs Stewart.

Mrs Baker paid special thanks to Threshfield artist Terry Logan, who took the photographs of the woman in his cottage lounge, to the woman who dared to bare all, and to brewery Jennings which had supported the campaign. Moyra Livesey - Miss May - said: "It's an awful lot of money for just taking your clothes off. We were hoping to make about £2,000 to £3,000 initially, which would have been brilliant. The final total is just unbelievable."

Accepting the cheque, Mr Osborne said "This has to be the fund-raising event of the year. I have been in the charity sphere for a long time and I have never ever come across anything quite like this."

He said it was the most positive event that had happened to the LRF, not only because of the amount the calendar had raised, but because of its world- wide publicity.

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