WHAT started as chit chat over a pile of washing up has turned into a cheeky charity calendar.

The supportive husbands and partners of the Marmaladies WI in St Dogmaels have been photographed in their birthday suits for an official 2016 calendar.

The poses range from playing an electric organ, to cutting the grass on a ride on mower and rounding up a herd of sheep.

Not only does the calendar mark the centenary year of the WI, a donation of each copy sold will go to Cardigan Cancer Care after one of the Marmaladies was supported by the charity.

“Some were more willing to strip off than others,” said the branch chairman Amanda Jenkins.

“A few of them took months of persuading, but when they heard we were going to make a donation to Cardigan Cancer Care, they were all for it.”

The calendar went on sale at last month’s St Dogmaels village show and have been flying off the shelves ever since.

They cost £6 each are and on sale at St Dogmaels Post Office and Mandy Walters on the Cardigan Bay Seafood stall at St Dogmaels Produce Market.

Amanda explained the idea of the calendar came about while members were washing up after a large function one evening.

She said one of the ladies was talking about her husband who was so proud of his new hard hat that he wore it to bed. She said it would have made a great naked calendar picture. Another lady said her partner treasured his tool belt and it all went from there.

“We’re really pleased with the final calendar,” said Amanda. “We are just a small WI of 30 members and to have so many men who were willing to pose naked was phenomenal. We can’t thank them enough.”