TRADERS in Rickmansworth and Chorleywood have defied the chilly weather to pose naked for a charity calendar.

Utilising a variety of props to preserve their modesty, the 12 butchers, bakers, florists and chefs bared all to raise vital funds for Cancer Research.

Nina Hosking, secretary of the Rickmansworth Chamber of Business, explained: “We had an idea to do a fundraising calendar featuring ordinary scenes of Rickmansworth and Chorleywood but that seemed a bit boring.

“But when a naked one was suggested, the guys jumped at the idea. We had 12 willing volunteers on the same afternoon.”

The calendar, which will be launched at the Rickmansworth Victorian Evening on Friday, November 28, depicts its plucky volunteers in settings familiar to their businesses.

The models, ranging from skinny to rotund, may look nothing like underwear models but all say they had great fun.

Chorleywood fishmonger Ricky Cresswell, who posed behind a basket of strategically placed crabs and lobsters, said: “It was a pretty scary thing to go and do but it was actually great fun.

“Everyone has come together and supported each other for a fantastic cause.”

Hairdresser Joss Wilson, owner of Rickmansworth’s Louvere salon, appears hard at work in his modelling debut.

He said: “Everyone is really looking forward to it coming out – my customers say they can’t wait to see it.

“It’s not something I have done before so I was pretty nervous about it.

“But we all had fantastic support. It’s a way of raising money for charity but also raising the profile of local businesses.

One man who could not let nerves get the better of him, however, was photographer Danny Clifford.

He said: “It’s the first time for me as well doing anything like this but we all had great fun with it.

“As you’d expect, some of the guys were a bit worried about appearing naked but others just stripped right off before I could even arrange the props.

“Everybody involved has given their time for free to make this work. It’s been a fantastic community effort.”

An initial run of 1,000 calendars will be printed, free of charge, by Croxley Green-based Fraser Print. They will be available or a minimum £5 donation from all participating shops.