A group of Wolverhampton decorators have pulled off the ultimate buff finish by posing for a cheeky calendar to raise money for Compton Hospice in memory of a workmate.
A group of 21 workers from C7 Decorators based in Shale Street, Bilston, have swapped paint stripping for stripping bare by shedding their overalls for the calendar, which goes on sale on Friday, December 3.
The painters and decorators wanted to raise money in memory of their supervisor Ron Harrison who died in Compton Hospice from cancer in August, aged 65.
It will be the first ever nude calendar sold by the Wolverhampton hospice and the decorators, who call themselves the C7 Calendar Boys, hope sales will raise £7,500 for the charity.
All the profits will go towards the £1m Raise the Roof appeal to redevelop patient facilities at the hospice’s Compton Road West site.
The calendar is set to be officially launched at an evening event attended by relatives, colleagues and friends of Ron Harrison at the Novotel in Wolverhampton on Thursday December 2.
The Women’s Institute inspired calendar features black and white photographs with splashes of colour showing the decorators in a variety of work settings with only strategically held equipment hiding their modesty.
Sponges and soap suds come to the rescue for one group of workmates pictured for August cleaning a company van, the picture for October shows one pair taking a tea break, while June sees a James Bond inspired shot of a group of eight colleagues dressed only in collars and cuffs with each hiding behind a well placed cork gun.
The workmates range in age from a glossy 18 to a more weathered late 40s and include managing director Justin Thomas, 36 who entered into the spirit of things with a rather unusual boardroom shot.
“The lads have all done if for Ron, most of them worked with him or were trained by him,” said Mr Thomas.
“They wanted to do the calendar because it reflected the fun side of his character and they wanted to raise money for Compton Hospice after the great care all the staff there gave to him.”
The grandfather had worked for C7 Decorators for seven years and had been a painter and decorator all his working life.
He had been diagnosed with mesothelioma and following chemotherapy at New Cross hospital he was admitted to Compton Hospice where he was an in-patient for three weeks before succumbing to the condition on August 26 this year.
The calendar launch will be attended by his wife Dee, 58, a clothes shop manageress, the couple were married for 33 years, along with the couple’s daughter Lynsey Horton, 33, a bank worker who lives in Castlecroft, along with their two grandchildren Owen, seven and Lucy, four.
“The calendar is absolutely fantastic it’s something Ron would’ve laughed about, I think he’ll be looking down and be having a laugh about it,” said Mrs Harrison.
The calendar costs just £10, with £7.50 going to Compton Hospice, and can be ordered through the C7 Decorators website www.c7decorators.co.uk and will be available from all Compton Hospice shops.
Patient Comments