Take a butchers at this calendar!

From the archive, first published Monday 4th Dec 2006.

Butcher Steve Martin knew there was a lot at steak if he wanted to raise money for charity.

So when he got the idea for a Calendar Girls-style photo-shoot he didn't mince his words with the staff.

Fortunately, they didn't give his brainwave the chop.

Steve, 46, owner of Bentley's butchers in Robin Lane, Pudsey, said the plan for the lads to show off their brawn was hatched over a pint in his local.

Haworth man Steve, of Hebden Road, said: "The idea was just dreamed up in the pub over a pint as a bit of fun. And the whole calendar was put together in about a fortnight.

"It wasn't difficult to persuade the male staff at the shop to do it. They were just happy to get involved and help raise money for charity.

"It was really fun having the pictures taken - it was a bit of a giggle.

"We tried to make sure that the pictures wouldn't offend anyone as we are family butchers."

Steve said his staff regularly held fundraising events for the charity, Martin House Children's & Young People's Hospice in Wetherby.

Last month they raised £300 for the charity through a sausage-tasting event.

He said: "We have done quite a few fundraising events, just things to raise a little bit of money.

"The charity has been so pleased with what we have been doing and it has just encouraged us to do different things. As a business owner I am in an ideal position to raise money.

"A lot of my customers who come into the shop have friends whose children have been affected by cancer."

Steve's neighbour Kayley Cookson, who has just completed a graphic design course at Manchester University, took all the photos of the team, whose ages range from 62 to 17.

"So we've got one to suit everyone!" said Steve.

So far 200 calendars have been sold from the first print run of 250 and the printers are on stand-by to produce the next batch.

They are on sale at the shop and cost £4.50 each.

e-mail: sunita.bhatti@bradford.newsquest.co.uk