Girls look sexy for their dates (From Free Press Series)

Girls look sexy for their dates

A group of Gwent women are dressing up and getting sexy throughout 2005 - and it's all for a good cause.

Cwmbran mum Monica Martin, 38, has been joined by 11 friends on the pages of a calendar to raise money for her disabled daughter.

Seven-year-old Megan, who suffers from cerebral palsy and epilepsy, is unable to walk or talk.

Her mum is convinced that swimming with dolphins will help her condition, and is determined to raise £10,000 to send Megan to Florida for the therapy.

So she persuaded her friends and family to star as Gwent Calendar Girls 2005. The month of June has a wedding theme, September is Back to Skool, April is an Easter bunny girl, and July breaks out the tennis whites for Wimbledon fortnight.

Monica said: "I was thinking about the film (Calendar Girls) and decided to get the girls together to do the same thing.

"There were one or two saying they weren't going to do it, but I told them it wasn't going to be tacky, and we had a really good response.

"I organised everything, including everyone's costumes, and it was hard work. We decided what the pictures would be by the month.

"I was October and I was a French maid - I had been thinking of Hallowe'en, but someone said we hadn't got a French maid, so I did that. "I wouldn't say it was embarrassing because it's all for Megan, and we had a laugh. But it's certainly not something you do everyday."

Anyone who wants a copy of the £5 calendar should call Mrs Martin on 01633 867338