"When we first saw the pictures I remember saying: 'Who on earth is going to buy these?'"

Lynda Logan recalls the humble beginnings of the cheeky nude calendar made by the now-famous Rylstone and District WI for charity four years ago.

Little did Lynda or any of the other members of the WI, near Skipton, imagine it would sell 300,000 copies worldwide, raise £500,000 for Leukaemia Research, and inspire a soon-to-be-released £7 million movie Calendar Girls.

The calendar was made in memory of John Baker, who died of leukaemia in 1998, aged 54. Now six of the women, pictured, known as the "Baker's Half Dozen", have bared all again for another saucy calendar - and this time they were joined by some of Britain's best-known actresses, who play them in the film.

The 2004 calendar, in aid of Leukaemia Research, features photographs by Terry Logan, who shot the original. The women are in new poses and the actresses, including Helen Mirren, Julie Walters and Celia Imrie, re-create some of the original ones.

It was unveiled yesterday at the Devonshire Fell Hotel in Burnsall, where, over tea and cakes of course, the WI women talked about their "amazing journey" to fame.

"Posing nude was less nerve-wracking this time!" said Tricia Stewart, 54. "We always joked about doing another one - we felt we had one more calendar in us!

"When we first did this we had no idea what we were about to start. We thought we'd be going round shops in places like Bradford and Keighley buying the calendars because no-one else would! But it has been an incredible success.

"We did this originally in memory of John and for Leukaemia Research - and despite doing a movie, travelling the world and becoming a bit famous, we're doing it for exactly the same reasons now."

Tricia said it was "fantastic" that the film's actresses had stripped off for the calendar. She joked: "We thought we'd give these new girls a chance - it might help their careers!"

The calendar inspired women worldwide. But the WI members say they didn't set out to "repossess the middle-aged female body".

"Apparently we've changed the image of the older woman," said Angela Baker, 57.

Photographer Terry Logan, whose wife Lynda is Miss March, wanted to continue traditional WI images for the new calendar - the women are pictured icing a cake, potting flowers, and knitting - but hoped to show it's not all "jam and Jerusalem" in the WI.

Lynda, 60, is said to be Prince Charles's favourite Calendar Girl and plans to send him a copy. She revealed that a cider press used by Helen Mirren in the new calendar belonged to her and Terry. "We nearly got rid of it but I kept saying: 'No, let's keep it,' " she said. "Now Helen Mirren is posing nude with it!"

The women are delighted with the film and their portrayal. "It's not a documentary and they don't use our names, but they've certainly captured our spirit," said Tricia, played by Helen Mirren.

Calendar Girls 2004, published by Penguin Books, is on sale priced £9.99.

The movie Calendar Girls is released next month.