[firstwnat]

Q16 Were any of the participants unhappy with their photos/finished calendar ?

P No.
R No.
S I'm not really happy with the one of me wearing the skirt now, but I was happy at the time we selected the photos - I've just come to like it less. I just think we look overdressed in it.

Q17 How did your family and friends react when they saw your photos in the calendar?

P My family thought they were great. Most of my friends liked them, but a couple were suprised at the level of nudity and in particular at the intimacy of the group photo. The group photo caused my boyfriend to flip - he was sure his friends would think I was a lesbian!
R Everyone was great about it.
S The family were thrilled I had done it- their tomboy actually looked like a woman. My friends still have trouble believing I did it.

Q18 Were your calendars available for the general public to buy?

A Yes.

Q19 How were your calendars publicised?

P We had a launch party and did some promo photos. S contacted loads of newspapers.
R Launch party, Hockey club website, newspapers.
S As the Hockey club Social Liason Officer I arranged most of the publicity. We held a launch party at our clubhouse and we did a big ad for it on the club website. It was on Facebook as well. Even our Regional Hockey Association mentioned our calendar on their website. I sent lots of publicity shots to the local papers, which was quite weird really - sending naked photos of myself to papers, hoping they would print them. Most of the local papers ran the story - they seemed to like 'Potters Bare Hockey Club' and most of them used the group photo. They still censored it, even though you can't actually see anything! I was quite pleased that I got to appear naked on the front cover of my local paper!

Q20 Did the nudity in the calendar make it easier to get publicity?

P I would say so. Quite a few of my (mainly male) friends from outside the club bought the calendar and I'm sure it was to see me naked - something else to annoy the boyfriend.
R I think it generated much more interest than if we had done a dressed calendar.
S Far, far easier. All the local papers were very interested in the nudity aspect.

Q21 How do you react to people who suggest nudity in calendars is demeaning to women?

P Sex sells - male or female - it's a fact of life. I know I've used my body to raise money for the clubhouse, but I'm fine with it.
R It's just a fun thing.
S None of us was forced to do the calendar, it was our choice. I don't think we demeaned ourselves or other women. I found it a very empowering experience - it's my body to do with as I wish - is it for any man or woman to tell me what I can and can't do with my own body? I find it amazing that so many people have spent money on pictures of six great looking women and me!

Q22 Has participating in the calendar changed your personal views on nudity in any way?

P Yes, to an extent. I have always been quite relaxed about nudity, but I don't think a gave other people this impression. Certainly S was quite suprised to see my name was one of the first on the list. All my friends seemed to believe I was a 'good' girl who wouldn't do anything like this. Now I'm no longer seen as such a straight laced individual.
R No, not at all.
S Scared to death of it before, all for it now!

Q23 Have you noticed any change in the way people behave towards you following publication of the calendar?

P Yes, my boyfriend couldn't get over the fact his girlfriend wasn't the shy, retiring wallflower he thought she was and didn't like it, and as a result I dumped him. All my other male friends have been much more friendly!
R Not really.
S Totally! - but not necessarily in a good way! As the public 'face' of Potters 'Bare' all the players in the other hockey teams in our league know who I am now, so you can probably imagine the type of teasing I get on the pitch. Home games are fine, but at away games the teasing and pranks go much futher. Over the last few months I have, amoungst other things, signed copies of the calendar outside the changing room in just my undies, had all my, and the rest of the teams clothes and hockey kit pinched while we were showering (who was sent each time naked to the other teams changing rooms to get it back?) and, most embarrassingly, 'persuaded' to play the last ten minutes of a friendly match stark naked! The funny thing is I don't mind. Six months ago I would have been mortified, but now it's a laugh - harmless fun - so some people see me naked - what the hell - there are far worse things in life.

Q24 Would you participate in another nude calendar?

P If it was for something important to me, yes.
R Possibly.
S Probably not - been there, done that.

Q25 Overall, was participating in the calendar a positive or negative experience?

A Positive.

Q26 Do you regard the calendar as a success?

P Yes, raised loads of money.
R Yes
S Yes on two counts. We raised decent sums of money for our clubhouse and for 'Help the Heros', but not only that we raised the profile of our hockey club to the extent that many new young players have joined us.

Q27 If you were starting the calendar now, would you do anything differently?

P Yes, I'd lose those bl**dy socks!
R No.
S I'd try to get more girls involved. We run three teams but only seven of us took part. I know some other girls wanted to take part but husband/boyfriend pressure stopped them.

Q28 Would you recommend producing a nude calendar to raise funds to other groups?

P Yes
R As long as everyone backs the idea.
S Most certainly.

Q29 Worst moment while producing the calendar

P It was all good.
R Stripping off for the first time in front of the male photographer.
S Dropping the wrong set of photos (the one with the outtakes in) down to the hockey club bar for people to look at and quickly realising that three of us no longer had any secrets from most of the people in the bar!

Q30 Best moment while producing the calendar

P Doing the group shot.
R Seeing the finished calendar.
S Getting naked with six great girls.