'No rift over Calendar Girls film'

Stars of new movie Calendar Girls have played down rumours of a rift between the original Women's Institute members who stripped off for the charity calendar that inspired the film.

Five of the 11 Rylstone and District WI members, from the Yorkshire Dales, decided at an early stage that they did not want anything to do with the film.

But lead actress Helen Mirren said the women did not bear any grudges.

"I bumped into one of the women who decided not to be involved in a tea shop while we were filming.

"She was absolutely charming and wished us the best of luck with the film.

"She wished us really good luck and hoped we did well," said Mirren, who plays the brains behind the calendar Tricia Stewart in the film.

Director Nigel Cole said the five women made the decision during the process of selling the rights to the film.

"One of the points the film tries to make is that if you get swept up in all the celebrity there's a point when you have to say enough is enough. And that's what these women did," he said.

The women, who made the calendar to raise money for charity after the husband of WI member Angela Baker died from leukaemia, sold more than 300,000 copies and raised £578,000 (€837,000) for leukaemia research.