Community spirit alive as villagers aged 16-90! make nude calendar
But they do capture the essence of what the little village of Llanmadoc is all about — community spirit and neighbourliness.
The village is the 2009 Calor Village of the Year for South Wales and it's plain to see why judges heaped praise on the North Gower community's fund-raising efforts, great community spirit and ''can-do'' attitude.
Last year locals raised an impressive £15,000 for charities including Ty Hafan children's hospice, Wales Air Ambulance and Water Aid.
And when the village shop and post office closed about four years ago, instead of sitting back and accepting defeat, residents set up a volunteer-run post office, store and tearoom called Our Shop, with more than 150 villagers owning a share in the venture.
"There seems to be no way of stopping us,'' says 65-year-old Garry Henderson.
The retired car sales worker moved from Treboeth to Llanmadoc with his wife Sue 18 years ago, and hasn't looked back.
"It was the peacefulness which appealed to me — we don't get any aggro down here, there's no trouble and we rarely see the police because there's nothing for them to come here for,'' he adds.
"There's never a dull moment — there's always something going on here. We've just finished our harvest supper, which took some doing because it involved preparing a hot home-cooked meal for 140 people at the village hall, and now we've begun rehearsing for our Christmas concert. It the sort of place where everybody knows everybody and we all help each other out.''
It seems to be a different story seven miles away, on the south side of the peninsula, where a community which has already lost its post office and village store is poised to say goodbye to another shop.
Plans have just been submitted to turn a shop in Port Eynon into living accommodation, following on the heels of the sorely missed post office and village store.
It was sold after the owner was robbed by night-time intruders in 2004 and suffered a heart attack soon after.
The shop had another owner before being taken on by CK's Supermarket, but in June planning permission was granted to transform it into two holiday homes, and it has been sold again.
During the winter, residents in Port Eynon and neighbouring Horton have to travel a couple of miles to Scurlage for things like bread, milk and eggs.
But lurking behind the village's ghost town facade there remains a powerful community spirit, according to Jean Higgins, chairwoman of Port Eynon and Overton Social Committee.
"When someone moves here the social committee takes them a bottle of wine and a 'welcome to Port Eynon' card,'' she says.
"We also take people a plant if they're ill.''
Community Council clerk Barry Stubbings wonders if Llanmadoc's thriving community-run post office and shop could be replicated in Port Eynon.
"It is a community initiative and ticks over comfortably,'' he says. "There is a desire here for a shop and a certain amount of demand.''
People power certainly seems to be working for the people of Llanmadoc. Garry organised the men's calendar following the success of a nude charity calendar featuring the women of Llanmadoc Arts Group two years ago.
It features 15 black and white pictures of 25 local men, aged between 16 and 90, carrying out various village activities in the nude.
The saucy snaps include a group of villagers who take it upon themselves to strim the churchyard every Wednesday to keep it looking tidy, Llanmadoc Full House Amateur Dramatic Group, a crusading pensioner who takes to the hedgerows every day with a litter-picker, chefs from the Britannia Inn and the village choir.
The calendars cost £8 each or £15 for two, and the aim is to raise around £3,000 for the Prostate Cancer Research Fund at Morriston Hospital.
"It just seemed natural to choose the fund because it's an all-male calendar,'' adds Garry.
"Plus I know a couple of people who have been affected by prostate cancer. The calendar is really well done and different from anything anyone will have seen before. It's not rude, we have kept it tasteful.''
So how much persuasion did it take for the lads to strip off?
"They were all for it — everyone wanted to get involved,'' says Garry.
"One or two were shy, but we soon talked them round. The biggest problem we had was getting everyone together, but it was so much fun getting the pictures done.''
The calendar has been launched at the Britannia Inn and is available from the pub, Our Shop or by calling Garry on 01792 386646.
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