Will Bill Reid strip for charity calendar? (From Bucks Free Press)

High Wycombe's town clerk wants £2,000 for nude stunt

11:57am Friday 3rd December 2010 in Opinion By Steve Cohen

LEGENDARY legend Bill Reid has made light of my kind-hearted attempt to force him to pose naked for a charity calendar.

In my column of two weeks ago, I offered to stump up the first £20 if Bill – who had hinted he would do such a stunt in a recent Bucks Free Press Midweek survey – took his clothes off in the name of a worthy cause.

Bill, High Wycombe’s town clerk, emailed me to say: “Obviously the chatter around the Cohen breakfast table has been pretty mundane this week, hence your pick-up on the photo-shoot story. “My response to your reporter [in the Midweek survey] was along the lines of there being other people taking part and I was talking about serious money.

“Steve, I wouldn’t unlace my shoes for £20.”

I must admit to being pretty disappointed with this reaction because I was going to supply the photographer and make it extremely tasteful.

But then Bill dropped what was perhaps a heavy hint: “…you will need other people and major money for it all to come off.”

He added: “I suggest you progress from reading stories by the Brothers Grimm and get onto something more serious. How about Hitchhiker’s Guide where the secrets of the world unfold and you will learn the answer to all the world’s questions?”

Finally, he told me: “Now multiply that by a 100 and we might be talking.”

And I thought the answer was 42, according to the Hitchhiker’s Guide.

Anyway, pushing that aside, 100 times £20 is £2000. So now we know Bill Reid’s price.

And, in a further email, Bill told me: “£2000 is making me feel warm.” Hee, hee – you won’t be so warm, mate, when you have to get your kit off for the camera.

It’s over to Bill’s pals at the Rotary Club of High Wycombe to do the rest for me now. There’s only £1980 to go…