2006 Calendar: Behind The Scenes… Kat's Diary

7am and my radio alarm started blaring. I lay comatosed under the duvet, I was so tired.! I had got home back of 1 in the morning and by the time I had ladled-on the fake tan it was well after 2am before I got to bed. Knowing fine well that I'm late for everything I go to, I hit the snooze button and cuddled up under the duvet again. Ten minutes later felt like ten seconds and I was almost crying as I staggered to the shower.! It was our calendar day. The most exciting day of our Rockettes year.! The day we get glammed-up to the max, have our make-up done and pretend to be models for a day.! This thought put a spring in my step and I was rushing around before long.

By 8am (give or take 10mins) I met Carole Anne at the hairdressers. Thank God I had booked an appointment for a blow dry as there was no chance I'd have had the time or energy to do ma barnett. As ma wig was being blown around the shop I kept saying..'.. mind make it dead big..'.. Pure sick of straight hair just now so I wanted a big afro. Gail, ma hairdresser, had to call a joiner to get the door frame widened so a could get ma head out. GIANT it was.!

The Rockettes had been booked into the new Daily Record Studio for our calendar pics, where our photographer David awaited. I slipped him a wee Johnny Diver (fiver) on the way in. Well, come on! I was still carrying suitcases under each eye. Studio was rare 'n' warm and the changing area was really spacious with mirrors and lights all around the walls. No chance of hiding anywhere in yer bikini. Just as well I'd took ma Harry Potter housecoat and slippers eh. Everyone began arriving including our two make-up artists for the day, twins Amanda and Sara Bates. As the tongs and straighteners got plugged in I clocked where the food bags were getting put. Had no time to go get any food myself so surely a wee coupla things out of everyone else's would be ok eh.! A mean I'm only wee..!

Carrie and Linzi were in the make-up chairs. Karen was fixing out hair extensions, Nicole was curling Hazels hair, Clayr was on the tongs, Claire was applying more fake tan (again) , some of the newer girls Kelly, Linzi and Charlie etc.. looked terrified! ha ha.. awe God love them.... Carole Anne was out in the studio doing practise shots for the lights.... and me.... I was under the table raiding the food bags. I was starving. As each girl had their session in the make-up chair they all came off transformed. I mean really some of them are pretty ugly.. but after Amanda and Sara got their hands on them, they became no bad looking! ha ha Kidding.!!

By lunchtime we were all in our bikini's and the photographs were well under way. During most of the girls' pics I was in charge of the wind machine. A really cool invention which made their hair blow big and puffy.! No chance I was having that, I'd have looked like a struck match.. wee skinny body and a big hairdo eh.. The wind machine was actually like a gale force wind and I was having fun trying to blow the girls off the blocks they were standing on.. Ha.. HA..! Nearly got Carole Anne off on one occasion. After that I was barred from being in charge..! Damn..! I then took to pretending I was a flasher.. and then Clayr and I were pretending to walk down imaginary stairs behind a box.. this was fun until my leg went into a spasm and Clayr nearly burst her webbed toe thru her shoe!! Carrie thought she was auditioning for the X-Factor as she belted out songs being played on the radio, while Karen and Kelly joined in from the sofa.

We had three white blocks to use in the photos. So each girl had to vary the position they would be sitting or standing in and still incorporate the blocks. Was actually very funny. Carole Anne had Nicole like a contortionist, she was crawling IN the boxes, around the boxes and through the boxes.! Wait till you see her pic.! Karen was like a mini Kylie, she looked as though she was perched on the end of your fireplace.! SO cute. I just love Claire Nimmo's pic and Carole Anne's – they are stunning.! Actually everyone looked great and even if they were slightly nervous it didn't show at all.

It was getting increasingly hot in both the changing room and studio. Ma hair was getting bigger by the minute. I actually had to ask Carole Anne if I could go next for my photos or there would be no room for us both in the photo. So I was up next. Not a great feeling standing there in your bikini under the spotlight... but it's do or die so to speak. Just really have to get on with it and after the first couple of shots you actually think yer a pure supermodel..! AYE RIGHT.! Did a few stand up shots and some sit down ones and that was me. All that effort and over in a flash. After wearing pink fluffy slippers last year and getting totally humiliated by George Bowie on Clyde1 so I decided to go for a pair of shoes this time. I think it's safe to say, it'll be ma barnett that gets abuse this time.! All that was left to do was the two group shots, by this time it was around 5pm.

The Support Squad girls, Kayley, both Lisa's and Julieann were all in black bikinis and were up first for their group shot. Was quite surprised at how good they all looked. Ha ha.. awe just a wee joke. They were all absolutely stunning and their group shot looks amazing. I think the girls felt a wee bit uneasy at first but it did not show at all once the camera got snapping. Wee bunch of stunners.! Well done to all of them.

Main squad was up next and we were all in white bikinis and silver shoes.

Looked great as we had about ten layers of fake tan on. After we were all positioned around, some standing some sitting and some kneeling..(aouch).. the camera started clicking away. Ma hair was defo matted by this time and I didn't even want to attempt to put a brush through it – it would have got stuck! After a few shots Charlie and I were in agony on our bony knees...

The girls seated were gripping on for dear life and the girls standing.......... were..... just standing posing.!...!! David, our photographer, put the darkest girls towards the front. So myself Hazel and Charlie were slapped dead front row... Clayr D was put centre front with Carole Anne, Claire and Carrie. At the back was Karen, Linzi, Kelly and Nicole.

Well good idea for the darker girls to go front eh.... as they'd absorb most of the light from the flash..?? no, try ALL of the light from the flash.. I was like an albino.! my body was whiter than my bikini.! I literally absorbed all of the light for all of the group.

Thankfully Carole Anne is well clued-up in this digital malarkey and changed my skin tone as well as touching up the colours in bikini's etc..

Overall the day went really well. Everyone had made a massive effort and looked great. We all had a good laugh entertaining ourselves in between photos............. aye ok......... I had a great laugh entertaining myself!!! Massive thanks to Amanda and Sara who did our make-up all day long, Chris our errand boy who went for all our rolls (not to forgetting he also made us a massive gold frame that we ended up not using). To David our photographer who was just great and to Carole Anne for organising the entire day.

Also a mention to Katrina Foran, who sadly missed the calendar day and will not feature in our 2006 edition. You were missed chick and I'm sure you'll make up for it next time.

Kat x x