REGULARS are baring all at a pub for poseurs . . .

For the Crown Inn, at Bacup, has won artistic acclaim since pub regulars joined professionals to pose in the nude for a painting group's weekly meeting.

Upstairs at the pub, in Greave Road, 15 artists from Bacup and Todmorden have their own studio where they stage life modelling classes.

They have a professional model to pose for them every second week and for the rest of the year they ask regulars to do the honours -- and there's no shortage of men and women willing to strip off and bare all.

Kathryn Cook, 34, landlady of free house, said: "Everybody knows everybody here -- we are all very friendly.

"We take our drinks upstairs and just get on with some painting -- I can't work without my wine.

"A lot of our models are regulars who volunteer and we don't do so badly. We also have a corner of the pub where we display the work we have done and it creates a lot of interest."

The artists used to meet up in Todmorden for classes but about 18 months' ago their their regular venue was unavailable and Kathryn's pals suggested there might be room at the pub.

A disused function room proved the ideal spot for a studio.

The pub has been in Kathryn's husband Trevor's family for 25 years, although she has only been landlady for the past seven. The artists are holding their first exhibition at Globe Arts, Burnley Road East, Waterfoot. Called In the Buff, it will feature about 100 paintings and drawings.

All the artists and many of the models will be at a preview at the studio on September 30 and the work will be exhibited at the gallery on October 1, 7 and 8 from 10am to 4pm.

Kathryn said: "There are about 15 of us and all but two are either professional artists or have trained in art at college.

"I have been doing art all my life. I studied textiles at Manchester Poly when I did life drawing."

Kathryn will be opening her own art shop in Todmorden in about a month, selling work by the artists, and will also be launching her own website.

The shop is to be called Barearts. And the website? What else but www.barearts.com?

Picture: Kevan Rush sketches model Jenny.