A SCHOOL'S photographic shoot for a charity calendar featuring bands from the 60s to today brought back memories for headteacher Phil Bevan who was once a promoter for Radiohead.

Devizes School head Mr Bevan was delighted to be featured in the calendar which is raising money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

He said: "Recreating album covers and iconic pictures has been a real highlight of the year for our Radio Club. I was absolutely delighted when they finally let me take part. It is a real talking point in school and just very funny.

"I pop in when I can because I absolutely love what they are doing. I do try and pass on stories about when I worked in the Music Industry - but they are a bit old now! However I keep insisting that one of the album covers that we do next year needs to be a Radiohead one as they are still obviously one of my favourite bands, from when I worked on the promotion of their earlier albums."

The school's Radio Club, which is open to all year groups for pupils interested in music and being a DJ, has spent nine months preparing the calendar. It was inspired by a production by Mac's Theatre School's Our House with music from Madness.

School publicity officer Karen Sims, who helps runs the club with co-ordinator Mark Cooper, said: "Students have dressed each week as a tribute to a band of yesteryear. We have covered lots of different bands and now we have moved on to TV shows.

"It became apparent by the summer that we have more than enough photos to make a calendar and after some discussion it was decided that we would produce and sell them in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

"Before the summer we even talked Mr Bevan into helping us with our cause."

Mr Bevan, 48, who grew up in Wiltshire spent some of his early working life in the music industry in London helping to market bands such as Radiohead, before deciding to take up teaching.

He is a big supporter of the Radio Club and appears on the front cover of the calendar and in its December picture.

Another nod to the school's musical links is the inclusion of the band The Struts on the August page. Jed Elliott from the band is a former pupil of Devizes School who left in 2009 and now lives in Los Angeles. He has spoken highly of the encouragement he received at the school. "There weren't many people playing music in our year group and despite the fact we were truly awful musicians at the time, my friends and I felt really comfortable forming a real identity and the staff recognised a passion and celebrated it.

"The teachers would allow us to rehearse in classrooms on lunch breaks and perform in assemblies. My first ever gig was in the main hall at a Devizes School Rock Concert."

The calendar is now on sale for £3 from the school reception and all the profits of just over £2 from each will go to the charity.

Mr Cooper said: "The Radio Club students have been absolutely brilliant in the way that they have taken part in the pop/TV tributes particularly as most of the time they have never heard of the people or characters that they are dressing up as.

"I am really pleased that the students will be able to play a part in raising money for such a worthwhile charity. A huge thanks must go to our creative director Mrs Sims who has taken some wonderful pictures of the tributes."

Club member Kieran said: "I look forward to radio club every week, always wondering what tribute it will be."

To buy a calendar ring Mrs Sims on 01380 724886.