Firemen volunteer for Rock the Catwalk duties

Feb 5 2010 Perthshire Advertiser Friday

MAN-HANDLING fashion models is back-breaking work best left to professionals.

Just ask Dave Dow and Chris Robb, intrepid firemen drafted in for body lifting and dance routine duties at this year’s Rock the Catwalk fundraiser for armed forces’ charity, Help for Heroes.

Since November last year, the fledgling male models have been put through their paces at twice-weekly intensive, two-hour rehearsals by Catwalk choreographer Jade Beatson.

As both firefighters are married shift workers, squeezing rehearsals into already busy lives is a big commitment.

“It’s been quite hard to fit in rehearsals around our shifts,” explained Bridge of Earn’s Mr Robb, who with wife Vicki has a 16-month-old son, Callum.

“I generally finish at Alloa Fire Station at 6pm and don’t get home till 6.45pm, and as rehearsals start at 7pm, I’m lucky if I get to see the wee man much before he goes to bed.

“But it’s for a great cause, which is why me and Dave got involved in the first place.”

The firefighters are part of a 60-strong squad of models on deck at the fourth annual, fashion, music and dance spectacular, which this year will be in a different league thanks to major new sponsor, McEwens of Perth.

McEwens spokeswoman Georgina Bullough said the famous Fair City firm hoped to help maximise the event’s potential.

“It will be different than in previous years, and this year the recipient is Help for Heroes, which is the charity of the moment for obvious reasons,” she said.

As for a cash target, she said attracting corporate sponsorship was a challenge.

“It is the middle of a financial crisis,” she said. “If it was five years earlier it would have been a lot easier. So I don’t want to jinx it, let’s just say we’d like to raise as much as we can.”

Mr Dow meanwhile, a clothes horse who favours labels such as Gant and Yves Saint Laurent, is a veteran of last year’s Rock the Catwalk and no stranger to helping damsels in distress.

“I like helping people, that’s basically why most of us (firefighters) do it,” he said.

“A couple of others got cold feet and pulled out last year, but I went ahead and really enjoyed it, although I did get teased a bit by the guys at work.

“When Jade asked me to do it again this year, I thought, why not? Our troops really are heroes, out there doing their best for us, so it’s only fair that we should be doing our best for them here at home.”

Rock the Catwalk – a Show for Heroes, at Perth Concert Hall, 7.30pm, Saturday, March 13. Tickets cost £14 (£9 for under-16s), available from Perth Concert Hall on 01738 621031 or at www.horsecross.co.uk