Meet our own Mr February (From Penarth Times)

Meet our own Mr February

A FORMER Penarth resident has made it into a hunky Australian firefighters calendar as 'Mr February'.

Jeff Collins, 35, emigrated down under in 1990 along with his wife Katrina. A local girl whose maiden name was Gough.

Now he has made it into the Western Australian Firefighters Hall of Fame 2002 calendar, in aid of a Perth children's hospital.

The former Victoria Primary and St Cyres pupil grew up in Redlands Road. He joined Penarth Sea Cadets at the age of 12 and the Royal Navy at 16, and when he emigrated he took up a position with the Australian Navy.

Three years ago Jeff, a Pisces, joined Western Australian Firefighters in the Perth region and now lives with Katrina and their two children Leanne Marie, 9, and Rhys Jon, 3, in Rockingham.

Now he's taken his first steps to stardom appearing in the calendar which is being sold across Western Australia and is also appearing in several homes in Penarth.

His mother Eunice Collins, of Stanwell Road, said: "The co-ordinators of the calendar pick firefighters from all over the Perth area and he was lucky enough to be picked.

"I'm very proud of him. He's a pretty quiet chap and it's the last thing I would have thought he would do. He would never get his kit off mind, he only had to take his top off."

The calendar was officially launched in Perth before a mostly female audience. Its proceeds will go to the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) for Children Burns Unit.

Darryl Black, general manager of the PMH Foundation, said: "We wish to thank the Western Australian Firefighters. They know and understand the trauma suffered by children injured in this painful way and how important the Burns Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital is to the recovery of these victims."