RED Nose Day went down a storm across north Hampshire on Friday, with businesses, schools and individuals taking part in crazy fundraising stunts.

Thousands of pounds were raised across the borough with plenty of capers.

A total of £504.78 was raised by staff at AA Hotel Services, in Basingstoke, when six male employees volunteered to have their legs waxed - in return for sponsorship money.

The feat was billed as Legs 11, with five men having both legs waxed while one man just had one leg done.

A group of employees at AWE, in Aldermaston, turned up for work in fancy dress, raising £690.

Six scientific and administrative staff dressed up as St Trinian's schoolgirls and a clown and flattered colleagues into parting with their cash.

AWE also held a cake sale, and the firm donated £150.

Barclays Asset Finance staff set up some stocks at the Top of the Town and were asking shoppers to pay to soak the bank workers. They raised £562.

AZEGO Technology Services, in Wade Road, Basingstoke, collected £580 for Comic Relief by wearing as much red as they could for the day.

Account managers Christian Spooner and Simon Lavers were also sponsored to have their heads shaved. The antics raised £290, which was doubled by AZEGO.

Tadley folk duo Hot 'n' Sticky busked for four hours in the entrance to Sainsbury's, in Tadley. They gave away 10 copies of their CD and raised £250 from the shoppers' donations.

Therapists and hairdressers at The English Rose hair and beauty salon, in Church Lane, Basingstoke, dressed up in their pyjamas and slippers for the day.

The Mortgage Monkey, in Chineham, raised £266 by sending a member of staff dressed up in a monkey outfit out around Basingstoke.

The board of The Mortgage Monkey and that of the sister company, Allwin Tax Planners and Portfolio Managers, have also each pledged £100.

The Clere School raised £1,091 by holding a non-uniform day in exchange for pupils contributing £1.

There were lots of red hair-dos and fancy dress costumes and several pupils raised money through a sponsored silence, while another was painted red.

First published: Wednesday, March 16, 2005