Police officers have legs waxed for charity
Ryan Taylor
Three police officers had a hair-raising experience in Lerwick’s Commercial Street this afternoon.
Thankfully, Lerwick-based Fraser Duncan, Joel Macleod and Peter Gracie were not in pursuit of a dangerous criminal. Instead, the three were having their legs waxed in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
The event drew crowds from around the street, as the trio of PCs were brought to what almost seemed like criminal levels of excruciating pain outside Boots – but all for a very good cause.
Onlookers took photos and offered what might be described as words of encouragement as the three took it in turns to receive the hot wax treatment from Julie Farquhar, who works at a salon in the Toll Clock Shopping Centre.
First to step up to the mark was PC Duncan who admitted to feeling “a bit nervous” about the whole experience.
“I think I drew the short straw, but it’s all for a good cause, so I thought, why not,” he said before receiving the treatment.
Exactly why not may have been demonstrated just a few short moments later, when he winced in pain as the hot strips were torn from his leg.
“It felt as bad as I thought it would,” he said afterwards. “I don’t know why women do it. It feels really weird.”
Next in line was Joel Macleod, who raised the bar somewhat by agreeing to have an armpit done as well as a leg.
“That was one of the most agonising things I’ve ever done,” he said later.
He hoped his colleague, Peter Gracie, would “step up to the mark” and have something more than just a leg done as well.
“I’ve only known about it for a week or so. Now it’s over, but it’s all for a good cause, and I’m happy to do it.”
Although all in uniform, the officers were off duty at the time of the event. PC Gracie was between night shift stints when he discovered just how painful the experience was.
Asked if he ever thought he would have his legs waxed when he joined the force he insisted: “Absolutely not”.
He was against the idea of having an armpit waxed.
“That’s not going to happen,” he insisted.
He suspected Ms Farquhar of enjoying the work more than she should.
Asked how she felt, Ms Farquhar added: “It didn’t hurt me.”
She joked: “They’re all my friends, so if they’re ever horrible to me, I’ll just put them back in line.”
Boots pharmacist Eleanor Eunson said the fundraising effort was well worthwhile. It came almost a year after the chemist raised over £1,250 from a challenge involving a salmon bin filled with 60 gallons of custard – in something that may have optimistically have been described as a “fun dunk”.
“This is a charity fundraiser continuing our mad escapades for Macmillan,” she said.
“Last year they said we were bonkers, but they loved us.”
The charity event was held at the start of Living Lerwick’s Shopping Week, which started today. A host of events are due to take place in the town centre between now and Friday.
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