THEY'RE fast becoming Scotland's armed forces' sweethearts ...

and the Kennedy Cupcakes have sealed that relationship by unveiling a series of charity postcards.

The 1940s and 1950s-inspired dance troupe launched their fundraising drive by visiting the Erskine home for retired servicemen and women at Bishopton in Renfrewshire.

Their visit was timed to coincide with this Saturday's start of Erskine Week.

Wearing vintage-inspired army outfits, four members of the nine-strong troupe wound back the clock to entertain residents.

They performed a boogie to Glenn Miller's In The Mood for more than 40 veterans.

Troupe founder Lisa Kennedy said: "It's lovely to hear stories and see people get excited about what you do, especially people who remember that era.

"It's lovely when people are transported back in time and they can remember happy times.

"We're really luck to do what we do."

The 30-year-old, from Bellshill, came up with the idea of the charity postcards to mark the fourth birthday of the troupe, and turned to Autumn Leaf photography studios in Hamilton to capture their retro pin-up glamour.

The troupe is made up of Lisa's sister Emma Corcoran, a university researcher from Bellshill; primary teachers Lynne Haig and Linzi Slamin, both from Motherwell; dance teachers Carol McLean from Uddingston and Julieann Crannie from Glasgow; new mum Kelly McAlinden Todd, a veterinary nurse from Glasgow; and full-time mum Katrina Noble from Paisley, who isn't featured in the postcards as she is heavily pregnant with her second child.

Half of the proceeds from sales of the £5 set of nine postcards will go towards Erskine, and half towards STV's child poverty appeal.

Ex-RAF engineer Peter Wilson, 85, chatted to the Cupcakes after their performance.

He served for two-and-a-half years with the air force in Egypt after the Second World War, before working in John Brown's shipyard and then spending 39 years with Rolls-Royce in Hillington.

Born and bred in Govan and latterly living in Bishopton, he said his five years spent at Erskine have given him a new lease of life.

He said: "I was siting at home dying when I lived on my own. I'd lost the will to live.

"When I came here, it gave me a reason for living."

The Cupcakes will perform for a fifth year in a row at Glasgow Armed Forces Day, in George Square on June 29, and at the Glasgow Mela on June 16.

Erskine, which opened in 1916 to care for the wounded of the First World War, provides support to over 1100 military veterans in four care homes.

maureen.ellis@ eveningtimes.co.uk