text: The last thing many people would expect to discover when delving into their gran's past, is their successful career as a pin-up girl. Helen Dunn, 78, wasn't ever expecting to relive her daring past, but was surprised when she opened a copy of the Sunday Mercury newspaper to find a photo of herself starring back. The mother-of-two and grandmother, from Stourbridge, West Midlands, was flicking through the newspaper when she spotted herself on the cover of a raunchy lads' mag from 1955. Helen Dunn, 78, was shocked to discover her cover images for vintage lads mag Span, when she opened the Sunday Mercury newspaper . Vintage beauty: The grandma, from Stourbridge, West Midlands, was only 17 years old at the time of the cover shoot . The cover was featured as a part of collector Tim Beddow's 'antiques rudeshow' collection of 700 vintage men's mags, the Birmingham Mail reports. And there Dunn was - under her model pseudonym, Sherry Morris - on the cover of top-shelf British magazine, Span. The cover image shows Dunn, who was just 17 years old at the time, perched seductively on a stool with her legs slightly crossed. Naughty or nice: Helen made all her own costumes for the raunchy shoot for Span, including the fur muff (pictured right) 'I was always outgoing' - Helen didn't mind the risqué nature of the shoot, in which she posed seductively for the camera . The 78-year-old wears an off-the-shoulder top, and her stockings and suspenders are in full display. In an interview with the Birmingham Mail, the glamorous gran admitted that she was shocked to see the images. She said: 'When I saw the picture I was absolutely shocked. 'I shouted, 'That's me! I think it's great, I have no secrets.' Back in the day, Dunn had a brief stint as a model, before she went on to marry a professional footballer three years later: Manchester United's Alan Dunn. Dunn (pictured right) went on to marry Manchester United footballer Alan Dunn (left), just three years after the cover shoot . The grandmother recalls her modelling days with a fondness, and remembers the shoot clearly. Helen had even made her own outfit, including the fur muff. She had posed in the garden of local photographer Royston Campbell after a friend of Helen sent him images. 'He was a gentleman, a very nice man,' she recalls. 'Nothing iffy about him at all. 'I always made my own outfits, even the umbrellas. The picture was originally for a Christmas calendar. 'Back in the day, I wasn't bad looking and didn't have a bad figure' - Helen looks back on her modelling days . 'I suppose the magazine was looked on as a little risqué, but it really didn't bother me. I didn't think about it. I was always outgoing. When breaking the news to her two grown-up children, Helen had no worries about how her former career would be perceived. She admitted: 'You know what? They think it's great.' 'Back in the day, I wasn't bad looking and didn't have a bad figure.'
target: Helen Dunn opened Sunday Mercury newspaper, saw raunchy pics .
  The 78-year-old was on cover of vintage lads mag, Span, in 1955 .
  Went on to marry Manchester United pro footballer, Alan Dunn .