Lucie Clayton Charm Academy (London, mid‑1970s)



Lucie Clayton Charm Academy in London around 1975 —
🔍 Historical & Institutional Context
- The Academy was founded in 1928 by Sylvia Lucie Golledge as a modelling‑agency cum finishing school. Wikipedia+2questprofessional.co.uk+2
- By the 1950s and 1960s it had become one of Britain’s top modelling agencies, with the finishing‑school element increasingly emphasised: social graces, deportment, presentation. Wikipedia
- In the late 1970s the modelling agency arm closed; the finishing/secretarial/business training side continued. Wikipedia+1
- In 2001 The Guardian described it as having moved “from teaching ‘naice young gels’ the basics of deportment… to a secretarial & business college.” The Guardian
🎓 Attended in ~1975
Although I couldn’t find a full syllabus or fee list specific to 1975, the following features are likely given the era and institution’s focus:
Curriculum & Activities
- Training in social deportment: how to walk, sit, use polite conversation, posture and presentation.
- Modelling basics: since the modelling arm was still active until “late 1970s”, some students may have done modelling‑oriented training (posture, photogenic skills) even if they weren’t pursuing modelling careers. Wikipedia+1
- Etiquette and finishing‑school style lessons: dining manners, greeting society, how to present oneself in social/formal settings. (E.g., The Guardian article mentions “the basics of deportment, flower arranging, make‑up” for earlier decades. The Guardian
- Possibly secretarial/business training: by the 1970s the college was evolving into business/secretarial courses. Wikipedia+1
Duration & Format
- Courses ranged from short‑term (a few days/weeks) up to full‑year programmes, as stated for later years. The Guardian+1
- The environment: London, likely in central premises (historically in Oxford Street / New Bond Street / later Grosvenor Gardens) giving a “social finishing school in the city” feel. Wikipedia+1
Student Experience
- Students were generally young women (though later decades saw broader enrolment).
- The finishing‑school emphasis meant not only “getting a job” but “getting social polish”. The modelling angle added glamour for some.
- Anecdotal sources: One writer from 1977 described “Day 1: Sloane Square Lucie Clayton’s Charm Academy … 20 strange girls all younger than me.” sheilaburnett-headshots.com
📌 Key Takeaways for Someone Attending in 1975
- You’d likely be entering an institution that straddled old‑school social finishing school traditions and the beginnings of modern business training.
- It would be expected you learn both presentation/etiquette skills and possibly modelling or secretarial/business skills, depending on course choice.
- The style of the institution would lean toward a fairly formal, structured environment (walk, posture, greeting, maybe social events), rather than purely academic.
- It may not have been inexpensive — given its social status and London location, fees may have been substantial for the time (though I don’t have the exact 1975 figure).
- The networking and social polish might have been seen as a differentiator: finishing school not just for formal deportment but as a stepping stone into society or business.
