The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Charm Hostess and Mannequin School
Women are put through their deportment paces and all in the name of etiquette.
In partnership with:
Overview
The Charm Hostess and Mannequin School opens in Exeter and its president Mary Stevens is interviewed. The school offers classes on deportment, customs and manners for women. The hosting industry is an important part of the service economy and many women in the 1960s aspired to become models and if not, air hostesses, waitresses and stewardesses, ironically just as women’s role in society was changing. Today they are stewards, servers, hosts or Maîtres d’Hôtel.
Finishing schools are often located in Switzerland around Lake Geneva such as Brilliantmont or Chateau Mont-Chosis, the Insitut Alpin Videmanette or Mon Fertile and offer young ladies a chance to round off their upper class education, where social graces and behaviourial norms are taught. Many establishments have converted to international schools for the children of the rich and wealthy. Debrett’s are a world-famous institution and they publish a guide to British etiquette and offer coaching classes in etiquette and protocol, confidence and deportment and help individuals or businesses to develop social skills, etiquette is one possibly uniquely and quintessentially British export.
Related
Watch for free
One Per Cent of Us - One in a Hundred One Per Cent of Us - One in a Hundred
Current affairs 1986 52 mins Location: Plymouth
This documentary charts the progress and challenges of disabled people living in the community.
Watch for free
St Loye's Toymaker St Loye's Toymaker
Current affairs 1964 3 mins Location: Exeter
St Loye's College graduate says never say die until you're dead!
Watch for free
St Loye's College in Exeter St Loye's College in Exeter
Current affairs 1962 3 mins Location: Exeter
St Loye's College shows its enabling training courses on offer.
Watch for free
Fancy Dress Pageant Fancy Dress Pageant
Current affairs 1976 1 mins Silent Location: Exeter
Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education's perform in a fancy dress pageant.
Watch for free
Championship Swimmer Championship Swimmer
Current affairs 1967 1 mins Silent Location: Exeter
Champion swimmer Linda Hockworthy returns to the pool after a recent leg amputation.
Watch for free
Exeter Real Ale Festival Exeter Real Ale Festival
Current affairs 1975 3 mins Location: Exeter
The wet and warm ale goes down a treat as aficionados gather to celebrate real ale.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Watch for free
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.
Watch for free
Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A Starve Acre - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 24 mins
Daniel Kokotajlo talks to Nia Childs about Starve Acre, his folk horror about a couple digging deep into grief in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Watch for free
Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A Sky Peals - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2024 30 mins
Sky Peals director Moin Hussain and lead actor Faraz Ayub talk to Tomisin Adepeju about their magic realist drama.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell Inside the Archive: The Early Films of Michael Powell
Documentary 2024 42 mins
Documentary exploring the BFI National Archive’s role in rediscovering and remastering the early films of Michael Powell.
Watch for free
Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels Inside the Archive: The Riviera Revels
Short documentary 2024 12 mins
Bryony Dixon, curator of silent film at the BFI national archive, explores the origins of a series of comic travelogues, and Michael Powell's involvement in making them.