Mayfair magazine Girls...

[Von Boy]

Just out of interest did many models for Mayfair ever call into their offices in Chancery lane in London?... I ask this out of interest as Mayfair always seemed to be run in a different way to the Paul Raymond mags....

silly question but I would be interested in hearing about the golden age of soft core mags in the early 80's

[frankthring]

Its many a long year since Mayfair was at that address. When I owned the
Wright Agency, which was the main agency for softcore girls working in
the 1980s (to be exact 1981-89), Mayfair, along with the rest of the Paul
Raymond stable of mags was in Archer Street, Soho, in that warren of tiny
stairs and offices behind the Windmill Theatre. I never recall seeing a
model there but I am sure a few popped in including old faves like Heather
Chittenden, Lisa Phillips, Caroline Lomas and others. I think I took Keran
Thornton there in 1982 to meet Neville Player, the editor of "Men Only".

[Von Boy]

that's interesting, so the publications were based very near to each other... so it would have been mainly the photographers in and out of the offices... long before email and digital images....

[IainT]

The offices of all the PRP titles (Mayfair, Me Only, Club, Esccort, Razzle, Mens World etc, etc) were then and still are (in a totally different environment) all in the same building.

Although there have been several moves downsize since Archer Street.

I wasn't around in the "Golden Age" but even in relatively recent times I've taken a model to the Mayfair offices and subsequently out for some refreshment with the Editor.

Although everything is so tight and businesslike now, even something like that probably won't happen during the working day..

[Dave Wells]

Wrong Mr Thring ! Mayfair, for years was run by Ken Bound in offices nearer Barbican area (can't remember exact address but some wise old owl will look it up in a mag) until it was bought by P.R.O in 1990.

And in answer to the question. Why on earth would any model want to go and meet an editor ? None we ever shot did ! We the photographers used to take our pile of set's in to sell and 'let the haggling begin' !

[frankthring]

Dave, your memory is playing tricks ! The Wright Agency lasted from about
1982-89. I moved to Holland in that year and was there until 1997. I can
assure you 101 % that in the years I list above the PR mags were housed at
Archer Street. Jack Harrison tells me he never ever went to any other address
and he started in 1983. To split the difference in years we`ll take 1985 as the
mid Eighties. If Men Only and Club under Player and Dimmock, editors respectively,
was not in Archer Street - and may I remind you that as I moved to Holland
in 1989 I could hardly be wandering into the PR Building much after that - I
would give you ?1000 today ! As an old mutual friend of ours used to say, Dave,
"bollocks " !
Just one more example, Keran Thornton, the first good model I had - recall please
I was an agent 3-4 years ahead of John Graham trying to copy me - was taken
by me into the Archer Street building to meet Player. Since Keran was in the
biz just 2 years 1982-84 I can assure you again 101 % that PR was there. I
am getting old....but I am not senile !!!

[Phil Phee]

But wasn't Mayfair outside the Paul Raymond empire until 1990 or thereabouts?

[Dave Wells]

I suggest you read my reply again Bill. There is nothing wrong with my memory at all ! Mayfair was at Great James St, WC1N run by Ken Bound until PRO bought it in 1990. That's what the thread, when it started is all about. You brought PRO into the discussion.

I'm not disputing where PRO were/are at all !

And I can remember exactly when you moved to Holland because I moved you there !

And as for JLG copying you - copied you by doing what exactly ?

[Essex Lad]

Phil Phee wrote:

> But wasn't Mayfair outside the Paul Raymond empire until 1990
> or thereabouts?

It was indeed. In autumn 1990 Ken Bound put it up for sale and Richard Desmond seemed the likely buyer until Paul Raymond swooped in and took it on.