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Les Enfants Terribles
Le Centre Charles Peguy - 16 Leicester Square, London W1  

Association à but non lucratif, le Centre Charles-Péguy a été fondé en 1954 à Londres, avec pour mission d’aider les jeunes Français dans leur insertion sociale et professionnelle. Il est subventionné en partie par le Ministère des Affaires étrangères français et soutenue activement par le Consulat de France à Londres et rattachée au Centre d’Echanges Internationaux (CEI). Le Consulat Général de France est ensuite devenu partenaire de l’association, qui est alors passée sous droit anglais (Charitable trust).

En 1983, le groupe CEI (Centre d’échanges internationaux) a repris la direction et la supervision du Centre Charles-Péguy. Le centre est localisé au 28 Brunswick Place près de Old Street à Londres.

La vocation est d’accompagner dans leur insertion professionnelle et sociale les francophones âgés de 18 ans et plus souhaitant s’installer à Londres.

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16 Leicester Square 1789
16 Leicester Square 1789.jpg
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Jon F  Yes that is the door from Leicester Sq. (blue in my time)The windows above were the 2nd floor dance hall and office on 3rd floor. You would never know it was a club m there was a back way in through the church .

2015-10-20-19:25:54

16 Leicester Square 1792
16 Leicester Square 1792.jpg
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16 Leicester Square 1838
16 Leicester Square 1838.jpg
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16 Leicester Square 2013
16 Leicester Square 2013.jpg
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Centre Charles Peguy 1966 - programme
Centre Charles Peguy 1966 - programme.jpg
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Centre Charles Peguy 1978 - programme
Centre Charles Peguy 1978 - programme.jpg
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Centre Charles Peguy 1973 November 1
Centre Charles Peguy 1973 November 1.jpg
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Adrian  And of course we all recognise Gérard at far right!

2015-10-20-00:54:14

Jon F  Yes, Pere Yves Le Creurer,talking to Francoise (from Nice) dark guy in back is Gerard (directeur 1971 +/-)

2015-10-20-19:06:36

charles  thank you jon.. remember them to now

2015-10-25-13:37:17

charles  fantastic photo.. brings back great memories of my first year in London (1973/74)

2015-10-25-13:40:24

Jon f  Wednesday was film night, Thursday bridge, Saturday pop dance free to members and Sunday Soirée Dansante cost 3/- 15p. Great deal for all the poor au pairs. It was a drageurs paradise. Closed at 11 pm on The weekend then it was on the The Countdown Club and romance !! Hier encore quand


j' etais jeune😂😜

2015-11-11-16:42:09

Jon F  Charles: If you look at the photos Adrian has posted (The People) , the last 3 are of Peguy regulars 1972/3 when I left England. Maybe you will recognise them,

2015-11-21-23:56:39

Centre Charles Peguy 1973 November 1-Colorized
Centre Charles Peguy 1973 November 1-Colorized.jpg
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Adrian Stern  Someone has coloured the black and white print. Looks good, no?

2021-03-28-19:48:22

Le Centre Charles Peguy is intimately connected to the catholic church Notre Dame de France situated in 5 Leicester Place. The club was actually inside the premises of the churchalthough I don't know if there was a way between the two.
A look on Google even today will show you the building the "Rotunda" that housed both. Just click here to see it today:

The following text was found here:

At about 1789 Robert Barker acquired a plot of ground on the east side of Leicester Place, together with a large site at the rear with access to Leicester Square, and here he erected a circular building specially designed for the exhibition of his panoramas.

Though it no longer houses a panorama display, Barker’s panorama rotunda still stands, to this day, just to the north east of Leicester Square, facing Leicester Place. It is now the Roman Catholic Church of Notre Dame de France, and is tucked in between the Leicester Square Theatre and the Prince Charles Cinema. The long covered entryway from Cranbourn Street is gone and the rotunda itself is completely screened from the street by the two neighboring buildings and the new street facade on Leicester Place which was added to the church some time after World War II. But it is visible in an aerial view in this satellite image of the area. "Mr. Barker’s Panorama" remained a standard listing in many guide books of London entertainments from the end of the eighteenth century, rightthrough the nineteenth, until December of 1863, when the last panorama was displayed in the Leicester Square rotunda.

Jon f  Yes there was a door on the left of the vestibule that led into the church and the stairs down to hall and cinema.

2015-11-11-16:33:17

Brief history of the church Notre Dame de France situated in 5 Leicester Place

Jon F  The fathers 1967 to 1973 were Pere Gerard Noblet, (internet obituary) Yves Le Creurer, Joel Bozon. Peres Groetz & Bonard. All really nice and helpful, all celebate lived above the church in the presbytery. Le Creurer gave up the priesthood circa 1975 and married Marie-Therese

2015-10-20-19:10:58

Jon F  Les Peres Maristes put up with so much from us at the time and always had time to help, especially when girls" got into trouble" as we used to say.Of course they believed in the sanctity of life but were there when needed. Really decent bunch. lived in the real world, far from the reputation of other orders we have read about. In 1970 the 26 year old directrice of Peguy. Rosemarie, a truly beautiful girl, died from cancer in just 6 weeks. I will always remember the personal daily comfort they gave to her during that period. She was a long way from home and their requiem mass was very touching

2015-11-21-23:47:49