The students’ Exhibition Society put on exhibitions, including one by Howard Hodgkin of Indian Paintings and an Alfred Wallis show arranged by Jasper Jewett. An international air was maintained by (at different times) teachers arriving from Italy, U.S.A., Switzerland, Germany, Holland and Poland as well as students from Holland, France, Italy, Canada and Norway.

1968 the year of student unrest had a disastrous effect on Corsham. One of the main student’s criticism was that the Foundation Course there did not have anyone in charge and that it was angled particularly towards the Corsham Dip A.D. course, especially Visual Communications, and not suitable for students wanting to go to other art colleges. Some petty rules were lifted but the Corsham ethos had gone, many students went to live in Bath and the place became like art colleges elsewhere. The events of 1968 must have seemed like rank ingratitude to Clifford Ellis, who retired in 1972. Two years later Lord Methuen, who by making Corsham Court available had made ‘Corsham’ possible, died. Clifford Ellis himself died in 1985.

With few exceptions, artists who taught at Corsham have warm memories of the place where students had friendly relations with the teachers and worked from dawn to dusk. Many describe Clifford Ellis as a benevolent autocrat (one, but only one, said he was like Stalin). All say that he was totally committed and dedicated and that his (and Rosemary’s) lives were the Academy; that he paid great attention to detail, aiming to give Corsham a harmonious ambience, with well arranged and decorated study bedrooms and with well-cooked food served in a well furbished dining room. He also oversaw the fine presentation of the Summer Open Days and the Christmas parties, often based on a theme. Ellis was a voracious reader and always bringing forward new and interesting ideas. He arranged the books in the library so that art, music, drama and history were arranged in periods of 50 years. Clifford usually had a cigar in his mouth: he had style.

At one time Clifford seemed to have regarded a student who had finished a Corsham course as being ‘complete’ and not to be exposed to the dangers of another art school until after a period of work and experience. A girl was once offered a place at the Slade or the Royal College after Corsham and was supported by two staff who resigned in the middle of a term in protest against Ellis’s objections. The part-time teachers had one grievance; they never knew until a few weeks before the beginning of the academic year whether they would receive Clifford’s postcard inviting them to teach.