The Friends Reunited website, set up to enable old schoolfriends to re-establish contact, has deservedly become an internet phenomenom. Each school has its own page and ex-pupils are invited to contribute memories of their schooldays. These reminiscences sometimes touch on the subject of punishments, with contributors invariably remarking how much stricter schools were in their day. Friends Reunited appears to have a policy of periodic clearouts of these reminiscences, so many of the pieces featured here may now have been deleted. This is a pity since such memoirs can constitute an invaluable sociological document of a time when British schools were indeed much less free and easy than the schools of today. The date refers to the year the writer left the school.

Bancrofts School, Woodford Green, Essex

1963 - Beatings, added by Julian Turner
Who remembers the CR 'beat' book? Every time we were 'officially' beaten by the School House monitors (usually Head of House), the act had to be witnessed by another monitor and the victim had to bend over in front of a sofa full of cushions in case the impact forced the victim to hit his head (God those beatings hurt - blood etc.). The event was then recorded into the 'beat' book: name, offence, number of strokes, witness. I recall that I was beaten 72 times in my first term (including dorm beatings) but I think the record at that time was 105.

1964 - Beatings, added by Julian Tether
As far as I remember Pete Perrett had the beatings record, 150 strokes in the first term. He late went on to become singer in the punk band "The Only Ones".

1966 - Beatings, Fagging, added by John Dickens
The prefects were all allowed to slipper School House talkers after lights out. Chief snide had to be Austerberry, who would beat talkers after lights out and then wait outside the door for them to say things like 'Oh blast, that hurt...' - then come in and beat them again. Each sixth former was allowed a fag (unpaid slave) from the kids (first years). They were allowed to send you on errands anywhere, such as to the sweet shop to ask for some non-existent sweets such as 'Zambezian Ball Breakers' and slipper you if you couldn't get them. What fun!

1966 - Beatings, added by David Scates
As a miserable day boy it was my misfortune to travel on the same bus route as a number of my house monitors. I seem to recall a fairly monotonous ritual of standing outside their door awaiting another two stripes. The crime? Not wearing my school cap on the bus.

Chester City Grammar School

1964 - Prefects, added by Roger Jones
I especially recall corporal punishment and prefects saying ' I totally sympathise with your point of view....bend over!' It was blatant sadism then and now after 30 years teaching, seems to me to have been positively medieval.

1965 - Prefects, added by Nathan Blau
Anyone else have memories of the corporal punishment regularly doled out by the prefects? Hard to believe now that such a system existed. Remember Adams and Humphries, the greatest exponents of the art of slippering younger boys? Where are they now?

Loretto

1975 - Beatings, added by Alasdair MacDougall
Who remembers "The Rab" giving the whole school the choice of either three hours detention or three strokes of the cane after Derek Grange`s wife was the subject of a few comments before a school play in the old gym? There followed the bizzare sight of more than 250 boys queuing outside his study, asking for their wupping. I think only a couple opted for the detention.

Arnold's School Blackpool

1971 - Unpleasant memories, added by Michael Luscombe
These were the days when education was ruled by the cane and the slipper. Mr.Rowe (biology) would pull boys around by the sideburns, place them in half-nelsons and aim blackboard rubbers at them. Then Priestley (elocution) would regularly beat us for mispronunciation. If you were sent outside class during a lesson you dreaded being discovered by the Head, Holgate or Wigmore. They would march you to their office for a caning.

Epsom College

1967 - Satis Cards, added by Hugh Wallis
The unfortunate boy 'on satis' had to get cards signed by the teacher at the conclusion of each lesson and present them to the housemaster at the end of the week. One "non satis" entry meant meant you were "on satis" again the following week. Too many "non satis" entries and it was a housemaster's beating for you.

Hampton Grammar School

1962 - Standard Punishments, added by Richard Farndon
"Minty" Sinclair - three strokes with a stout baton each Wednesday for those who did not attain 50% plus in his weekly maths test; there was always a reluctant queue. After Clive Warden was instructed to remove his padding (detected by the first dull whack) his eyes watered for a week.

"Jasper" Parry - three whacks with a slat from a chair if you had defaced your french homework with any visible erasure.

"Bill" Foster - one stroke on the bare buttocks with your own plimsoll for being the last to get ready, after gym, for your next lesson.

"Josh" Whitfield was the master of the long whippy cane with which he practised his tennis volleys, hop, skip and whack! - always on a fresh spot. One stroke always left two weals due to sufficient energy being available to make the cane bounce.

1963 - Punishment, added by Mark Lawrence
An interesting list of "punishments" recalled by Richard Farndon, some of which I can recall being on the receiving end of ! In particular, getting six-of-the-best from George, who felt inclined to feel my backside (whilst bent over his desk) for the magazine he felt sure I must have hidden there as I hadn't flinched once during the experience

London Oratory

1984 - The Main Entrance, added by Paul Miller
Who remembers the days of corporal punishment and that wicked bamboo stick across the buttocks? This was all preceded by the dreaded order " Go to the Main entrance immediately " and then having to stand around on display for twenty minutes before being called in for your whacks.

King Edward VI School Stourbridge

1957 - School Caps, added by Eric Harris
Rules about how the school cap was worn were quite strict: the cap had to be on straight and the peak pulled down. You could be caned for not wearing your cap out of gates.

1951 - School Caps, added by Bryan Griffiths
Reading Eric Harriss reminded me of the day Tommy Watson made an example of a sixth form prefect who failed to wear his cap in the high street during the lunch break. During assembly the next morning, in front of the entire school, he was given six whacks of the cane on his backside.I will not mention his mame but I wonder if he is still with us and remembers that awful day.

Tulse Hill School, London

1960 - Great days, added by Ken Rhoades
I remember Mr. Thomas the headmaster. He made us all (over 2000 boys I think) file past him one morning after assembly and he smelt each and every boy's hand. Anyone whose fingers smelt of tobacco was pulled out for a caning. Apparently someone had been spotted in Tulse Hill uniform outside school smoking and when Mr Thomas asked the boy in question to own up no one did.

Archbishop Tenison's School, London

1953 - Six of the Best, added by Bernard Winter
Received from Headmaster, Dr Robinson, only protection PE shorts. On completion, we had to say "Thank you Sir"! - and that was just for chattering during morning assembly. How times have changed!

There was Prefects' Detention, which took place after school, but the real killer was Teachers' Detention, held on Saturday mornings. Rather than admit to your parents you were in detention you would invent some reason for voluntarily getting up early, then sneak off with your school uniform in a bag, changing on the way.

Sevenoaks School

1957 - Johnsons House, added by Michael Maia
Johnsons was not a happy place to be in the 50s. The house was ruled over by the iron fist of the housemaster, Ernest Groves, a heavy smoking Irishman who taught history and wore the same moss-green jacket for the entire four years I was there. He was tyranical and demanding. He got what he wanted out of us 50 boys not by co-operation but out of sheer fear. In those days Johnsons had no heating, only outside toilets, a matron who was over 80 and food to die from. Cold baths every morning, summer and winter, were de rigeur and we did most of the cleaning ourselves. Discipline was maintained with the cane, liberally administered for the most minor infringement of strict regulations detailed in a rule book which each new boy had to read and sign during his first week.

Cardinal Langley RC School, Manchester

1969 - Punishments, added by Steve Gilmartin
I was the first one to get the slipper in class 1d which was where I started in 1961. It was administered by Mr Deasy in the gym for swinging on one of the ropes when I should have just stood next to it. The worse part of it was that he used my own bloody gym shoe, and it hurt like hell! I also remember the school uniform, especially the cap badge which had 3 metal rings on the back so it could be stitched onto the cap. If you hit someone's badge with the flat of your hand it drove the three rings into their skull. This painful procedure was as often as not dished out by one of the prefects.

All Saints RC School, Manchester

1960s - Public Flogging
One of my abiding memories of this school was a public flogging being administered to a pupil on the stage in front of the whole school. The boy who was belted had been arrested, along with some other Manchester United fans, for wrecking a train en route to the European Cup final. It's hard to believe that such a matter would be dealt with by a boy's school in the same way these days.

Colchester Royal Grammar School

1966 - Beatings, added by Richard Fairman
It seems amazing now, but boys as young as 15 were allowed to inflict corporal punishment on fellow pupils with a slipper. Detentions were on Saturday morning, which for local pupils was not too much of an imposition. However, I lived out on Mersea Island, so Saturday 'clink' involved a bus journey to school at 8 am and a return journey at 5 pm - a real imposition.

King Edward VI School, Chelmsford

The ticket was a blank timetable format for one week which wrongdoers had to bring to every lesson. Any misbehaviour during that lesson resulted in the ticket not being initialled in the appropriate square by the teacher, the inevitable consequence being a visit to the Head's office for a caning. A number of enterprising fellows made a modest living by forging teachers' initials on tickets (one kept a selection of pens especially for the purpose). Once the powers that be got wind of this the system was changed so that a large 'X' would be placed in the square if not signed. The Headmaster had a rack of canes in his study of different diameters appropriate to the age of the boy being beaten. His armchair doubled as a punishment chair.

King Edward VI School, Louth

1950 - The flogging of '49 added by Tony Russell
First day of the autumn term. Some new boy in the junior dorm is heard talking after lights out.A nerdy prefect comes in and demands to know who was the culprit. No volunteers, so off he goes to Headley. Said master storms up from his study wanting to know 'Who done it'. Silence. So off to his study shuffle thirteen unhappy lads for 'three of the best' apiece.My brother John and I had a room overlooking the hall to Headley's study and watched thirteen snivelling juniors emerge one by one, nursing their sore backsides.

Haywards Heath Grammar School

1966 - The Swish, added by Michael Oaten
Walking down Harlands Road well after the end of school without my cap on my head. Who drives along but ECCW; the result - six of the best the next morning.

1966 - The Swish 2, added by Paul Newbery
A bunch of us, Tom Sully, Barry Nulty, Geoff Harris plus others, decided to treat the 'Mock' 'O' levels a bit too much like the real thing and after a morning exam didn't go to Spike's woodwork class. The roll of doom was read out in assembly next morning and we all duly trooped off to Mr. Wynter's office to receive our medicine.Tom thought a cricket sweater down the trousers was a fine idea and didn't flinch once. Ted Wynter noticed his lack of reaction and gave him six more without removing the sweater. Yet again, Tom didn't flinch - what a man! We all wore bum stripes for the next day or so. Not Tom.

St Ambrose College Cheshire

1964 - Public Floggings, added by Michael Davy
Brother Foley - Master of Ceremonies. Always held at the end of assembly, up on the stage.Very impressive performance of a run-up, ending in a whistle and crack as the strap hit the target..Where are on earth can you get training like that? The offence? Smoking on school premises.



Gillingham Technical High School

1973 - Detentions
Tuesday detention was for those who had offended the prefects. These paragons of the Hitler youth had the power to put you in detention for such heinous crimes as not wearing your cap all the way home (to your front door) or removing your tie on the bus. Society was better in those days though eh?

Hulme Grammar School for Boys

1952 - Mr Shaw (Headmaster) added by Paddy Higgens
I was terrified of Mr Shaw as he was a very strict man. He beat me twice; for 'wrestling' in Soapy Bywaters maths class (eight strokes) and for scratching my initials on a table in the Biology lab (six).

1964 - Mr H B (Harry Bam) Shaw Added by John Chadderton
Tall, almost bald, redhead. All the comments here bring back the sinking feeling I had every time (and there were several) that I stood by the wooden panelling outside his study waiting for the inevitable whacks. My crimes were: throwing a paper dart in Cotter Woodcock's Latin Lesson, throwing a snowball (at nothing in particular), defacing an official notice etc.

1965 - Mr Shaw, added by Peter Davies
Terrifying reactionary head of whom all boys (and some masters) lived in fear. Given to excessive caning at slightest excuse. Still have the occasional nightmare in which he features. He once told me I was 'damaged beyond repair' for admitting under interrogation that I quite liked 'That Was The Week That Was', the popular late-Saturday night satirical TV programme of the time!



Northampton Grammar School

1969 - Canings, added by Phil Peters
Who remembers the ritual HJCO had for caning??
1- The lecture.
2- The selection of your own preferred implement of beating (choice of thick, medium, & thin cane from the cabinet on the wall).
3- The locking of the said cabinet and delivery of said implement of correction to the hand of HJCO.
4- The placing of the chair over which you were to bend to receive your corrective therapy.
5- Bending over the said item of support.
6- The prodding of your rear end with corrective therapy implement, to check for any padding secreted in the trouser seat area.
7- The announcement of the additional one or two strokes of the cane awarded if said illegal padding was discovered.
8- The preliminary 'range-finding' taps
9- The "swoosh" sound followed by the loud "crack" and the accompanying pain
10- The 'thank-you Sir' that was expected by HJCO to complete matters and demonstrate that you had learned your lesson and generally justify the sound thrashing you had just received.
11- The showing of the scars to your classmates in the toilets afterwards.

12- The inability to sit comfortably during the remainder of the day's lessons.

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