"Lay across the table". Yound Tennyson would reach out across the table and prepare himself as best he could for an event that he would remember all his life.The doctor would reach for the cane and swish it once of twice as if testing it out. What he was in fact doing, was building up the boy's sense of fear and anxiety at what was to come.At this point any hope of reprieve which the boy had imagined might come would have gone and he would be hanging onto the table like a shipwrecked sailor to a float. The Head would then tap the boy's bottom lightly as if to mark out the spot for his attentions. This was very soon followed by the first cut of tye cane onto his victim's upturned cheeks. There were few could avoid an involuntary gasp as the cane laid into their bare skin.Some older, stronger boys would be keen to show that the cane meant nothing to them and try to ensure that they showed no pain. This was brave but foolhardy since the Hrad was detirmined to the show the whole school that it was painful and would lay into them all the harder to ensure that he got the response he sought.
If the instrument bof punishment were flexible- and it was- nothing else about a School beating was. It was always six strokes; never more; never less.It is difficult to say whether the experience was worse for junior or senior boys. As a junior you were more frightened and unsure of your ability to handle the situation but as a senior it was more humiliating to have the beauty of your bare bottom inspected by junior boys. It could also be a defining moment in your school career. A young lad who could manage a rueful grin at his mates at the end of assembly would son be s star whose company would be sought out.But the senior boy, hero of the Rugby or Cricket team who attracted admiring glances as he swaggered about the School would soon find himself the object of derision if he cried of pleaded with the Head.
Dr Yeats was inch perfect and each beating proceeded on the basis of 4 horizontal stripes cut into the buttocks, which was just about endurable, followed by two horizontal ones cutting into the horizontal weals which had appeared, which was not.If you've not expereienced a caning (well, I think you should - try the SWAT team !)it is difficult for a poor author such as myself to descibe the sound of a caning on the bare rump. The swish of the cane through the air, followed by - how can one describe it ? the sound of the cuts rippling into the exposed cheeks; the flesh initially gives way under the blow and then bounces back. Instantly, the mark of the blow appears and rises in a weal or stripe as if to come forward to meet the next blow.
And the recipient of these attentions ? He would grit his teeth and let out a groan or a small cry as each blow literally took the wind out of him.
ONE- Christ that hurt.
TWO - F**K ! I didn't think it was going to be that bad
THREE_Ooooooohhhh ! I cant take much more; hold on; hold on.
FOUR - WOW ! I've never hurt like this before. I'll kill that bastard, but I'm nearly there now.
FIVE - Dont cry, dont give him that pleasure, ooohhhh ouwwww !
SIX - Bloody Hell; please stop now , give me a moment to recover before I have to stand. "Tennyson, Stand up . assembly is dismissed". (That's how I remember it anyway)
For a Head's Beating the culprit would besummoned in games kit to stand outside the Head's study at 6 o'clock on the designated day. Once again, things followed a regular and unchanging pattern. You would be asked to bring along a friend to be a witness of what was going to happen - another example of the Head's keeness to implicate others in a beating. Of course they were kept waiting in the hall to maximise the fear and also the humiliation of being seen shivering with cold and fear outside the Heads's study with all passers by knowing exactly what you were in for.The friend might offer well- intentioned but basically unhelpful remarks (Done be scared. perhaps it wont be too bad etc etc)Eventually the dorr would swing open and the miscreant would be called in. he was then lectured about his weaknesses and how kind the Head was being in agreeing to punish him like this rather than expel him. I can remember thinking that expulsion sounded like absolute Heaven ! It was well known that a Head's beating was dreadfully painful' 8 strokes being the tariff with a heacy cane.
"Bend over that chair and drop your shorts ". You would move towards an upholstyered leather chair, drop your gym shorts and bend over to await the inevitable. At this point your friend would be called in and find himself facing your exposed,pouting cheeks - it was both exciting and scary to see your mate with his bottom exposed like that, awaiting some severe treatment. "Fetch me a cane from the desk". There would be two canes laid out on the desk. A light coloured rattan one about 30 inches long with a "traditional" bent handle and a dark, knotted bamboo one, straight and heavier. Of course, usually your mate would select the lighter one in the hope of sparing you the worst. Some hope ! The selection of cane was, of course, made out of sight of the culprit, whose vision was limited to the seat of the leather chair. The selection was awaited by the Head with great anticpation by the Head.He knew, of course, that usually the lighter cane would be selected, but he didn't mind. It was in itself a fearful weapon, capable of inflicting maximum pain on the bottom awaiting him. What it lacked in length, it made up for in flexibility and whippiness and the waiting buttocks could be assured of a memorable experience.He would also lay it one with absolute maximum force to ensure that you didn't get off lightly. Just occasionaly, in confusion or maybe deliberately the heavier cane would be selected. This was taken as a clear indication that however friendly the boys might be, the witness was highly excited by what lay in store and wanted to ensure that his friend got well and truly tanned in his presence.
In such an instance the Head would cast a casual glance at the boy's flies to see if there was any visual evidence of excitement.He would make a note that if the lad was excited by a caning then he would soon be able to enjoy one for himself. The heavier cane, although more dramatic in appearance, in fact produced a less aesthetically appealling result on the boys cheeks. Heavier, it thudded rather than sliced. and produced generalised purple bruising all over the rear rather than producing the elegant scarlet stripes of the lighter cane. But whatever colour your bum took on, the Head could be confident that he was giving you a truly painful experience, the memory of which would remain long after the marks had faded.
The Head would spare no energy in laying into your upraised and usually quivering backside. I will not detain you with a detailed and possibly repetitious series of "whooshes" and "oohhs" and "arrgghs". I will instead leave it to you to count out 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and add your own sound effects whilst you ponder on the physicaL effect on the attrative sight turned towards the Head. You might also speculate about the effect on your friend standing there, watching your bottok turn from white to bright red with scarlet stripes superimposed on it.
At last it stopped(not the pain but the beating).You would be told to stand up, pull up your shorts and leave in the company of your friend with as much dignity -never very much in my case, I fear- as you could muster.At best, a long sleeless painful night lay in store. At worst some bastard in your dorm had been up to something and the Head would be round at lights out to inflict another beating on your poor bruised backside !