It was the beginning of the autumn term at Cliff House School for Boys, and in the absence of the headmaster, Dr Graham, who was attending a conference on modern teaching methods, the college had been left in the charge of the assistant head, Mr Bishop.
Although the head was a relatively young man, and had only recently been appointed, his assistant was middle-aged and had been at Cliff House for many years. Mr Bishop knew now that he could not aspire to a headship and was aware that Dr Graham regarded him as being rather old fashioned in his methods. The head was a great believer in 'cooperation' as distinct from 'coercion' and believed that boys would behave and work hard once they realised that this was in their own self-interest.
Mr Bishop took a distinctly more pessimistic view of boy-nature and considered that pupils must at all times be kept aware that disobedience or laziness would result in punishment. The sanction that he most favoured was the cane, for surely all schoolboys fear pain and will do their best to avoid it. The new head frowned upon corporal punishment, however, and whereas Mr Bishop's favourite canes had once been proudly displayed in the classroom, acting as a visible deterrent, they were now relegated to a cupboard behind the desk in his office.
Corporal punishment had not actually been abolished at Cliff House - it had merely fallen into disuse. Mr Bishop regretted this and had noted a deterioration in the behaviour of the boys, especially the younger ones. He could think of several first-year tearaways who, in former times, would have been summoned to his office for a dose of cane with the threat of 'more to come and even harder' if they failed to reform. The head's method, on the other hand, was to call the offender in for a 'quiet chat', following which he left grinning rather than rubbing the welted backside which he really deserved.
Mr Bishop was in his office, taking a cup of tea after lunch, when there was a knock at the door and one of the prefects asked to see him. Two pupils had been caught shoplifting at the nearby confectioners and had been frogmarched back to Cliff House by the irate owner. The gentleman concerned was very angry, and had threatened to summon the police. Could Mr Bishop speak to him?
Mr Bishop followed the prefect to the school gates where the shopkeeper was standing, holding two frightened youngsters by their collars. 'Thank you for returning those boys to the school. I shall ensure that they are suitably punished...' 'I've a good mind to call the police. There's too much shoplifting goes on these days.' 'As I said, they will be suitably punished. They will both be soundly caned by me this afternoon.' 'In that case I won't press charges. But if I ever catch them stealing again...'
'They will be soundly caned' - somehow the words had just slipped out. In the old days these young thieves would have been thrashed in front of the assembled school as a warning - and if anyone had ever deserved a caning these two boys did. Corporal punishment had not been abolished at Cliff House and surely even Dr Graham would sanction its use in a case such as this. Mr Bishop's thoughts were cut short by a question from the prefect.
'Are you really going to beat them sir?' Mr Bishop locked at the two 12-year-old offenders, standing with their heads bowed and shivering with fear and apprehension. 'As I told the shopkeeper, they will both be caned this afternoon. You will bring them to my office, dressed in PT kit, at three o'clock sharp. I'm sure you remember the routine from your younger days.' The prefect winced as he recalled a painful swishing he had suffered for bringing cigarettes to school. Oh how the cane had hurt - and he had never touched a fag since.
Word soon flew round the school that there were to be two canings that afternoon. Boys who had considered themselves immune from corporal punishment began to wonder whether it might soon be their turn to bend over for a whacking. As for Joynson and Grieve, the soon-to-be victims, the hour from two till three seemed to pass very slowly indeed. They found it impossible to concentrate upon their lesson and knew that by now most of the school was aware of their impending fate.
At a quarter to three the prefect came to the door of the classroom. 'Joynson and Grieve are wanted by Mr Bishop sir.' The boys in question reluctantly followed the prefect, stopping at the changing room to don white shorts and singlet. 'Mr Bishop says shorts only, you two. No underpants.' 'B-but...' 'There will be no buts. Now get a move on!' 'He won't whack us too hard will he? These PT shorts are so skimpy...' 'You'll get what you deserve. It will teach you not to go thieving.'
While the offenders were preparing for their chastisement, Mr Bishop was examining his assortment of canes. As it was some time since he had wielded the rod he practised for a while, trying different instruments before selecting a short, pliant instrument of medium thickness. There was a knock at the door and the two first-years were ushered in. They looked slight and vulnerable shivering in their PT kit and their eyes blinked with fear as they spied the collection of punishment canes lying on the desk. Mr Bishop asked the prefect to stay, as a witness to the punishment, and then addressed the two offenders.
'You two boys are in very serious trouble. You can consider yourselves lucky that the shopkeeper did not call the police in. What would your parents have said then? As it is, he has left the matter in the hands of the school and if you take your prescribed punishment now like brave boys this incident need proceed no further.'
The assistant head picked up his chosen cane and flexed it. 'As you are no doubt aware the cane has not been used for some time at Cliff House. However, it is still available for the punishment of serious offences and I intend to beat the two of you now. Do you have anything to say for yourselves before I thrash you?'
The two 12-year-olds said nothing. They were both very frightened of the cane, but the possibility of their shoplifting being reported to their parents - or even the police if the shopkeeper found out that they had not actually received the corporal punishment promised - caused them both to decide to accept what was coming to them.
'You will each receive six of the best. Now who is going to be first? Neither of you wish to volunteer? Then step forward Grieve, since your name appears first in the alphabet.' There were already tears in the boy's eyes as he shuffled towards the waiting armchair and bent over the padded back in the required position, with his hands on the armrests. 'Joynson, you will stand over in the corner, facing the wall and with your hands on your head. Do as you're told lad!'
Mr Bishop instructed the prefect to kneel at the front of the armchair and hold the wrists of the boy about to be punished. He knew from experience that there might be some struggling expected, especially as this youngster was new to the cane. The sixth-former took a firm grip, looking up into the youngster's face. Tears were now rolling down the kid's cheeks and he felt very sorry for him.
Mr Bishop took careful aim and there was a hissing sound as the whippy cane scythed through the air. 'CRACK!' The rod lashed smartly across the schoolboy's pert young bottom, causing him to scream out and try to jump up. That must have stung like hell, thought the prefect, as he looked at the pain-wracked face and endeavoured to maintain his grip on the squirming boy.
Joynson stood shivering with fear in the corner, listening to the hiss and crack of the cane and the accompanying cries and sobs. Very soon it would be his own turn. 'Get up Grieve and stand in the corner with your hands on your head. Joynson take his place!' The caned schoolboy was sobbing uncontrollably now. He had never imagined the cane could hurt so much and desperately wanted to rub his burning backside.
Mr Bishop took a short rest whilst Joynson positioned himself over the chair. Although it was now some time since he had caned a boy he fancied that he had carried out a very professional job on young Grieve's backside, distributing the six stinging cuts in a neat pattern.
Now there was a further naughty schoolboy to be dealt with. This lad's cotton shorts were so thin that one could almost see the tender flesh beneath - flesh that was about to be emblazoned with a series of ugly weals.
'SWISH - CRACK!' The cane landed smartly across the centre of the schoolboy's buttocks, creating a line of fiery burning pain. Joynson groaned but did not struggle. Five more stingers followed, well laid on, and although the white-clad bottom quivered a little the boy kept his position, stoically accepting the agonising chastisement.
Mr Bishop ordered the lad to rise and told him to stand next to his partner-in-crime, keeping his hands on his head. He then instructed the prefect to pull down the miscreants' shorts 'just to check that they have suffered no serious injury' and the sixth-former gasped as he saw the fearsome ridged weals on the boys' well-thrashed behinds. The assistant head, on the other hand, mentally congratulated himself on a job well done, noting the orderly spacing of the marks which were all confined to the fleshy part of the buttocks. The first-formers had certainly suffered, but no permanent harm had been done - and once word travelled around the school that the cane was back in use Mr Bishop expected to see an immediate improvement in the general behaviour of the pupils.
The next day Mr Bishop received some unexpected news. Dr Graham, the headmaster, had been offered and accepted a position in educational administration. Would he, Mr Bishop, be prepared to take on the position of acting headmaster until his retirement?
Mr Bishop accepted willingly, and as his first task in his new job compiled a long list of offences which would henceforth be dealt with by corporal punishment. His second - and even more urgent - task was to interview those boys whose general conduct or poor work merited an immediate dose of the cane. Mr Bishop ordered a fresh batch of punishment canes from the educational supply company - he was going to be kept very busy over the next few weeks!