Date: Sun, 20 Nov 1994 14:36:33 UTC Subject: STORY- OLD BOYS AT MURRYFIELDS - M/M - CP
When I was eleven I was taken to a large boarding school in Perthshire and sat the entrance examination, I liked the look of the school and hoped I had been successful in both the written exam and the interview. About a week later a large brown envelope arrived and then contents told my parents that there was a place available for me at the school. Also enclosed was a complete syllabus and uniform list. That evening my father sat me down and went through the details of the school with me. The classes etc were pretty standard, and the school consisted of four boarding houses.
The uniform consisted of white shirts, blue blazer, grey shorts, grey stockings and black lacing shoes. Even the colour of vest and underpants were stated, all white. P.E. Kit was all white with the house colours round the edges. For Sundays and special events the kilt had to be worn with a tweed jacket, white shirt, fawn stockings and green or red cotton trews. Although I already wore a kilt I didn't know what trews were and my dad explained that these were worn under your kilt and were like girls gym pants with elasticated legs. I had always just worn my white underpants under my kilt so this rule surprised me but didn't bother me too much.
The other issue we talked about that night was the section in the brochure headed 'D I S C I P L I N E'. Loss of privileges are used by most masters, but corporal punishment has always been seen as the most effective way of dealing with miscreants and therefore parents are advised that the cane and the tawse are used frequently. My father joked about this telling me that I had better behave myself, and no more was said.
The uniform etc was all bought during the summer holidays and packed into a trunk and sent off to school. My new kilt outfit was kept back as the rules said that the kilt etc was to be worn for travel. On the morning of the 10th September I rose, washed and put on my new gear, I looked very smart but found the trews tight round the top of my legs but decided I would just have to put up with it. My father drove me to the school which was situated in a secluded country area. I was left in the charge of a monitor, a pupil about a year older than I was. He took me to my dormitory where I met other new boys. We changed into our shorts and blazers and then assembled to meet our Housemaster.
Mr Paterson was a fairly tall person and had an air of authority about him. He welcomed us to the school and hoped that we would be happy. "If you stick to the rules then you should have no problems, but if you don't you will be making closer contact with my friend here." he said as he lifted a long thin cane from his desk drawer, "I hope that it will not need to be used!"
I soon settled into the school and began to enjoy the way of life which existed there. In January the school were told that those who wished to go to Murryfield on Saturday to see the match between Scotland and France, and being a keen rugby supporter I and about seven others from my house volunteered to go. A total of about thirty boys and two masters made up the party. On the Saturday morning, resplendent in our kilts, we left in the private bus for the match. We were given free time in Edinburgh before the game and were then taken to the stadium. We were told when and where to meet after the match, but we could go in by ourselves. The eight from my house went on the terrace and the match started.
Soon some chaps of about twenty years old pushed in beside us and said they had recognised our ties and that they were old boys. They chatted about school and soon half time came. They then produced hip flasks and offered them round, and included us. I said to my best friend John that I didn't think we should, but another boy Charles accused us of being 'chicken', so we agreed to take a little whiskey. but with all the flasks being passed round we were soon quite drunk and sick. I don't remember much more until I wakened on the bus feeling awful.
I sat up and said to one of the masters standing beside me that I felt terrible. In a cold harsh voice he informed me that I and my friends would feel an awful lot worse when the Headmaster saw us. that threat didn't make me feel any better, and after what seemed like an eternity we arrived back at school and the House Captain was sent for, told to take us to wash and clean up and then wait in our dormitory. In due course we sat on our beds feeling very tired and scared. After about forty minutes a small boy came and said that Mr Paterson wanted us to go and stand outside the Headmaster's room. This we did and were duly beckoned into the study. The Head was to say at the least furious and disgusted with our behaviour. He went on about the good name of the school and said that he was considering expulsion as the only suitable punishment.
John and David burst into tears and I started to plead for this action not to be taken. I was told to be quiet and we were all sent to stand outside again, I tried to comfort my two pals although not very successfully.
"All of you, inside." came the command from Mr Paterson. We all entered and the Head said he had decided to relent on the expulsion issue, but he was going to thrash us more severely than he had ever punished boys in his five years as Headmaster. I will also be advising your parents and will expect them also to punish you. Part of your punishment will be administered now and the rest tomorrow morning, Sunday after chapel. He then pulled a large armchair into the centre of the floor and told David to bend over it.
David was still crying and apologising but this had no effect. At a nod from the Head, Mr Patterson stepped forward and pulled David's shirt and vest out of the top of his kilt. He then lifted up David's kilt leaving his bottom only covered by his green trews. The Head picked up the cane and stood over David, after a couple of practice swishes, he brought the cane down over David's bottom, who let out a loud shriek and grabbed his bottom. A further five strokes crashed down and I nearly collapsed with fear. David stood up crying profusely and holding his bottom under his kilt.
The other boys were dealt with in a similar fashion and some took it fairly well, while others screamed and howled. That left only John and I still to be punished. The Head took a short rest and then told John to take up his position over the chair. Mr Patterson pulled up his kilt revealing that John had white underpants on instead of regulation trews.
"Stand up boy." said the Head, "You let the school down outside and inside you cannot even obey the simple rules of uniform! Take them off!"
"Take what off, Sir?" mumbled John.
"Is the boy stupid?" said the Head to all around. "TELL HIM." he said to me.
"Take your underpants off, John." I said quietly.
"Oh no, Sir, Please Sir, No!" John said fearfully.
The Head then stepped to the study door, opened it and sent a boy fro the School Captain. He duly arrived and between Mr Paterson and himself they held John firmly over the chair. The Head then turned to me and instructed me to remove John's underpants and turn back his kilt.
I put my hands under John's kilt and gripped the leg of his pants and pulled them off, and then lifted up his kilt leaving his bottom uncovered. The Head lifted his cane and drew it down hard on John's bottom leaving an immediate red stripe which looked very sore. Five more followed leaving John's bottom covered in angry, red weals.
"Right, your turn." The Head said to me, "I trust you are dressed properly?"
"Yes, SIR!" I replied.
"You know what to do then, don't you?"
I bent over the chair, felt my shirt and vest being pulled out of my kilt and then my kilt being lifted back, clear of my bottom. The cane lashed down and I have never felt pain like it and cried out, down it came again and again and I was crying like a baby when it was over and I stood up.
"You will now be confined to your dormitory until chapel tomorrow, after which you will receive the second part of your punishment, you may go!"
We left the study and returned to our dormitory and lay crying on our beds dreading what was going to happen the following morning after chapel.
Eventually, I fell asleep lying on my tummy, but all too soon it was morning and the reveille bell was ringing. When I wakened I felt all stiff and sore and rose very reluctantly. We went for our showers and saw that all our bottoms were well marked. John's looked particularly sore and angry and he said it felt that way. We returned to the dormitory and once again dressed in our kilts, I half joked with John about making sure he dressed properly and I received a weak smile.
We walked over to the dinning room for breakfast which we had in silence. Surprisingly no-one mentioned what was in store for us after Chapel.
At 10.30 we assembled in the Chapel and the service took place as normal. I don't remember much about it as I didn't really feel like singing hymns or listening to Bible readings. The service ended with the Chaplin giving the Benediction and everyone sat down. Normally the Headmaster would have left with the staff and prefects, but at this point the Head rose and asked all pupils except for those in my house to leave.
In due course the Chapel was cleared except for the forty boys in my house. four prefects, Mr Paterson and two other members of staff.
"Would the eight boys who disgraced themselves and our school yesterday please come out to the front." The Headmaster's voice echoed around the Chapel. we moved out slowly and lined up facing the other boys of the house.
"I assume you all know what happened at the match, and the resulting punishment which was administered?"
There were nods of agreement from the other boys.
"What they received then was only the first part of their punishment, and if they had difficulty sitting in Chapel this morning, the they are going to have even greater difficulty sitting down for lunch."
It suddenly struck me that he must intend caning us again and I started to cry.
"Your fathers have also ben asked to be here at 12.30 and further discussions will take place then. In the meantime I am not only going to punish each of you in front of your fellow pupils but I hope a certain level of humiliation is felt. Who was last to be thrashed last night?"
"I was, Sir,"
"Right, you will be first this morning." said the Head as he turned to one of the prefects and asked him to place a stool at the front. I felt sick with fear, my bottom was still sore and the thought of further punishment terrified me. The two members of staff then stepped forward and took me to the stool.
"Put you tummy on the stool and grip the bottom of the legs with both hands." commanded the Head.
I was half pushed over by the staff and I made myself as comfortable as possible. I kept trying to look up to see what was going on, but this proved impossible. The Headmaster then spoke to all the boys sitting in dead silence in the front pews;
"I have never been so ashamed of any of my pupils and intend that those involved will remember for a very long time the results of their behaviour, and I also hope that all of YOU will take heed of what happens when you step seriously out of line. I am also for the first time in this school going to punish these boys with the tawse!"
I was told later that by now all the other seven were crying profusely.
"Right Mr Paterson, prepare him for punishment please."
Mr Paterson came over to me, and as he had done last night he pulled out my shirt and vest from the top of my kilt. My kilt was then lifted back and to my horror we started to pull down my trews. I leapt up pleading, but was hurriedly grabbed by the prefects and held over the stool.
"You are not such a big boy now then, are you?" said the Head angrily, someone, I'm not sure who, lifted my kilt up and pulled down my trews to my ankles. Suddenly my whole backside went on fire as the tawse crashed down on my bare bottom. I screamed but was held down firmly. Three more times the tawse came before I was released from the firm grip of the prefects. I have never felt pain like it and I shuffled about tripping over my trews, and holding my bottom which felt like a furnace.
I was only half aware of the screams from the other boys as each of their bare bottoms were thrashed. Everyone received four strokes and I can say that the tawse was far worse than the cane.
Much to my relief when my dad arrived at the school he did not punish me. He lifted my kilt and pulled down my trews and when he saw the damage he decided that I had had enough, but he did warn me that if he was brought to the school again, then, regardless of how much punishment I had received from the Headmaster, he would also leather me.
The marks on our bottoms lasted for about a week, and we were the talk of the school.
I received a few more canings in my school career, and later as a prefect I administered a few canings, but that day in the chapel will remain ingrained in my mind (and my bottom) for the rest of my life.