It was September 1971 when the day finally dawned for me to start school at Dunstan House. I had dreaded the day for weeks and now it was here. I still wanted to go to Southfield with my friends from primary school but my parents were determined that I would go to Dunstan House and no amount of pleading had changed anything and so, I had no choice but to go. The previous day I had been made to try on my new school uniform for yet another time just to make sure that it fitted me. It included some much hated grey shorts, the buying of which had led to me being forced to wear shorts again all the time although I had started to wear long trousers the previous winter. My parents talked enthusiastically about me going to Dunstan House and that only made matters worse as they really seemed to be enjoying my misery.
My father called me at about 7.00am, I had planned to stay in bed rather longer but he was most insistent that I should get up at once in order to get to school on time. I got washed and dressed slowly taking care over the uniform, I knew the school was strict and for all I didn't want to go, I didn't want to get into trouble on my first day. I didn't want any breakfast and was determined, in spite of my mother protesting that I was not going to eat any. If I had to go to Dunstan House there was going to be some of my own way about it even if I was hungry.
I left home at 8.15am, cap firmly on my head and had arranged to meet Tim Adams, the only other boy I knew who was not going to Southfield. At the bus stop were a group of others going to school, my short trousers attracted some comments from the others who were all wearing long trousers allowed by any other school. I felt miserable. Tim caught the same bus, there were a few others on it who we knew and they were talking excitedly about Southfield and we both felt left out.
We arrived a few minutes ahead of the 8.45am starting time. Four teachers, all wearing gowns ushered us to one side of the entrance and told us to stand quietly. Senior boys were being lined up by year and told to move towards the assembly hall. Once the other boys had gone we were instructed to form two lines and move forward in silence to the hall. We did, I think everyone was nervous. Once in the hall, we lined up at one side, next to the second form. There was a bit of coughing but otherwise the hall was silent with an air of anticipation. There was some sound and the Headmaster swept to the front of the hall, dressed in gown and mortar board, he climbed the steps to the stage, made his way to the centre and faced the school, he nodded almost imperceptibly and a response of 'Good Morning Sir,' rose from the school. He greeted everyone and without another word started prayers which led straight into the singing of a hymn.
The daily act of worship concluded, he addressed the school, talking about the year to come, the work that would need to be undertaken and how achievements would need to be greater than ever and all efforts increased. There was a reminder that any misbehaviour would be dealt with seriously at which point there was much shuffling and looking at the ground. Across in the opposite corner to where we were there was some coughing and spluttering. The Headmaster looked across with an icy stare, three boys were named, reminded that term had begun and that they should report to the Head's study immediately assembly was over. I think I guessed what was going to happen there. The business over, classes began to be dismissed until only the new first form was left. There were fifty of us and we were to be divided into two forms. We were told that at the moment we were being placed in either form but before the half term break we would have exams and after that we would be streamed more appropriately. Surnames began to be read from a list and we were ordered to move to one side of the hall or the other. Tim and I were separated as were most boys who knew each other. The form masters were named, Mr Stephenson for my form and Mr Gibson for the other form. Both came forward, dressed in gowns and instructed us to follow them in silence.
The form room was imposing. The teachers' desk was on a platform at the front with a large blackboard behind it. Our desks were arranged in five single rows of five so there was no one to actually sit next to. At the door we were lined up, Mr Stephenson produced a class list and told us that desks would be allocated in alphabetical order and as he called our name we were to move forward and take the next desk in line. I think everyone was nervous and we all did exactly as we were told. Once we sat down Mr Stephenson moved to the front of the room and began outlining the timetable for the year ahead. He would be teaching us English Language and Literature, he would expect high standards and all work to be done on time and to a high standard. Any failure in this regard would be looked upon as a serious matter. He ran through the timetable, it was almost all academic sessions with the exception of two periods of games on Thursday and one of each of music and art on Friday. We also had an extra and compulsory period of games on Monday lunchtime. As that was today, he told us that Mr Dolan would expect us to attend in order that he could outline his expectations though he did not expect that we would be doing any sport today. He talked a bit more about the school and said that lessons would begin after morning break. There was an opportunity for us to ask any questions and then a tour of the school when we were shown the library, the gym, some of the science labs and where the staff room and Head's office were.
We returned to our form room after break and awaited the arrival of Mr Bainbridge who was to teach us maths. Mr Bainbridge was a tall though rather thin man with thick grey hair and horn rimmed glasses, he too wore a gown and looked rather severe. He distributed books which he must have placed in the room during break time and began to out line the work ahead, some of which I didn't understand. There would be homework to complete after every lesson before the next one, a test every week and an exam at the end of every half term. This sounded awful, there was no doubt that work was the only thing on the agenda from now on. He opened the text book and started to refer to the first chapter, we were set some work to start and complete and walked around the room looking at what everyone was doing, stopping at times to explain what was required. I began to relax a bit, he seemed OK and he wanted to explain things and for us to learn. The lesson flew past and was drawing to a close when Mr Bainbridge called for attention, he had written some homework on the blackboard and we were to note it down and prepare it before class the following day. The bell rang and he left the room.
The next class which was the last one before lunch was a geography lesson taught by Mr Lewis. He was younger than any teacher we had seen so far but still wore a gown and seemed fairly severe. Similar things were said about work, fortunately there would not be as many tests as in maths but still one every half term. Homework would need to be done and handed in within two days of being given and he would mark it prior to the next lesson. He left us in no doubt, anyone not handing in homework on time would be caned. There was a gasp, we all knew about caning at Dunstan House but this was the first time the threat had been real. To emphasise his point Mr Lewis reached behind the blackboard and withdrew a cane, golden yellow in colour, about a yard long with a crook at one end, he swished it through the air a few times and then replaced it. That certainly seemed to concentrate everyone's mind.
We had a quick lunch and returned to the form room as instructed to await the arrival of Mr Dolan the sports teacher. All of a sudden he was at the door, he was fairly short and muscular with close cropped blond hair and much younger than even Mr Lewis. He looked around the room, slightly menacing, he was wearing a blue rugby shirt and a pair of black shorts. Silence fell. We were ordered to stand, form a single line and follow him which we did. He led us through the school to where the gym was and into the changing room where we were told to sit on the benches around the wall. It was cold, all the windows were open. Once seated Mr Lewis began to walk up and down the middle of the room. He talked of the school's sporting achievements and how they would continue, that every one of us was capable of being really fit and that anyone who didn't perform would have extra training three nights a week after school at what he called the 'fat-busters and lazy lads' session, kit was to be spotlessly clean and ironed for each class, towels were always to be brought for showers and because we were now men as he put it, when we changed we were to take off our vests and underpants and for the same reason, the showers would always be cold. I didn't follow his logic but like everyone else kept an awkward silence. We were ordered to take off shoes and socks so that we could walk around the gym which we did and then the swimming pool. Back in the changing room Mr Lewis got into a similar theme to the other teachers, no misbehaviour would be tolerated and the consequences of it would be painful and swift. From the sleeve of his shirt he slipped into view a strap, about eighteen inches long, three wide and half an inch thick, this, he told us would be used on the bottom of any boy misbehaving in class or who forgot any part of his kit or who had dirty kit. We were reminded that we had a class on Thursday and dismissed.
The day went on in much the same way, more new teachers but a similar message from them all, the cane made a couple more appearances from behind the blackboard and there was more talk of tests and exams and homework. Finally the day over I packed my bag for home, remembering the various books I needed for the already mounting pile of homework, still, only maths had to be prepared for the next day so that wasn't too bad.
My mother was waiting when I got home, I had decided to adopt a policy of silence about school, I didn't want to be there and had no intention of saying anything that was going to make her think that any part of the day had been alright. I took the same approach with my father and if they thought I was being bloody minded they were right. I did my homework without too much of a problem and settled down to watch television.
Going to school the next morning wasn't so bad, at least I knew a few others and had met some teachers. There were still a lot of comments about short trousers at the bus stop and I just tried to laugh them off. The day started in similar fashion, the Headmaster standing in front of the school for morning assembly, the imperceptible nod and the morning greeting, prayers, hymn singing and notices. Two boys were names who were to report to the Headmaster's study after assembly though no reason for this was given.
First lesson of the day was maths. Mr Bainbridge arrived for the lesson and greeted us. He explained that anyone who had not completed their homework should remain standing when everyone else sat down. Two boys did and he asked for explanations, both claimed to have forgotten, he told them that they would have to remain indoors at lunchtime to complete extra work. He then started to go over the work, selecting boys at random to come to the front of the room and do calculations on the blackboard, clearly it would never pay to try to bluff if work wasn't done.
The first week progressed, more new teachers, all male, all fairly severe, and all with similar expectations and rules. Homework started to mount up and it was beginning to take a couple of hours each night. We had our first sports lesson on Thursday, Mr Dolan pushed us all hard in some basic circuit training and running but thankfully the strap made no appearances, there was a cold gang shower at the end of class and anyone who didn't get fully under the jets was ordered to stay in longer. Mr Bainbridge examined homework on a daily basis with those who failed to complete it having extra work each lunchtime. At Friday's lesson he warned that anyone not doing homework from now on would find a more serious consequence of their failure. At the end of Friday I had a lot of books to take home for weekend homework and struggled to get all my books in my bag. I spent quite a bit of both days doing work but by the end of Sunday I had finished and felt quite pleased with myself.
Monday morning came and I had a sense of dread, I didn't know why, I still hated the uniform, something that lasted all the years I was at Dunstan House. I had a sense that in the previous week we might have been given leeway that would be lacking now and that things might be more strict this week. It was on the bus that I realised to my horror that I had not done my maths homework and that maths was the first class of the day. I arrived at school five minutes ahead of assembly time but I couldn't complete the work in that time.
The class started and I thought I should remain standing, I had not been picked the previous week to demonstrate my work so it could well happen today and I would be caught. Another guy called Lester also remained standing when Mr Bainbridge ordered the class to sit. He asked for explanations as to why we hadn't done the assigned work and we both stated that we had forgotten. Instead of being given extra work for lunchtime, he told us to come to the staff room at morning break. My stomach started to churn, what could this mean, he had warned of a more serious consequence the previous week, what was going to happen to us. The demonstrating of the homework started and he picked on a guy called Nolan second. It was quite obvious that he hadn't done the homework either but had not owned up to it and he was told to join Lester and Taylor at break time.
The next two periods dragged, I was getting more and more nervous, everyone was sure that we would be getting the cane. Break started and the three of us made our way to the staff room. Mr Bainbridge was waiting for us, we lined up and he told us that he took a very dim view of us not doing homework and that from now on we would have to do double for the rest of the week and that he was also going to cane us, four strokes for Lester and Taylor and six for Nolan as he had not owned up. He moved into a small office and summoned Lester and closed the door. After an hour long minute there was a swoosh followed by a crackkk. The sound repeated three more times and finally the door opened and a tearful Lester emerged. My name was called and I entered the room closing the door behind me. Mr Bainbridge had taken off his gown and was standing flexing a cane, just like the one Mr Lewis had produced in the class room. I was ordered to remove my blazer and bend over the back of the chair that was positioned in the middle of the room. I did so, Mr Bainbridge took up position behind me and to the left. He reminded me that I was being given four strokes for no doing my homework. With that he raised the cane, there was a loud swoosh, a crackkk and all of a sudden my bottom felt as though it had a line of fire running across it. A second one followed, I gripped the chair, my eyes filled with tears, the third stroke landed and my tears started to run down my face, I gripped the chair, if this was what the cane felt like I would be doing my best to avoid it from now on, number four landed, it seemed harder than the other strokes and seemed to set them all on fire even more. I was ordered to stand, put on my blazer and was dismissed. I opened the door, there was Nolan, I didn't envy him getting half as many again.
Returning to class I tried to put on a brave face but my bottom was blazing, sitting through the next two classes was agony. Eventually the bell rang for lunch. We had to hurry today as we had sports and whatever else happened I didn't want to be in trouble for being late. As we got to the changing room Mr Dolan was waiting, today would be our first swimming class. Our sports kit didn't include any trunks and I remembered thinking that this was odd at the time but had never thought any more about it. I suddenly wondered what I was to wear, what if everyone else had trunks and I didn't, I would get a strapping from Mr Dolan which I really didn't need on my still sore bottom. Clearly everyone was having the same thoughts when Mr Dolan ordered silence. We were all men and swimming trunks were not part of the uniform and not necessary for a group of men swimming together, we should undress and line up, he was timing us and anyone not undressed in one minute would be strapped, he started his stopwatch. We all started to get our clothes off as quickly as possible and all made it inside the minute. Dropping my trousers and underpants was something I would have like to have taken a bit more gently. I caught sight of the Lester and Nolan, both had a set of clear red stripes across their bottoms, I must have the same. There were some comments from other guys, some of almost admiration, others stating that it looked sore – which it was. From then on, at virtually every sports class, a couple of guys had a set of stripes across their bottoms, I had my fair share over the years but the three of us always had a bit of extra cred for being first.
It took a few days for the sting to go completely and the marks lasted just over a week. It was a while before I forgot to do my maths homework again but on each occasion, the consequences were the same....