This is a true story. The year is 1964. The place is a boys only grammar school towards the east coast of England. The scene shows me sat uncomfortably outside the Head's office and from within I can just hear the Head talking to my mum. I can't quite hear what words are being spoken but I am almost certain that they are discussing what form my punishment should take. I am reflecting on why I am sat here.
A few days earlier me and a number of other boys from this school hired a minibus to take us to a night-time football match 90 miles from home. The bus plus football game pass without incident and the only thing wrong with this is that our team lost 3-1. We returned home and each of us went to our own houses.
I enter the house and my mum immediately asks how my afternoon and evening have gone and did I manage to complete the survey that I had gone out to do ? I say yes it went OK.
My mother asks for clarification of what work we had actually done. I start to get a little nervous because my mum dosen't usually take such an interest. I start to make up a story about this imaginary survey but within 30 seconds my mother says 'stop'. She adds that she thinks I have not been doing school work but have been out of the region watching football and what's more have skived off school that afternoon. At this stage I realise that somehow my mum knows about our trip so I start to apologise. She again stops my statement and tells me that her and I are to report to the Head's study at 9am the following morning when I will have time to report my story. At this point I get very nervous since I know that any such visits to the Heads study end up with the 'visitor' receiving the cane.
A few days later I find out how we had been caught out. One of the boys decided to report ill that afternoon and was told to go home. The school were so concerned about his illness that they 'phoned the boys home to ask if he had got home safely. He hadn't of course gone home so the school did a quick register check as to who had gone missing after being there in the morning. The school then 'phoned all our homes and it soon became apparent what had actuallt taken place. Our defence was helped when one of the parents 'phoned said that her son had told her that it was OK for us all to go to this football match and the school had given permission. Now back to the main issue. I spent a restless night and when the morning came I get ready for school. My mum says here is your PE kit. I tell her that I don't have PE this day but my mum says that I will need definitely need the kit.
We arrive a few minutes later outside the Heads study. All of the other boys plus parents are also gathering. There isn't enough space for us all to sit down. The Heads secretary invites us all inside. For the next 15 minutes or so a debate takes place on our truancy and the end of the debate results in an agreement between parents and the Head that each of us is to be caned ( rather than suspended ).One final part of the agreement is that I am to be caned last and am to receive a greater punishment than the others since it was me who arranged the minibus.
We all go back outside the Heads study and wait nervously for our fate. Within seconds the first boy plus his mother are called back in. The room goes silent for a few moments and then suddennly we hear 'thwack' followed by a yelp. Within seconds there is another 'thwack' followed by a louder yell. This is then repeated one more time after which the room goes quiet. A couple of minutes later the boy plus mum leave the room with the boy rubbing his backside and clearly in pain.
This process is then repeated six more times and boys plus parents emerge from that room with the boy each time in serious pain. My mum or other parents do not allow me to talk to any of the boys as they retreat in pain but it is obvious that each of them has been given three strokes of the cane across their backsides.
It is now my turn and the secretary invites us into the room. The Head starts to say to me that since I was the leader of the group that I should be given a more severe punishment than the other boys. I attempt to get out of this but am again told to shut up. The Head states that since I am here in these circumstances then all that I am to do is accept the caning that I am about to get. I decide at this point to say nothing but do resign myself to the fact that I am about to be caned.
Any assumption I may have had that the caning will be three strokes quickly disappear. I am told that since I arranged the minibus then the truancy is my fault and that it is therefore my fault that all my 'mates' have had to have a caning. He goes on to say that therefore it has been agreed by everyone that I shall receive 'six of the best' across my backside with me dressed in PE kit. This really starts to make me panic since PE kit means that I will be wearing a thin pair of white shorts and nothing else. This panic lasts for only a few seconds since I am ordered to go into the small room off the Heads room and to change into my PE kit. This I reluctantly do and return a few minutes later feeling very vulnerable dressed in only these shorts. The Head orders me to put my hands on my head
I then have to listen to boring statements about how serious my offence is and how this will impact on my schooling. I am then told to go to the Heads metal filing cabinet and to look on the inside of the door. I do as told and see three canes hung on hooks on the inside of the door. I am told to select one of these canes and to bring it to the Head. I select the one which is the thinest whilst not being sure whether or not this will be less painful when it strikes my backside. Over the next years I repeat this process and select different canes whenever I am given the choice. My summary of this is they all hurt me severely.
I take the cane and hand it to the Head. I am told to move into the centre of the room and to stand to attention with my hands by my sides. I am then told to keep my legs straight and to 'touch my toes'. This I quickly do. With me in this uncomfortable position I am told that I am to receive 'six of the best' and that I am not to move until told I can do so. Failure to comply with this will mean extra strokes. I am also told that I must thank the Head after each stroke and count the number. I am asked if I understand and I mutter 'yes'.
Picture the scene. A 16 year old boy dressed in only a thin pair of white shorts bent over touching his toes about to receive a 'six of the best ' caning. This is with full parental approval with my mother stood watching.
The Head plus my mum move behind me and from the corner of my eye I see the Head raise the cane high into the air. I take a deep breath and close my eyes tight shut. Seconds later I hear 'thwack' and feel instant severe pain across my bottom. I manage to whisper 'one thank you for caning me'. The Head says he can't hear me so I repeat it in a slightly louder voice. Within seconds I receive stroke two. Again the pain is intense and I say 'two thank you for caning me'.
For the next few minutes I suffer setrious pain and don't know how I manage to stay touching my toes. After stroke six I say 'six thank you for caning me Headmaster'.I then start to stand up straight. The Head shouts at me and says was I given permision to stand up ? Before I can answer I am to go back down. The Head then says that stroke six doesn't count since I stood up without permision. He asks my mum if this is fair and she answers 'yes'. He then canes me a 7th time and again I say 'seven thank you for caning me'but this time I stay bent over. The Head asks my mum if I have been punished enough and she says 'yes'. I am then told I can stand up and return to the annexe room to dress.
I return to the Heads study and am then told to go to my normal classes. This is a maths class and the teacher asks where have I been ? I tell him but he says that has got nothing to do with him and that I am disrupting his class. He orders me out to the front of the room and I notice he has a raggy slipper in his hand. I start to protest but am quickly told to shut up. IF I don't I am told I will be taken me back to the Head for the cane . I thus saying nothing more. The teacher orders me to bend over his front desk so that everyone can get a good view of the 'slippering' I am about to get. I ask how many smacks I am to receive and he tells me I am 9 minutes late and will therefore receive nine smacks. I am now totally defeated and say nothing. For the next few minutes I receive the slipper nine times. I have had the slipper before from this teacher and it didn't use to hurt much but as I am being hit across the same area to where I have just been caned it hurts lots. After this spanking I am told to sit down in my seat which I find to be very painful but do as ordered.
I arrive home that evening and at the meal table there are my mum ; dad ; older brother plus his girlfriend. My dad asks if I was given six of the best with the cane and I say yes. Did it hurt seams a daft question but I said 'yes'. My dad ends by saying I got what I deserved and it could have been worse - I could have been expelled. I didn't think this needed a response but noticed that my brothers guirlfriend was almost smiling and that ends what had been a very umpleasant day. What I did not do for the rest of my school life was play truancy any more!!