I was eight when I arrived at The Grange, a prep school in Devon. I remember the look on my parents faces as they drove slowly up the long gravel drivewat towards the gates, my mother crying and looking as if she would never see me again.
My parents were posted in South Africa so it would be another 3 months before I would be seeing them again.
The Grange was set in its own grounds. It was an old manor house and quite imposing to a small boy. Mr Jacks, my housemaster, who I had only met once before at my interview, and Cuthbert, my house prefect, stood beside me.
Mr Jacks told me to stop blubbering before I went back into the school '' so that I would not show any weakness to the other boys''. He left me in the care of Cuthbert, who was to look after me for the rest of the day. He instructed Cuthbert to bring me to his room at bed time for a chat, when he would welcome me to the house. Cuthbert was twelve and in his last year at The Grange.
As we wlaked off to the school doors Cuthbert turned to me and told me something I have never forgotten.
''You need to be careful Jamie, Mr Jacks has a saying''.
I asked him what it was.
''Well''.....he paused for added effect ''he syas it is doubly painful for us being educated at The Grange. First it is painfull on our fathers pockets and second it is painfull on our bottoms''
Then he asked me if I could tie my own tie correctly. When I said that I could he told me about morning inspection when he and the other prefects inspected the new boys for the first term. If our ties and socks were untidy we would be given a batting. Iasked him what a batting was.
''Well, lets hope it is some time before you find out, just be warned, that all.
I walked into the large porch and then into the huge hallway of my new home wishing that my parents would drive back and take me away with them. I dried my tears and walked up the long staircase to my dorm.
After supper I read and played table tennis in the relaxation room next to my dorm. There were five other new boys with me and I had started to settle down a little when I saw that they too had brought their teddy bears with them. Matron seemed nice. She was a cuddly lady and I liked her immediately. She supervised our bathing and wrapped us in soft towels to dry, We were then into our pyjamas and told to jump into bed.
We were allowed to read until lights out. Matron left us all with a wet kiss to each of our well-scrubbed cheeks.
After about ten minutes Cuthbert and another boy arrived. His name was Fredricks and he was another prefect. Cuthbert came over to my bed and tld me to come with him. He told me to put on my slippers and dressing gown and I did as I was told. Fredricks told the other boys to put their books away and lie down. They all did as they were told immediately.
I felt worried as I followed Cuthbert. He told me that he was taking me to see Mr Jacks and I remembered him being asked to do so. He sees every new boy privately when they first arrive, I was informed as we walked along the dimly lit hallway toward Mr Jacks study. Don't worry Jamie it isn't too bad and you are lucky to have been chosen first, he added. I was scared now. What did he mean 'it didn't hurt that much'. I wanted my mother.
When we arrived at Mr Jacks door Cuthbert knocked and was told to enter. Mr Jacks sat behing his desk reading. He looked up and said 'well, it is Jamie, isn't it?'
'Yes sir' I replied.
'Thank you Cuthbert, you may wait outside'', Mr Jacks instructed the young prefect.
'Welcome to The Grange boy'', the man said to me as I stood in front of his desk. ''I am responsible for you now. Do you remember when I met you and your parents at your recent interview?''.
''Yes sir'' I replied
''Well, I thought at the time that you were the sort of young fellow who would need to be kept on a short leash.... do you understand?''
I did not know what he meant so I replied as politely as I could ''Yes sir''.
He then told me that I was to remove my dressing gown and place it on the chair which he pointed to in the corner of the room. I was nervous now but I did as I was told. When I disobeyed my father at home I often got slippered at bed time so I knew that I should obey now.
''Very good, now come here to me''. I walked around to him and he held me around the waist. ''I expect you to be a good boy in my house and do as you are told by all adults and by your house prefect, Cuthbert. He will report any naughty behaviour to me and you will be firmly punished for it....do you understand me young man?''
''Yes sir'' I said quietly.
''Come closer...thats right''. He gently pulled me to his right side and then pulled me over his lap so that my legs fell to one side and my head the other. I knew what was going to happen as I had been in this postition at home. I kicked my legs in a brief act of defiance and then, thinking better of it, I just lied still.
Mr Jacks must have been pleased with my compliance because he mumbled soflty under his breath something like ''thats a good little boy...no fighting...no wriggling, just lie quietly''.
I could barely hear him but he kept repeating those words and then I felt his hand lift my shirt away from the top of my pyjama trousers and then slowly move his hand under my pyjamas and onto my bottom. My trousers were still up around my waist and I was worried that he would take them off, my father alwayd did. But he just felt my bottom and I felt strange. No one had done this to me in my life apart from my father, not even my mother, and my father usually just took my trousers down and whacked at my bottom with his slipper until he was finished.
Afetr several minutes Mr Jacks took his hand out of my tousers and I thought that would be it. He then began to grip the top of the waistband of my pyjamas with one hand and pulled them up my back. The trousers began to bite into my bottom and I let out a small squeal as they did so.
WHACK
His hand smacked my bottom hard and it hurt.
''Ouch....owwee'' I cried.
WHACK
Another hard smack in the same place on my bottom
''Oweeee'' please it hurts'' I cried out
''Don't be such a baby'' Mr Jacks said ''what will you be like when you get the cane?'' He laughed.
WHACK WHACK WHACK...........
I began to cry and after a while the smacking ended. My bottom throbbed as much as when I had the slipper at home and I lay across Mr Jacks knee, thinking of my mother. I cried harder and Mr Jacks told me to be quiet ''or the whole house will know what a baby you are'' he said.
He pulled my trousers down and the seam came out of my bottom so that was a relief... he rubbed my bottom gently and I heard him saying softly again ''lets make it better...lets make the little bottom better now''.
After a fwe minutes he let me up and taking a handkerchief out of his pocket he dried my eyes and told me to go and get my dressing down. When I was compoesed he called Cuthbert in and asked him to take me back to bed. Cuthbert asked me about my smacking and I just sobbed that it was not too bad ''Thats the spirit'' Cuthbert replied ''chin up....now you can watch the others get it over the next few nights...best not let on to anyone though or Jacks won't like it.
I agreed not to say anything but I did ask Cuthbert about the cane and did Mr Jacks really have one. Cuthbert just laughed and said that ''of course he had one and that it was best not to be foolish enough to warrant it''.
It was 1963.