An independent school has to be kept in good condition. Graffiti has to be cleaned off the moment it appears and everywhere walls must be decorated with work done by the boys – especially their art work - so that when prospective parents are being shown around they are more likely to be impressed. We are salesmen as well as being educators. Naturally hundreds of boys are in and out of the buildings every day of the school term and, with the best will in the world, damage will occur and much redecoration has to be done in the holiday periods.
The school was beginning to thrive and waiting lists were long. Oddly enough, we had, in part, a Labour government to thank for this. As they abolished the grammar schools and set up these very large comprehensive schools many parents realised that mixed ability classes were a catastrophe. The very brightest and the remedial children were together in the same class for many lessons and it suited neither. In addition there was an obvious lack of discipline in many of these very large schools and bullying became the order of the day. No wonder many parents were willing to pay twice over to educate their sons - once through their taxes and a second time in the paying of fees. It was not uncommon to learn that some parents had been willing to take out a second mortgage in order to pay the considerable sums that had to be met.
This particular summer I decided to take the plunge and build four new classrooms in the school grounds and to expand the number of pupils. I gave this task over to a local builder who did all my work in the school. Tony Handyman had four sons. His two elder sons were in their twenties and employed in the business. They had been through the state system because at that time Tony could not afford to send them to an independent school but as his business flourished his two younger sons were attending my school. They were not over bright but nice enough and once they had felt the cane over their bottoms once or twice they quickly got the idea that they had to obey school rules and do their work as best as they could.
When the time came for an estimate for the annual summer redecoration I used to say jokingly that if he charged me too much I would just have to cane his two younger boys all the harder. He would reply that any profit he made was eaten up by the exorbitant school fees I charged. We got on well and I might even offer him a glass of my much prized sherry.....
This particular summer his workmen were behind schedule. They had all the extra work of painting the new classrooms and this was a priority. The usual work of painting the rest of the school had to take place in the first few weeks of the new September term. The outside of my study still had to have a new coat of paint.
For some silly reason Andrew Handyman who was 15 years of age and, whom the other boys had nicknamed Handy Andy, was going through a silly patch. Together with his younger brother, who had the equally unfortunate nickname of Andy Pandy, they were testing the school rules to the limit. Perhaps they were trying to show off to their elder brothers who were busy completing their painting jobs. They had both been sent to me twice and, being the kind and loving Headmaster that both my regular readers will recognise, I let them off with a warning. I thought that this would be a wise thing to do whilst their elder brothers were on the premises. However when they were sent to me for yet a third time and this time for being cheeky and disobedient to a teacher on playground duty at break time I decided enough was enough. I ordered them both to report to me at one oclock during the dinner break when hopefully the senior members of their family would be away having their lunch break as well.
One oclock came and I had finished my lunch followed by a glass or two of some medicine which I had disguised in a brandy bottle. The two lads knocked on my door and I bade them enter. They stood in front of my desk with their hands behind their backs and their eyes automatically honed in on the cane which I had casually placed on the side of my desk. They knew what they were going to get alright. I merely said, "This is the third time that you have been sent to me and it is only the second week of the term. You were lucky to escape with a warning on the first two occasions but now you will be caned."
The boys showed no emotion and of course they fully expected that they would be whacked this time. They would not be disappointed. I ordered both boys to remove their jackets and then beckoned to the older boy to bend over my desk. The younger one was told to stand back but I allowed him to watch. It is always more embarrassing for an older boy to be caned in front of a younger sibling. He tried hard not to wriggle and to remain silent but as the fourth stroke landed on his nicely rounded bottom he groaned and squirmed. The fifth stroke produced a very loud Ouch and once the sixth stroke had been delivered he shot up and rubbed his bottom furiously. The younger lad was not feeling so brave now but he had to face the same six strokes. I positioned him nicely but he squirmed and wriggled after the very first stroke. The second and third strokes brought cries of pain and he found the last three strokes very hard to bear but there were no tears. I now had two very red faced boys in my study both rubbing their bottoms like mad. It was then that a sixth sense made me turn round and at the window I saw the grinning faces of the two older brothers who had returned early to paint the wooden frames of my windows.
I was not overjoyed at this turn of events but there was nothing I could do about it and I sent the two younger ones on their way still clutching their bottoms. Some five minutes later there was a knock on my door and in came the two older brothers. I was afraid of this and thought this might be the prelude to a nasty encounter. At first they just stood there for a minute or two but the 21 year old nudged the 23 year old who then began to stutter out, " W-we saw you cane our two brothers." Well I knew this and wondered if I was going to suffer a tirade of abuse but to my astonishment he went on, " We-we wondered if you would cane us as well! You see we went to a school where there was no corporal punishment and our younger brothers are forever calling us wimps and we want to see what is like."
Well! Life is full of surprises! I looked them up and down in a new light. They were very well formed young men but they were dressed in the heavy overalls that decorators usually wear. " I can do that little thing for you," I replied, " but you will not feel anything in those heavy overalls. Take them off."
It was a very hot day and the 21 year old said that they had nothing on under the overalls. "I dont care," I said in the voice I use as a Headmaster, "Take them off!" The two men turned rather pale at this turn of events but were quickly being reduced to the status of young boys in trouble with their Headmaster and they could see that I was used to being obeyed. Reluctantly they got out of their overalls and there they were stark naked in my study. It was a sight to behold. I ordered the taller of the two and the one who was the eldest of the four brothers to bend over my desk. His bare buttocks were duly raised in place and I slowly but surely delivered the six strokes which produced six beautiful red lines on his white bottom. He took it well. I then ordered the other brother to take up his position and the scene was repeated. I then told them to put on their overalls and to get back to their painting, and as an afterthought, I added, "And if the work is not done to my complete satisfaction there will be another six for each of you...." The guys grinned and left my study to complete their painting job.
The next morning my secretary informed me that Father Handyman was wanting to see me. "Oh dear!" I thought to myself as I gulped my first whisky of the day. "This could be unpleasant." After all, the previous day I had caned all four of his boys – and two of them were not even in attendance at my school!
Tony came into my study and immediately started with "I understand that you caned all my boys yesterday."
I nodded my head in agreement.
He stretched out his hand to shake mine and laughingly said, "Well Done! All four of them have been very uppity of late and it is time they had their come uppance. They would not have taken it from me but it is different coming from you. If I get any nonsense from any one of them in the future I am going to send them to you to be punished."
And so it was. Every now and then he sent one or more of his boys to my cottage on a Saturday morning and I saw to them. Tony always telephoned me in advance to make sure that I knew who was coming and he always telephoned again later on to double check that they had been but they always turned up and somehow I think they quite enjoyed their occasional trips to me. I always completed their canings with a cup of coffee and a chat and there was never any ill-will on their part.