Blast from the past - remind us of a thing

[paulguitar]

At my prep school, the English teacher had a habit of throwing the board rubber at pupils who had transgressed in some way. One time he did it to the kid next to me, hit him in the temple and knocked him out cold. He was slumped upon his desk for a solid minute, dribbling out of one corner of his mouth and slightly shaking. The teacher looked genuinely worried, briefly.

[Sticks.]

Shocking to read. I went to an old fashioned state school in the 70s but there was no caning. The best teachers could keep control without.

And board rubbers would land on the desk on front of you, covering you in a cloud of dust, much to the amusement of your peers.

[Abbott]

I was in northern Italy last week and saw in a shop one of those ashtrays that was shaped like bowl with a chrome cap and a plunger that made a disc spin. I can remember there being one in our house and it being quite mesmerising to keep it spinning.

[FiF]

As mentioned when I was at boys grammar it was an age where many of the masters would have served in ww2, maybe the odd one in ww1. Looking good back one can recognise that some of them suffered from PTSD or other issues, except one games / geography guy who seemed to have had a whale of a time in Korea and used to love to tell tales when games were abandoned due to weather.

But a few were utterly brutal, the ex Scots Guard maths master was a total psycho, I've witnessed him slippering someone in class so hard he was lifting himself off his feet with the downswing. That was simply for being a bit slow on dealong with log tables.

Latin master once threw a desk from one corner of the room diagonally over everyone's heads. How it missed doing any injuries was a miracle. We used to sit in double Latin Friday pm literally shaking with fear in case you were the target of his ire due to an imperfect translation of Virgil's Aeneid.

[dandarez]

E3134 said:

Lotobear said:

Getting the strap at school - or was that just a thing up north?

I had it a few times - x3 on each hand and by god it stung (but you tried not to show it, at least until after you'd left the head's study).

It was a properly made thing - semi rigid leather about 2 foot six long and at least 1/4 inch thick with one end fashioned into a handle and the other slit into around 6 strands. Hard to think now that someone sat down, designed that, manufactured and them marketed it!

Brutal times buy, hey, it did me no harm

PS: a Labour run LEA too, imagine that now?

I was also beaten at school, as an 11 year old I was hit on the backside six times with a wooden stick for saying Yay at 4pm on a Friday afternoon in woodwork class.

Not sure that I can follow your example that it did you no harm. For one thing it bloody hurt, physically and the memory is still there

I have the memory, but no physical harm - we're all different. I have more scars from stuff we did back then, for example, like being chased by a farmer who set his dog on us. We'd been 'scrumping' (look it up) on his land. I was last of us to 'run'. The dog was snapping at my heels as I got past one of my pals (he had his arse bitten badly by the dog, and suffered for a considerable time. The dog was then catching us again as a low hedge came up, and I did a 'hurdle' jump (I was good at sports!) and again outwitted the dog who went for another pal. I was not unscathed, and still have the scar to prove it to this day - the top part of the hedge had barbed wire going along the length. I was told I'd have to have stitches, but didn't. Oddly, it's quite a neat scar.

We (inc me) did occasionally get the 'cane' (no strap, ever) across the palm of the hand (Junior school, 1950s). Usually for some silly indiscretion which today would go unpunished. First time I was caned on the hand I was made aware by other kids who'd had it, 'Do not pull your hand back, keep it still in one place.' I found out why. Kid in front of me (there was a line of us outside the Heads) he did pull his hand back - caught full force across his fingers. Blood soon appeared! I followed their advice... hurt yeah, but bruising gone in a few days.

Corporal punishment sometimes had a good side. I'll get to it in a mo.
I was wrongly caned (on the butt) for apparently 'setting fire to the cupboard in the music classroom'. Wasn't me, never found out who it was to this day (local facebook group members who were at the school at the time recall it but nobody owns up - barstards!). We used old cricket shinguard cut up and stuffed down rear of pants - it worked, you let out a yell and left the headmaster's room with a smirk on your face!

The good side of corporal punishment.
First month at Secondary school I used to get 'thumped' by a bunch of 'older' kids, 5 or 6 of 'em. Not sure why? I'd get one thump, then another would do it with the comment 'That one's to make sure you don't tell anyone.' This went on for a while. In those days you didn't tell your parents, and your mates were all 'first years' so while they consoled you, they made sure they kept out of the way of what were basically, a bunch of cowards together.

An older (decent) pupil found out what had been happening each morning to me and instructed me to go to the Head and tell. The next day was the last 'thump' I took. Somehow I plucked up courage and during break tapped on the Head's door, went in, and spilled the beans and the names of them all. He said very little then just told me to leave and get back to my breaktime.
Rest of the day I'm thinking 'fk, what a prat I'd been - when they find out I'm in for it.' My pals couldn't believe what I'd done. I don't think I slept that night. Next morning, parked my bike up in the school bike shed, looking over my shoulder constantly as I headed for the main entrance, fully expecting the daily 'thump'.... surprise, nothing, didn't note any of them about.
All off to assembly in the main hall, usual singing and other crap. As we are about to all disperse, on comes the Head, says he has an announcement to make. Then signals the dep head, who brings the lot of em (cowards) onto the stage.
Everyone (except me!) is wondering wtf is going on. One by one, each is told to bend over. The head caned each half a doz times.

The barstewards never, ever bothered me again. LOL

[Master Bean]

Hi Here Little Beggar Boys Catch Newts Or Fish New Nature Magnifies All Sin P S Charlie Are Kittens Cats

Remembered from School Science.

[nismocat]

I went to a good school (top two in the town) that never had corporal punishment. Even though I lived the other side of town I managed to get into the school as my mum worked in the library, all my cousins and friends went to a very rough school (since knocked down) and they told us about beatings and getting the cane. It petrified me, but they were all very naughty boys!

My school has since changed name and now gets the worst ratings with Ofsted.

[Cotty]

Abbott said:

I was in northern Italy last week and saw in a shop one of those ashtrays that was shaped like bowl with a chrome cap and a plunger that made a disc spin. I can remember there being one in our house and it being quite mesmerising to keep it spinning.

my dad had one

[Abbott]

Cotty said:

Abbott said:

I was in northern Italy last week and saw in a shop one of those ashtrays that was shaped like bowl with a chrome cap and a plunger that made a disc spin. I can remember there being one in our house and it being quite mesmerising to keep it spinning.

my dad had one

That's the one.

[E3134]

dandarez said:

E3134 said:

Lotobear said:

Getting the strap at school - or was that just a thing up north?

I had it a few times - x3 on each hand and by god it stung (but you tried not to show it, at least until after you'd left the head's study).

It was a properly made thing - semi rigid leather about 2 foot six long and at least 1/4 inch thick with one end fashioned into a handle and the other slit into around 6 strands. Hard to think now that someone sat down, designed that, manufactured and them marketed it!

Brutal times buy, hey, it did me no harm

PS: a Labour run LEA too, imagine that now?

I was also beaten at school, as an 11 year old I was hit on the backside six times with a wooden stick for saying Yay at 4pm on a Friday afternoon in woodwork class.

Not sure that I can follow your example that it did you no harm. For one thing it bloody hurt, physically and the memory is still there

I have the memory, but no physical harm - we're all different. I have more scars from stuff we did back then, for example, like being chased by a farmer who set his dog on us. We'd been 'scrumping' (look it up) on his land. I was last of us to 'run'. The dog was snapping at my heels as I got past one of my pals (he had his arse bitten badly by the dog, and suffered for a considerable time. The dog was then catching us again as a low hedge came up, and I did a 'hurdle' jump (I was good at sports!) and again outwitted the dog who went for another pal. I was not unscathed, and still have the scar to prove it to this day - the top part of the hedge had barbed wire going along the length. I was told I'd have to have stitches, but didn't. Oddly, it's quite a neat scar.

We (inc me) did occasionally get the 'cane' (no strap, ever) across the palm of the hand (Junior school, 1950s). Usually for some silly indiscretion which today would go unpunished. First time I was caned on the hand I was made aware by other kids who'd had it, 'Do not pull your hand back, keep it still in one place.' I found out why. Kid in front of me (there was a line of us outside the Heads) he did pull his hand back - caught full force across his fingers. Blood soon appeared! I followed their advice... hurt yeah, but bruising gone in a few days.

Corporal punishment sometimes had a good side. I'll get to it in a mo.
I was wrongly caned (on the butt) for apparently 'setting fire to the cupboard in the music classroom'. Wasn't me, never found out who it was to this day (local facebook group members who were at the school at the time recall it but nobody owns up - barstards!). We used old cricket shinguard cut up and stuffed down rear of pants - it worked, you let out a yell and left the headmaster's room with a smirk on your face!

The good side of corporal punishment.
First month at Secondary school I used to get 'thumped' by a bunch of 'older' kids, 5 or 6 of 'em. Not sure why? I'd get one thump, then another would do it with the comment 'That one's to make sure you don't tell anyone.' This went on for a while. In those days you didn't tell your parents, and your mates were all 'first years' so while they consoled you, they made sure they kept out of the way of what were basically, a bunch of cowards together.

An older (decent) pupil found out what had been happening each morning to me and instructed me to go to the Head and tell. The next day was the last 'thump' I took. Somehow I plucked up courage and during break tapped on the Head's door, went in, and spilled the beans and the names of them all. He said very little then just told me to leave and get back to my breaktime.
Rest of the day I'm thinking 'fk, what a prat I'd been - when they find out I'm in for it.' My pals couldn't believe what I'd done. I don't think I slept that night. Next morning, parked my bike up in the school bike shed, looking over my shoulder constantly as I headed for the main entrance, fully expecting the daily 'thump'.... surprise, nothing, didn't note any of them about.
All off to assembly in the main hall, usual singing and other crap. As we are about to all disperse, on comes the Head, says he has an announcement to make. Then signals the dep head, who brings the lot of em (cowards) onto the stage.
Everyone (except me!) is wondering wtf is going on. One by one, each is told to bend over. The head caned each half a doz times.

The barstewards never, ever bothered me again. LOL

One of the worst situations was in the school gym. The gym master was about 30, his wife was much older, looked about 50, she came to the school one day. One boy in my class, we were about 14, made some remark about the teachers mother coming to the school.

The gym master set up a boxing ring in the gym, gave the boy some gloves and insisted that he got into the ring, The boy was actually taller than the master and thought it would just be a knock about. He was beaten about the body and face, smashed his nose, several cuts on his face, heavy bleeding. Ambulance was called, teacher was suspended for a week, the boy was kicked out of school.

The Head teacher more or less said it was the boys fault, that was the culture of the school, a grammar school, the victim gets what they deserve and if that is violence then all the better, the message will be hammered home.

I am very pleased to think that todays children will not be going through this abuse.

[Om]

Could we get back to talking about Spangles please?

[Sticks.]

Om said:

Could we get back to talking about Spangles please?

Old English or fruit?

I was asked about hand signals on my driving test.

[beagrizzly]

Om said:

Could we get back to talking about Spangles please?

[Purosangue]

Om said:

Could we get back to talking about Spangles please?

can still taste them. On Saturday's Dad used to fill up at the local Esso and we were allowed to pick a few sweets , spangles were a favourite

[RDMcG]

The whirring sound of the electric milk floats and breadvans in Dublin when I was a child. Then the sounds of the milk bottles being put on the step . You had to get them in quickly before the birds pecked through the foil tops.

[eldar]

Fizzy Spangles? How very posh. What's wrong with the fluff covered ones that have spent months hiding in our pockets?

[jet_noise]

Master Bean said:

Hi Here Little Beggar Boys Catch Newts Or Fish New Nature Magnifies All Sin P S Charlie Are Kittens Cats

Remembered from School Science.

My chemistry teacher (early '70s) taught reading the rows as if they were a word. Can only remember the 1st two (as you do!). Still useful for pub quizzes and watching University Challenge

[CivicDuties]

paulguitar said:

At my prep school, the English teacher had a habit of throwing the board rubber at pupils who had transgressed in some way. One time he did it to the kid next to me, hit him in the temple and knocked him out cold. He was slumped upon his desk for a solid minute, dribbling out of one corner of his mouth and slightly shaking. The teacher looked genuinely worried, briefly.

It was a maths teacher at my school. Wooden blackboard rubber, so quite painful. One of his throws missed its mark, flew through an open window, and hit the actor Gordon Jackson, who was being given a tour of the school by the Headmaster shortly before a scene for an episode of The Professionals was filmed there, square in the back.

[Big Rod]

Sticks. said:

Old English or fruit?

I was asked about hand signals on my driving test.

I was told that one of my Aunts signalled and changed gear at the same time and failed her driving test.

[paulguitar]

RDMcG said:

The whirring sound of the electric milk floats and breadvans in Dublin when I was a child. Then the sounds of the milk bottles being put on the step . You had to get them in quickly before the birds pecked through the foil tops.

We had a thing called a 'milk hatch' which was a little box built into the side of the house. We also kept a spare back key in there, in an old tobacco tin.


Because obviously, no burglars would ever have suspected a key might be kept there.