The following doesn’t relate to any specific incident, but just explains how boys and girls naughty enough to be reported to the headmistress at my primary school were punished back in the 1970s.
When I was at primary school, spankings, for the most part, were given by the headmistress. The occasional smack on the bottom would sometimes be given in class, but this wasn’t that common. Anyone reported to the headmistress, or unlucky enough to be caught in the corridor if sent out from class, was duly summoned to be dealt with in the lunch break. This was bad enough if you got into trouble in the morning, but if you were in trouble in the afternoon the situation was compounded by an anxious wait until the following day for your punishment.
Anyone waiting for punishment had to line up in the corridor outside a particular classroom until she came along and called everyone in. Sometimes you’d be the only one (I hated that) but usually there would be 3 or 4. The most I remember lining up were 8 of us. I can’t remember why there were so many but can only assume a group got into trouble.
While boys were the worst offenders, girls certainly weren’t exempt. When in the classroom, you lined up against the wall and listened to a general telling- off. You were then called out one at a time to explain your specific behaviour. You would then go over her knee for spanking, or have to bend over a desk for the slipper.
Punishment was given on underwear and you watched each other get their punishment. This certainly built the tension until it was your turn.
I managed to avoid this until my 3rd year, so I think I would have been about seven. I was extremely nervous. I can’t remember why I was there, but do remember being very reluctant to step forward when told. I was the only one that day and didn’t know what to expect. I eventually shuffled forward and had my shorts taken down. This seemed normal as it happened at home too, so I thought nothing of it. I was duly put over her knee and given a firm spanking but, to my relief, not as bad as I got from Dad, and she hadn’t pulled my underpants down. I don’t think bare bottom spanking was allowed in this school then but at the time I didn’t know this. It certainly hurt and made me gasp but I managed not to cry. I was pretty good at school and didn’t get spanked too often; about once, occasionally twice, in a term.
Whilst I saw others get slippered, I managed to avoid it until about 9. I was aware from reactions I’d seen that it hurt more, but hadn’t to that point experienced it. On that day, when instead of being put over her knee I was instructed to bend over the desk, I remember my stomach tightening, but duly bent over, trousers at ankles and waited for what felt ages but was only a few seconds. The slipper rested on my bottom, then SMACK. Normally when I cried, it built up slowly from a sob, a moan, then open blubbing. On this occasion, I literally burst into tears straight away. I had a very sore bottom that day and any other time I was slippered.
An additional issue for me was that my mum was a classroom assistant/dinner lady at the school, so she always was told about my punishment. This usually resulted in a boring lecture on the walk home but usually went no further.
I am happy to be contacted by other UK readers with any questions on guyfarnbank@gmail.com
GF