Frank Tepper
I remember getting the cane from the Bonk what for I can’t remember and who was that French teacher who used to hit you over the knuckles with the edge of a ruler and the science master who used to throw black board dusters at you for talking?
Tony Azzopardi
Frank, it was Mayer the French teacher that hit us on our heads with the edge of his rule, he took pleasure the bastard by hurting us for his stupid fun.
Mick Simmonds
I got the cane on numerous occasions, the last time was from the Bonk for smoking outside by the little wall as I was on my way home for lunch. I showed my Dad what he had done and my dad when up the school in the afternoon and the Bonk locked himself in the office and when my Dad left he called me over the intercom and when I got there he told me my Dad had been up about the caning and told me he would do the same and I then told him if he marked my hands my Dad would be up again, to which the Bonk had no answer.
Another time in the science lab being taught by Mr Neath. Terry Eyles threw a tennis ball at Mr Neath while he was writing on the black board and as no one would own up to it he called up Mr Shah and he asked the same question. When no one would own up he asked Mr Neath what direction it came from as came from and Mr Neath pointed to where six of us were sitting. Mr Sharr then duly gave us all six of the best. Could go on about canings but I will leave it there.
George Kent
Someone was talking in the class, and because Shah did not know who it was he just took a group of us from the area he thought it was coming from, and this happened to me on a couple of occasions, and we all got six on the hands.
Barry Page
For Frank Tepper, the science master, who was a dead shot with either the blackboard rubber or a stick of chalk was “Belt up” or “Gurney” Gough.
The Bonk walloped me four-of-the-best on two occasions for failing to submit homework projects on time. At Eden Grove, approx. 1959, I was playing a game of ‘tag’ with other boys in the Assembly cum Dining Hall. We used a plimsoll to aim at each other to determine who was ‘it’ (tagged). Unfortunately, the lad who I aimed at ducked in time, and I saw the plimsoll sailing through the air and crash through one of the French door window panes. Mr. Madley, acting Head at Eden Grove, saw the whole incident and dragged me off to his office for a vicious caning. Wasn’t too popular at home, either, as my parents had to pay for the broken window pane.
Other corporal punishment was meted out by the likes of “Killer” Cohen, who relished in his “Hold out your paw, boy” routine, and striking said palm with the two split rulers. I recall one time when (dumb me) I yawned loudly and Mr. Lea called me out in front of the class. The punishment? Being struck on the open palm with either a cane or a plimsoll. Knowing the pain and suffering inflicted by the cane, I chose the plimsoll. Bad decision! The effect was worse that the cane as the whole palm smarted, not just minor areas on the fingers.
Happy days!
Roger Osborn
If you were sent to stand outside the class for misbehaving you knew that if the Bonk saw you - an automatic caning!
‘Percy’ Petherick nearly decked me as I walked into his class to deliver a message. He clearly didn’t like the way I delivered it so he without warning slapped me so hard I saw stars. These days, (quite rightly) he would be gone.
I can confirm Froggy Mayer would hit you on the head with the edge of ruler from behind, also the slipper on your backside starting with one slap. I saw it go to three once with the tough recipient very close to tears.
Rice with his sardonic threatening piece of Lino when used on your backside would receive another notch.
This is without mentioning the psychopath Rozzer Richards whose stories are already well documented in the annals of us GOBBS.
What a bunch: the Bonk’s Welsh Brigade!!
Roger Bartlett
Didn’t we all get the cane, ruler or blackboard rubber at some time? My most undeserved punishment occurred when the whole class was lined up outside Mr Rice’s maths hut in Eden Grove, where we were invited in one by one. When my turn arrived to be met inside by Rice - I was last - I asked why I was to be punished and was told that it was due to a poor examination result. It appeared the whole class received the slipper - one with a split across the sole so that it pinched when it struck. And I got mine even though I had the best exam mark. Unfortunately it was only 36/100. We were punished to remind us to pay attention.
I was once rulered and dismissed from the French class for being unable to translate an everyday item into French. Table, windows, pens etc had all been said my my classmates, so that my effort of 'lippy-stick’ was considered flippant.
The flying blackboard rubber was a regular occurrence, but was normally preceded by your name being called. Hit once, you soon realised that when hearing your name called, you ducked. Some teachers had poor aims and all the classmates around the named recipient had to duck in unison.
Happy days.
Barry Page
George Rice was singularly nasty; indeed, even sadistic. A short man with a permanent stoop, he would prowl along the corridors in a distinct lope and scowl at all and sundry through bespectacled frog-like eyes. As our mathematics teacher, he took to task any boy who was inattentive and produced poor results. A case in point was his victimisation of one lad in particular, whose name was Leslie Webb. During one lesson, this inoffensive boy was summoned to the front of the class and grilled by Mr. Rice over a trivial matter. Webb blubbered some comment, to which Mr. Rice accused him in a loud voice, “You’re a LIAR!” At which point he requested Webb to remove his eyeglasses and the boy complied. Next came a complete surprise to everyone as Mr. Rice swiped the back of his hand across Webb’s cheek, raising a red welt.
I, too, can attest the power of the split soled slipper!
Alan French
Yes! I got the cane……and the rest.
More disturbing though was the case of Mr ***** headmaster at Church of England school St Mary Magdalene, on Liverpool Road. Surely, the caning of a nine year old was an evil act of violence? All done within the sight of God which makes it seem more sinister. The truth came to light in 1998 whilst recovering from surgery and by coincidence a visit from a Church of England lay preacher, a friend who was headmaster of a school on King Henry’s Walk in Dalston back in the day, the one with a playground on the roof. He was tasked by the COE to investigate violence meted out by their teachers. The name Mr ***** came up in conversation.
This school corporal punishment regime was a failure as I later endured the size eleven slipper, blackboard duster, double sided ruler and more of the cane but the most humiliating thing was having your name entered in the book. I often wonder the whereabouts of those books. Perhaps a FOI request beckons.
Tony Bernie
Ecclesbourne Road, Primary School. 1950-55. Teacher: Mr Bell
I wasn’t alone for I recall he often picked out boys for “punishment” for talking in class, untidy work, lateness and dress issues. Bell was a strict disciplinarian. I don’t recall telling my parents out of a fear all would get worse for me. This period was when I was in his class aged 9-10, for my final year I was in Mr Wiltshire’s class when there were no caning incidents at all.
Martin "Bertie" Worster
These stories and accounts regarding caning bring back lots of memories which are not exactly pleasant. They go some way to dispel the old dictum that schooldays are “the best days of our lives”. Although I would agree that they are the best days overall.
I also received the cane on various occasions for different “offences” dished out by the usual suspects: The Bonk, Sharr, Cohen, Rozzer and so on. Each had their own sadistic methods to inflict pain both physically and physiologically on boys to suit their own twisted gratification.
I recall getting the cane from Davis when he “caught” me and Bob Withers eating our sandwiches our mums had prepared instead of a school dinner whilst seated on a bench in Holloway Road. Bonk felt that as we were wearing our school blazers it would give passers by a bad image of the school .
We duly presented ourselves as ordered to his office and were given the wonderful choice of hands or backside. Bob went in first and chose bum and came out having received 6 lashes which I heard audibly from outside the office. He came out holding his rear with tears in his eyes.
My turn next. I was given the same choice as Bob but chose hands. I calculated (erroneously) that as I was taller than the Bonk he would have a height difficulty in dishing out the punishment. After the first lethal hit, the second whooshed past my fingertips and I hopefully thought it would count as a stroke as it slightly touched me. I was wrong and I got the full six from a diminutive man with the strength of Sampson. We were two very unhappy schoolboys having felt that the justice meted out to us was unfair bearing in mind the trivial reason used.
On the other side of the coin there were those teachers who I am sure were secretly in opposition to corporal punishment. The Geography teacher Mr. Martin, a kindly man, was possibly one example to come to mind. [Mr. Walton, the Art teacher? ed]
Are we better off without corporal punishment in schools? On balance I would say yes, having experienced it first hand several times and realising it never had the deterrent effect expected. [is there a deliberate pun in this sentence, Bertie? ed]
Ray Wilkerson
I quite enjoyed my schooldays although it could be quite brutal sometimes. Capital punishment being the accepted disciplinary measure. I was given the cane frequently both at Ecclesbourne Road and Barnsbury. I always remember one day throwing snowballs in the playground and whether by design or accident I was hit by a snowball with a stone in it and it cut my wrist, so I went in search of the teacher responsible for First Aid (he had a packet of plasters). I think it might have been Mr Page; any way he put a plaster on it and then proceeded to give me the cane for throwing things in the playground.
Peter Langridge
I can remember Rice and his plimsol whacking a poor soul across his backside until he got, in his opinion, the right sound. Also Cohen with his rule across the the knuckles, seemingly for his pleasure.
On a lighter note, I remember a French teach at Eden grove named Miss Eades. She would sit on top of desk in front of the class with skirt on and her legs slightly apart. Aaah the memories. [everyone she taught, remembers her - ed]
Ken Pratley
My first introduction to the cane was at Laycock Infants School believe it or not. The headmistress Mrs or Miss Morgan saw myself and some friends playing on the old V1 bomb site at Station Road, Highbury Corner during the school lunch break. We were summoned to her office that afternoon. Myself Malcolm McTrouse, Norman Ridges and Malcolm's sister who was a year younger than he was, I think she must have been seven, were peremptorily caned the boys on the hands and Malcolm’s sister on the backside
My second encounter with corporal punishment came at Laycock Junior school. Mrs Scott the music teacher was taking us for a singing class, she would play the piano in the school hall and the class would sing. The lines that we were to sing were written in a songbook and the song we were to sing was 'Where have you been all the day Billy Boy'. Well when it got to the line "my Nancy tickles my fancy' The whole class just curled up and I along with three other boys were sent along to Cox's for the cane. Cox was a big man and applied it with gusto. As far as I remember those picked for punishment were selected at random or perhaps Mrs Scott didn't think, probably correctly, that we took the music lessons seriously enough.
At Barnsbury I had an argument with ? Burton in a science club class in the biology lab at Eden Grove over who should sit on the only vacant stool. This was settled in a fight after school that unwisely took place outside the exit next to the woodwork shop I managed to get Burton in a side headlock and was pleased to throw him in a cross buttock that unfortunately landed him at the feet of Rozzer who had just emerged through the doors. We were of course marched of to the Bonk’s office and duly caned.
The last time I received the cane was at the Camden Road site and again from Davis. I was catching up on homework in the library when someone I can't remember who, snatched my book away and started reading from it aloud, (It might have been George Giddings). Anyway the ensuing ructions caught the attention of Mr Lee who took us both down to the Bonk for a caning.
Happy Days.
Barry Page
Corporal punishment at Primary School was rampant; particularly if the Headmaster/Headmistress was of "old school" temperament. This is my contribution from Laycock Junior Mixed days:
I vaguely remember incidents of minor punishments such as writing ‘lines’ or the occasional detention. However, the one and only ‘caning’ that I received from Headmaster Cox remains a vivid memory. The event started innocently enough, but the consequences were dire. I was probably eight years old, and it was at the time when we were being taught English by Miss Simpson, a frumpish, middle-aged teacher. I sat next to another boy, Jimmy Rooke, and he goaded me to write in my text book the following phrase: MISS SIMPSON IS AN OLD SOW. Not wanting to bow out of this challenge, I promptly scribbled the defamatory remark in large letters on the page we were working from. It so happened that I was called up to the front of the class together with the text book. Miss Simpson took it upon herself to flip through the text book and, of course, came across the offending scribble. I think she was mortified when discovering this heinous insult, and I was drained of all strength as total embarrassment enveloped me. She demanded if I was guilty in writing the phrase, and I couldn’t deny it. So, I was marched down to the Headmaster’s office with the incriminating evidence. The shock of discovery and the fear of impending punishment—which was obviously going to be a caning—did nothing to alleviate the situation.
Mr. Cox was nonplussed despite my blubbering explanation that I was egged on by Jimmy Rooke. There was no choice but to administer the appropriate punishment and that was ‘four of the best’ on the open hand. Caning was something I think that ‘Coxy’ relished. He was well experienced, and his temperament made sure that the strokes were inflicted with maximum force. After this punishment I was sent back to the classroom and endured further humiliation as my classmates saw me enter the room with a reddened face that was streaked with tears. I don’t recall if Jimmy Rooke was ever implicated as an associate to the incident, but the buzz certainly travelled quickly and was heard by one of my friends, Norman Ridges.
I was now at an age that after school it was expected that I should meet my mother at the bus stop in Upper Street as she returned from her part-time job. This day was no exception, and Norman and I walked to the bus stop. I guess he accompanied me because I was still feeling low, and it was on his route to where he lived in Holloway Road. Mum arrived as usual, and as we started on our way home Norman said impulsively that I had been caned at school. Mother was flabbergasted at this news, and it didn’t bode well for me either. So I was marched off home to be given a real dressing down by my parents. Norman probably didn’t realise the impact of his remarks, but at least it didn’t spoil our friendship.
I remember getting the cane from the Bonk what for I can’t remember and who was that French teacher who used to hit you over the knuckles with the edge of a ruler and the science master who used to throw black board dusters at you for talking?
Tony Azzopardi
Frank, it was Mayer the French teacher that hit us on our heads with the edge of his rule, he took pleasure the bastard by hurting us for his stupid fun.
Mick Simmonds
I got the cane on numerous occasions, the last time was from the Bonk for smoking outside by the little wall as I was on my way home for lunch. I showed my Dad what he had done and my dad when up the school in the afternoon and the Bonk locked himself in the office and when my Dad left he called me over the intercom and when I got there he told me my Dad had been up about the caning and told me he would do the same and I then told him if he marked my hands my Dad would be up again, to which the Bonk had no answer.
Another time in the science lab being taught by Mr Neath. Terry Eyles threw a tennis ball at Mr Neath while he was writing on the black board and as no one would own up to it he called up Mr Shah and he asked the same question. When no one would own up he asked Mr Neath what direction it came from as came from and Mr Neath pointed to where six of us were sitting. Mr Sharr then duly gave us all six of the best. Could go on about canings but I will leave it there.
George Kent
Someone was talking in the class, and because Shah did not know who it was he just took a group of us from the area he thought it was coming from, and this happened to me on a couple of occasions, and we all got six on the hands.
Barry Page
For Frank Tepper, the science master, who was a dead shot with either the blackboard rubber or a stick of chalk was “Belt up” or “Gurney” Gough.
The Bonk walloped me four-of-the-best on two occasions for failing to submit homework projects on time. At Eden Grove, approx. 1959, I was playing a game of ‘tag’ with other boys in the Assembly cum Dining Hall. We used a plimsoll to aim at each other to determine who was ‘it’ (tagged). Unfortunately, the lad who I aimed at ducked in time, and I saw the plimsoll sailing through the air and crash through one of the French door window panes. Mr. Madley, acting Head at Eden Grove, saw the whole incident and dragged me off to his office for a vicious caning. Wasn’t too popular at home, either, as my parents had to pay for the broken window pane.
Other corporal punishment was meted out by the likes of “Killer” Cohen, who relished in his “Hold out your paw, boy” routine, and striking said palm with the two split rulers. I recall one time when (dumb me) I yawned loudly and Mr. Lea called me out in front of the class. The punishment? Being struck on the open palm with either a cane or a plimsoll. Knowing the pain and suffering inflicted by the cane, I chose the plimsoll. Bad decision! The effect was worse that the cane as the whole palm smarted, not just minor areas on the fingers.
Happy days!
Roger Osborn
If you were sent to stand outside the class for misbehaving you knew that if the Bonk saw you - an automatic caning!
‘Percy’ Petherick nearly decked me as I walked into his class to deliver a message. He clearly didn’t like the way I delivered it so he without warning slapped me so hard I saw stars. These days, (quite rightly) he would be gone.
I can confirm Froggy Mayer would hit you on the head with the edge of ruler from behind, also the slipper on your backside starting with one slap. I saw it go to three once with the tough recipient very close to tears.
Rice with his sardonic threatening piece of Lino when used on your backside would receive another notch.
This is without mentioning the psychopath Rozzer Richards whose stories are already well documented in the annals of us GOBBS.
What a bunch: the Bonk’s Welsh Brigade!!
Roger Bartlett
Didn’t we all get the cane, ruler or blackboard rubber at some time? My most undeserved punishment occurred when the whole class was lined up outside Mr Rice’s maths hut in Eden Grove, where we were invited in one by one. When my turn arrived to be met inside by Rice - I was last - I asked why I was to be punished and was told that it was due to a poor examination result. It appeared the whole class received the slipper - one with a split across the sole so that it pinched when it struck. And I got mine even though I had the best exam mark. Unfortunately it was only 36/100. We were punished to remind us to pay attention.
I was once rulered and dismissed from the French class for being unable to translate an everyday item into French. Table, windows, pens etc had all been said my my classmates, so that my effort of 'lippy-stick’ was considered flippant.
The flying blackboard rubber was a regular occurrence, but was normally preceded by your name being called. Hit once, you soon realised that when hearing your name called, you ducked. Some teachers had poor aims and all the classmates around the named recipient had to duck in unison.
Happy days.
Barry Page
George Rice was singularly nasty; indeed, even sadistic. A short man with a permanent stoop, he would prowl along the corridors in a distinct lope and scowl at all and sundry through bespectacled frog-like eyes. As our mathematics teacher, he took to task any boy who was inattentive and produced poor results. A case in point was his victimisation of one lad in particular, whose name was Leslie Webb. During one lesson, this inoffensive boy was summoned to the front of the class and grilled by Mr. Rice over a trivial matter. Webb blubbered some comment, to which Mr. Rice accused him in a loud voice, “You’re a LIAR!” At which point he requested Webb to remove his eyeglasses and the boy complied. Next came a complete surprise to everyone as Mr. Rice swiped the back of his hand across Webb’s cheek, raising a red welt.
I, too, can attest the power of the split soled slipper!
Alan French
Yes! I got the cane……and the rest.
More disturbing though was the case of Mr ***** headmaster at Church of England school St Mary Magdalene, on Liverpool Road. Surely, the caning of a nine year old was an evil act of violence? All done within the sight of God which makes it seem more sinister. The truth came to light in 1998 whilst recovering from surgery and by coincidence a visit from a Church of England lay preacher, a friend who was headmaster of a school on King Henry’s Walk in Dalston back in the day, the one with a playground on the roof. He was tasked by the COE to investigate violence meted out by their teachers. The name Mr ***** came up in conversation.
This school corporal punishment regime was a failure as I later endured the size eleven slipper, blackboard duster, double sided ruler and more of the cane but the most humiliating thing was having your name entered in the book. I often wonder the whereabouts of those books. Perhaps a FOI request beckons.
Tony Bernie
Ecclesbourne Road, Primary School. 1950-55. Teacher: Mr Bell
I wasn’t alone for I recall he often picked out boys for “punishment” for talking in class, untidy work, lateness and dress issues. Bell was a strict disciplinarian. I don’t recall telling my parents out of a fear all would get worse for me. This period was when I was in his class aged 9-10, for my final year I was in Mr Wiltshire’s class when there were no caning incidents at all.
Martin "Bertie" Worster
These stories and accounts regarding caning bring back lots of memories which are not exactly pleasant. They go some way to dispel the old dictum that schooldays are “the best days of our lives”. Although I would agree that they are the best days overall.
I also received the cane on various occasions for different “offences” dished out by the usual suspects: The Bonk, Sharr, Cohen, Rozzer and so on. Each had their own sadistic methods to inflict pain both physically and physiologically on boys to suit their own twisted gratification.
I recall getting the cane from Davis when he “caught” me and Bob Withers eating our sandwiches our mums had prepared instead of a school dinner whilst seated on a bench in Holloway Road. Bonk felt that as we were wearing our school blazers it would give passers by a bad image of the school .
We duly presented ourselves as ordered to his office and were given the wonderful choice of hands or backside. Bob went in first and chose bum and came out having received 6 lashes which I heard audibly from outside the office. He came out holding his rear with tears in his eyes.
My turn next. I was given the same choice as Bob but chose hands. I calculated (erroneously) that as I was taller than the Bonk he would have a height difficulty in dishing out the punishment. After the first lethal hit, the second whooshed past my fingertips and I hopefully thought it would count as a stroke as it slightly touched me. I was wrong and I got the full six from a diminutive man with the strength of Sampson. We were two very unhappy schoolboys having felt that the justice meted out to us was unfair bearing in mind the trivial reason used.
On the other side of the coin there were those teachers who I am sure were secretly in opposition to corporal punishment. The Geography teacher Mr. Martin, a kindly man, was possibly one example to come to mind. [Mr. Walton, the Art teacher? ed]
Are we better off without corporal punishment in schools? On balance I would say yes, having experienced it first hand several times and realising it never had the deterrent effect expected. [is there a deliberate pun in this sentence, Bertie? ed]
Ray Wilkerson
I quite enjoyed my schooldays although it could be quite brutal sometimes. Capital punishment being the accepted disciplinary measure. I was given the cane frequently both at Ecclesbourne Road and Barnsbury. I always remember one day throwing snowballs in the playground and whether by design or accident I was hit by a snowball with a stone in it and it cut my wrist, so I went in search of the teacher responsible for First Aid (he had a packet of plasters). I think it might have been Mr Page; any way he put a plaster on it and then proceeded to give me the cane for throwing things in the playground.
Peter Langridge
I can remember Rice and his plimsol whacking a poor soul across his backside until he got, in his opinion, the right sound. Also Cohen with his rule across the the knuckles, seemingly for his pleasure.
On a lighter note, I remember a French teach at Eden grove named Miss Eades. She would sit on top of desk in front of the class with skirt on and her legs slightly apart. Aaah the memories. [everyone she taught, remembers her - ed]
Ken Pratley
My first introduction to the cane was at Laycock Infants School believe it or not. The headmistress Mrs or Miss Morgan saw myself and some friends playing on the old V1 bomb site at Station Road, Highbury Corner during the school lunch break. We were summoned to her office that afternoon. Myself Malcolm McTrouse, Norman Ridges and Malcolm's sister who was a year younger than he was, I think she must have been seven, were peremptorily caned the boys on the hands and Malcolm’s sister on the backside
My second encounter with corporal punishment came at Laycock Junior school. Mrs Scott the music teacher was taking us for a singing class, she would play the piano in the school hall and the class would sing. The lines that we were to sing were written in a songbook and the song we were to sing was 'Where have you been all the day Billy Boy'. Well when it got to the line "my Nancy tickles my fancy' The whole class just curled up and I along with three other boys were sent along to Cox's for the cane. Cox was a big man and applied it with gusto. As far as I remember those picked for punishment were selected at random or perhaps Mrs Scott didn't think, probably correctly, that we took the music lessons seriously enough.
At Barnsbury I had an argument with ? Burton in a science club class in the biology lab at Eden Grove over who should sit on the only vacant stool. This was settled in a fight after school that unwisely took place outside the exit next to the woodwork shop I managed to get Burton in a side headlock and was pleased to throw him in a cross buttock that unfortunately landed him at the feet of Rozzer who had just emerged through the doors. We were of course marched of to the Bonk’s office and duly caned.
The last time I received the cane was at the Camden Road site and again from Davis. I was catching up on homework in the library when someone I can't remember who, snatched my book away and started reading from it aloud, (It might have been George Giddings). Anyway the ensuing ructions caught the attention of Mr Lee who took us both down to the Bonk for a caning.
Happy Days.
Barry Page
Corporal punishment at Primary School was rampant; particularly if the Headmaster/Headmistress was of "old school" temperament. This is my contribution from Laycock Junior Mixed days:
I vaguely remember incidents of minor punishments such as writing ‘lines’ or the occasional detention. However, the one and only ‘caning’ that I received from Headmaster Cox remains a vivid memory. The event started innocently enough, but the consequences were dire. I was probably eight years old, and it was at the time when we were being taught English by Miss Simpson, a frumpish, middle-aged teacher. I sat next to another boy, Jimmy Rooke, and he goaded me to write in my text book the following phrase: MISS SIMPSON IS AN OLD SOW. Not wanting to bow out of this challenge, I promptly scribbled the defamatory remark in large letters on the page we were working from. It so happened that I was called up to the front of the class together with the text book. Miss Simpson took it upon herself to flip through the text book and, of course, came across the offending scribble. I think she was mortified when discovering this heinous insult, and I was drained of all strength as total embarrassment enveloped me. She demanded if I was guilty in writing the phrase, and I couldn’t deny it. So, I was marched down to the Headmaster’s office with the incriminating evidence. The shock of discovery and the fear of impending punishment—which was obviously going to be a caning—did nothing to alleviate the situation.
Mr. Cox was nonplussed despite my blubbering explanation that I was egged on by Jimmy Rooke. There was no choice but to administer the appropriate punishment and that was ‘four of the best’ on the open hand. Caning was something I think that ‘Coxy’ relished. He was well experienced, and his temperament made sure that the strokes were inflicted with maximum force. After this punishment I was sent back to the classroom and endured further humiliation as my classmates saw me enter the room with a reddened face that was streaked with tears. I don’t recall if Jimmy Rooke was ever implicated as an associate to the incident, but the buzz certainly travelled quickly and was heard by one of my friends, Norman Ridges.
I was now at an age that after school it was expected that I should meet my mother at the bus stop in Upper Street as she returned from her part-time job. This day was no exception, and Norman and I walked to the bus stop. I guess he accompanied me because I was still feeling low, and it was on his route to where he lived in Holloway Road. Mum arrived as usual, and as we started on our way home Norman said impulsively that I had been caned at school. Mother was flabbergasted at this news, and it didn’t bode well for me either. So I was marched off home to be given a real dressing down by my parents. Norman probably didn’t realise the impact of his remarks, but at least it didn’t spoil our friendship.