I Received Corporal Punishment At School

Aged about 10 or 11, during a lunch break I was caught by a teacher, Miss Moran, in a part of the school playing fields that was strictly out of bounds. To make matters worse, when she asked me what I was doing I said something wet, like "Nothing, Miss" or "I don't know Miss." She told me to go and wait outside the head's office.

After I had been waiting 15 minutes or so, Miss Moran came in and went into the head's office. A couple of minutes later the headmistress opened the door and told me to come in. There was a crook-handled cane on her desk. She told me to touch my toes and gave me three strokes - not exceptionally hard, but hard enough to sting and bring tears to my eyes.

Except that she didn't. I think the teacher had intended to ask the head to cane me, but thought better of it, so instead I got an hour's detention. At the time I suppose I was relieved. But I now think it would have done me no harm to be caned. And I hated detentions!