Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

David Farrar, an ex-RNVR, was junior housemaster to Col B for a short time. He gymshoed a complete rugger team (possibly both teams) because of the mayhem on the pitch when we discovered he couldn't keep order.

postwarblue wrote:David Farrar, an ex-RNVR, was junior housemaster to Col B for a short time. He gymshoed a complete rugger team (possibly both teams) because of the mayhem on the pitch when we discovered he couldn't keep order.

Now THAT'S the sort of game I always enjoyed (Even in my 40s !!)

Hasty Edit ----- The Rugger not the slippering !!!

In Peele B between 1987-89 (and possibly 90), crackings (as I seem to remember calling them) were common. I remember there being 3 types:
1) The staff on duty (although I only remember Flemming doing it) would administer them in the dormitory in front of the the other boys. Mr. Flemming would ask who had a good slipper. Some boys would rush to get theirs if they thought that it was particularly weighty.
2) Dorm monitors (who sometimes were only 1 year older than you) would administer physical punishments in front of the other boys.
3) You would be sent down by a dorm monitor and given a cracking by Doctor Maddren (the house master), and his green flash trainer, with the infamous run up.
I cannot remember how many of the first 2, I received, but it was frequent. I only got Maddren's green flash once, and ironically it was unfairly given.

I didn't have a problem with corporal punishment, but I did feel that method's 1 and 2 often seemed like a show for the boys, who sometimes looked on with glee as someone got punished.

In Peele A in 1990 we were once disciplined by the Grecians with bed boards. Around 1991 the house captain disciplined me, by punching me repeatedly in the face in the dorm until he broke his wrist and had to go to the sicker.

I don't disagree with corporal punishment, but I do believe there are certain principles that can be used to ensure that it is fair, and productive.

Peele94 wrote:In Peele B between 1987-89 (and possibly 90), crackings (as I seem to remember calling them) were common. I remember there being 3 types:
1) The staff on duty (although I only remember Flemming doing it) would administer them in the dormitory in front of the the other boys. Mr. Flemming would ask who had a good slipper. Some boys would rush to get theirs if they thought that it was particularly weighty.
2) Dorm monitors (who sometimes were only 1 year older than you) would administer crackings in front of the other boys.
3) You would be sent down by a dorm monitor and given a cracking by Doctor Maddren (the house master), and his green flash trainer, with the infamous run up.
I cannot remember how many of the first 2, I received, but it was frequent. I only got Maddren's green flash once, and ironically it was unfairly given.

I didn't have a problem with corporal punishment, but I did feel that method's 1 and 2 often seemed like a show for the boys, who sometimes looked on with glee as someone got punished.

In Peele A in 1990 we were once disciplined by the Grecians with bed boards. Around 1991 the house captain disciplined me, by punching me repeatedly in the face in the dorm until he broke his wrist and had to go to the sicker.

I don't disagree with corporal punishment, but I do believe there are certain principles that can be used to ensure that it is fair, and productive.

A very interesting post, Duncan.

The dates you quote must be very near the time that corporal punishment was abolished in schools.

Even in the early 60's, monitors were not allowed to physically punish juniors. In Coleridge B at least. Their limit was 'Miles' and 'Quarter Miles'.

I did try and trace House Punishment books a few years ago, without any success. Surely, they must be kept somewhere ? I'd love to see the reasons given for my three beatings at the hands of housemasters !!

J.R. wrote: Even in the early 60's, monitors were not allowed to physically punish juniors. In Coleridge B at least. Their limit was 'Miles' and 'Quarter Miles'.

I did try and trace House Punishment books a few years ago, without any success. Surely, they must be kept somewhere ? I'd love to see the reasons given for my three beatings at the hands of housemasters !!

I think that that held throughout the school in the mid 50's. Miles and PO Paths had to be recorded with the reason though the reason could be almost anything. Worse was that the set time limits could be pretty arbitrary and "victims" c o u l d find themselves doing the punishment umpteen times because they couldn't achieve their target times. I think there was a case where after many attempts a boy was caned by Kit for not carrying out the punishment. (Surprisingly that was not me and I don't think I ever made anyone try more that three times)

J.R. wrote:

Peele94 wrote:In Peele B between 1987-89 (and possibly 90), crackings (as I seem to remember calling them) were common. I remember there being 3 types:
1) The staff on duty (although I only remember Flemming doing it) would administer them in the dormitory in front of the the other boys. Mr. Flemming would ask who had a good slipper. Some boys would rush to get theirs if they thought that it was particularly weighty.
2) Dorm monitors (who sometimes were only 1 year older than you) would administer physical punishments in front of the other boys.
3) You would be sent down by a dorm monitor and given a cracking by Doctor Maddren (the house master), and his green flash trainer, with the infamous run up.
I cannot remember how many of the first 2, I received, but it was frequent. I only got Maddren's green flash once, and ironically it was unfairly given.

I didn't have a problem with corporal punishment, but I did feel that method's 1 and 2 often seemed like a show for the boys, who sometimes looked on with glee as someone got punished.

In Peele A in 1990 we were once disciplined by the Grecians with bed boards. Around 1991 the house captain disciplined me, by punching me repeatedly in the face in the dorm until he broke his wrist and had to go to the sicker.

I don't disagree with corporal punishment, but I do believe there are certain principles that can be used to ensure that it is fair, and productive.

A very interesting post, Duncan.

The dates you quote must be very near the time that corporal punishment was abolished in schools.

Even in the early 60's, monitors were not allowed to physically punish juniors. In Coleridge B at least. Their limit was 'Miles' and 'Quarter Miles'.

I did try and trace House Punishment books a few years ago, without any success. Surely, they must be kept somewhere ? I'd love to see the reasons given for my three beatings at the hands of housemasters !!

JR, Wikipedia has this information at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_cor ... ed_Kingdom:
'In state-run schools, and also in private schools where at least part of the funding came from government, corporal punishment was outlawed by Parliament with effect from 1987. In other private schools, it was banned in 1999 (England and Wales), 2000 (Scotland) and 2003 (Northern Ireland).[5] In 1993, the European Court of Human Rights held in Costello-Roberts v. UK that giving a seven-year-old boy three 'whacks' with a gym shoe over his trousers was not a forbidden degrading treatment.[97]'

I don't remember anyone at CH in my time discussing any changes in how punishments were carried out, but we did hear at one point that there was a new children's charter and that it might affect us in some way. We also used to hear about how there used to be the cane, and I think we were all thankful that we didn't experience that! We also used to hear stories of before our time, a Mr. Roley supposedly making boys stand in the cold shower with arms outstretched holding books in each hand (I don't know how much of that is Urban Myth, and how much is truth). Interestingly some of the prep monitors from the generation that supposedly experienced that, used to use 'tortures' if we mucked about in prep (on our UF). Such 'tortures' involved standing spread eagled against the wall on tiptops and finger tips. I preferred these to the knuckle wraps others would give, because it felt challenging to see how long you could hold the 'torture' position.

Some Col A house punishment books, dating from 1946 to 1949, are in the museum, but not on display. I have photo copies of them.

J.R. wrote:

Peele94 wrote:In Peele B between 1987-89 (and possibly 90), crackings (as I seem to remember calling them) were common. I remember there being 3 types:
1) The staff on duty (although I only remember Flemming doing it) would administer them in the dormitory in front of the the other boys. Mr. Flemming would ask who had a good slipper. Some boys would rush to get theirs if they thought that it was particularly weighty.
2) Dorm monitors (who sometimes were only 1 year older than you) would administer physical punishments in front of the other boys.
3) You would be sent down by a dorm monitor and given a cracking by Doctor Maddren (the house master), and his green flash trainer, with the infamous run up.
I cannot remember how many of the first 2, I received, but it was frequent. I only got Maddren's green flash once, and ironically it was unfairly given.

I didn't have a problem with corporal punishment, but I did feel that method's 1 and 2 often seemed like a show for the boys, who sometimes looked on with glee as someone got punished.

In Peele A in 1990 we were once disciplined by the Grecians with bed boards. Around 1991 the house captain disciplined me, by punching me repeatedly in the face in the dorm until he broke his wrist and had to go to the sicker.

I don't disagree with corporal punishment, but I do believe there are certain principles that can be used to ensure that it is fair, and productive.

A very interesting post, Duncan.

The dates you quote must be very near the time that corporal punishment was abolished in schools.

Even in the early 60's, monitors were not allowed to physically punish juniors. In Coleridge B at least. Their limit was 'Miles' and 'Quarter Miles'.

I did try and trace House Punishment books a few years ago, without any success. Surely, they must be kept somewhere ? I'd love to see the reasons given for my three beatings at the hands of housemasters !!

I'd be interested to read those punishment books.

The norm in Peele B was to be sent down, so that a master cracked you. It was certainly never official for dorm monitors to employ any physical punishments. It was just the way it was with some particular monitors. I would say however, that when they were physical it was usually fists (and sometimes the light socket), not a slipper (so technically not 'crackings'). The good thing about being punished directly by a dorm monitor was that you didn't have to go all the way downstairs in the cold, and face the fear of being cracked by an adult. Of course, this was a long time ago so its hard to remember what was actual punishments, and what was just bullying. Can anyone else who was in Peele B in 87 jog my memory?

In my day (overtones of Monty Python) I remember that gym-shoeing and caning were quite normal events but came to be seen as more or less a 'badge of honour'; so we 'bad boys' had an unofficial competition to see who could accumulate the most 'cracks' in the course of a single term. 'Paddy' (name no names) beat me having gone over the hundred mark in one particular term. What bl**dy pests we were!

I frequently received the slipper in private by a certain teacher i was made to put my legs on to the armchair rests and kneel then push forward and grab hold of the back of a wooden chair then i was made to be completely bare from waist down the slipper was administered to my bare bottom normally 6 wacks it was a position that my bottom felt the full force as was difficult to move also i remember that a very soft blanket was placed over the chair so all my front would be resting on the front of the blanket it seemed a very formal punishment and was never rushed after a lecture about my behaviour i could have been in that study at least 20 minutes for something that took approx 1 minute to apply anyone wishes to chat more you can PM me if you wish

wonchop wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:10 am I frequently received the slipper in private by a certain teacher i was made to put my legs on to the armchair rests and kneel then push forward and grab hold of the back of a wooden chair then i was made to be completely bare from waist down the slipper was administered to my bare bottom normally 6 wacks it was a position that my bottom felt the full force as was difficult to move also i remember that a very soft blanket was placed over the chair so all my front would be resting on the front of the blanket it seemed a very formal punishment and was never rushed after a lecture about my behaviour i could have been in that study at least 20 minutes for something that took approx 1 minute to apply anyone wishes to chat more you can PM me if you wish

From your description on the way and how the 'punishment' was applied would strongly suggest it was more for the masters 'pleasure'.

I don't recall ever hearing of this punishment with either slipper or cane being applied to the bare skin.

one took it as being the norm cannot say its as done me any real harm but as made me more aware of CP

wonchop wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 2:10 pm one took it as being the norm cannot say its as done me any real harm but as made me more aware of CP

What years at CH ?

Will PM you

wonchop wrote: ↑Wed Oct 02, 2019 8:10 am I frequently received the slipper in private by a certain teacher i was made to put my legs on to the armchair rests and kneel then push forward and grab hold of the back of a wooden chair then i was made to be completely bare from waist down the slipper was administered to my bare bottom normally 6 wacks it was a position that my bottom felt the full force as was difficult to move also i remember that a very soft blanket was placed over the chair so all my front would be resting on the front of the blanket it seemed a very formal punishment and was never rushed after a lecture about my behaviour i could have been in that study at least 20 minutes for something that took approx 1 minute to apply anyone wishes to chat more you can PM me if you wish

This M.O. will be instantly recognisable to OBs of a certain age, and it's a name that has yet to be mentioned in despatches.