Memories: a cane called ‘Excalibur’
A local radio station BBC Lancashire asked listeners to share their memories of schooldays in Burnley. Inevitably, the subject of corporal punishment come up. Brian Hunt remembers a cane called Excalibur.
I went to Towneley Technical High School from 1947 to 1951. I think our year was the first (or mebbe second) intake after the school changed from a secondary modern to a high school. You had to pass the 11+ to get in!
Our first home room teacher was Mr. Clook (French),
said to have suffered burns as a pilot in the war. Other teachers of note – Mr Wall
(constantly jangled coins in his pants pocket); Sabu (English) – can’t remember
his real name – his favourite punishment was “order mark & 10 lines”.
Joey Redhead who had a board ruler marked in chalk (in
reverse) – arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trig., which he applied to the seat
of your pants if you erred, leaving an imprint thereon and for more serious
transgressions a cane called “Excalibur” – man that really hurt.
Clem Cole, chemistry, very bushy black eyebrows; Mr
Baldwin (I think that’s right), also chemistry, who spoke with very sibilant
esses and lots of spray causing Brian Bithel to raise a paper umbrella in class
one day. Big mistake.
The two Mr Lords – metalworking & woodworking; Mr.
Saul who I remember seeing chasing a gym malefactor around the corridor
brandishing a running shoe as a club.
That’s a long time ago now, and although I can’t remember
where I put my keys, I can remember Towneley quite well. After going through an
engineering apprenticeship at Joseph Lucas, I emigrated to Canada where I still
reside.
Extracted from BBC
Radio Lancashire website, 24 September 2014
Picture credit: Unknown
Traditional
School Discipline
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