Memories: Chalking off a caning

School life was quite strict, there were clear sets of rules and breaking them was instantly punished by lines, detention, or the cane. I was once caned for being seen coming to school without my cap on. My defence, that I was on the back of my elder brother’s motor-bike at the time and to have tried wearing it would’ve resulted in its blowing off my head, was instantly rejected. ‘Don’t come on a motor-bike then boy’ was all I got in reply – David Joyce recalls the Northern Grammar School, Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK, 1956-62.

On another occasion, I was sent down to the office of Mr Manson, the deputy head, and he immediately said ‘Hold out your hand boy’ and gave me two strokes of the cane – standard punishment!

‘RIGHT .... what have you done?’ he then enquired.

‘I haven’t done anything sir’ I responded ‘I’ve been sent down to get some books.’

‘AH’ He retorted and picking up a piece of chalk wrote JOYCE +2 on his blackboard.

‘You’re two strokes in credit, boy.

‘Thank you very much sir’ I replied.

‘Don’t thank me lad’ Came the response ‘I’ll have those cancelled out before the days up !’
And he was right ... when the afternoon session bell rang after lunch, I was walking down the corridor when the familiar ring of Mr Manson’s voice rang out. ‘JOYCE ... running in the corridor .... that’s one of those strokes of the cane forfeited’.

‘Sir’ I protested ‘I wasn’t running!’

I should have known better.

‘JOYCE .... arguing with a master ... that’s the second one gone .... now boy .... anything else to say?’

‘NO sir’ I retorted and catching his eye, couldn’t resist a grin ... I knew when I was beaten.
To his credit, he grinned back ‘You’re learning lad’ he said.

Extracted from The Highbury Estate in the 50s, Part 9, by David Joyce, uploaded to About My Area, 24 February 2017.

Picture credit: Unknown.

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