An Added Comment: A Harsh Regime, An Update & Some More YahooGroups to Peruse

By necessity (as much as I like to ramble) I Have to keep things brief today - I have been talked into doing a little desk research for my deadline-panicked fashionista-journalist partner. Friday and part of Saturday was spent piecing together the various completed chapters of INSTITUTIONALISED volume 2 (INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1 here) into book form (interrupted on Sat by a little 'mystery-shopper' activity). I am pleased to say that, so far, it all seems to be coming together in a nice logical order. It is only at this stage that continuity errors start to show up in the story telling and inconsistencies start to show up but so far it has only been necessary to make a couple of little chronological rearrangements to the way the proceedings flow (quite minor). I have identified a few areas requiring a bit of further writing but so far this seems restricted to a couple of paragraphs here and there and a bit of descriptive work vis-a-vie the girl's uniforms (deliberately left to this point - its the dangling carrot you see; well that and the massive piss-up I've promised myself at the end of all this).

Meanwhile: I have just added links to another 7 or so YahooGroups that I think are worth visiting (of course you have to be signed up for yahoo groups or willing to sign up, but its worth it - there are some great resources there). The pic here, in fact, came from one of these (Da Chief's Spanking Zone). Look to the right hand side-bar for the links (just below my blog list).

Oh...and a nice little comment has been posted to the entry, A Well Deserved regime, (click to read post and comment). Many thanks go to the contributor - very nice...if somewhat harsh (not that there is anything wrong with a good, harsh regime of course).

Finally: Shortly I shall be creating a section in the sidebar with a list of links to the introduction to INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1 and also to all the snippets I have posted from that volume and also from the upcoming volume 2 and that have now disappeared into the mists of the early archived posts from this blog - and are thus are probably being entirely missed by most new visitors.

By for now and thanks for coming by,

Garth

An Addendum, a Little Bit of Powdered Water & TeethBraces

Its snowing here in BritLand...and the world as we know it has ground to a halt. Not too much of a hindrance to your's truly - I don't actually do much in any case. Besides, I'm able to press on with adding the final touches to the book...well in theory at least, although a chunk of today was used up helping the other half with a bit of fashion research - as it was in to lingerie trends, I have to admit to being not too reluctant. Then I quickly turned my attention to the blog and to Judith's tale that I posted up a couple of entries ago (See: a Well Deserved Regime?...or click here). I remembered Judith from the 'White Socks' dress discipline discussion board that I used to read for inspiration and that I have mentioned more than once in the past on the pages of this site. Anyway, today I had the chance to look up the original posting I made of one of her letters...well worth reading if dress discipline is your thing - and it is part and parcel of so many forms of disciplinary regime as applied to recalcitrant young ladies after all...click here to read.

Finally, as regards young ladies in teeth braces - something I have mentioned before in connection with the deliberate induction of stammering and the erosion of the subject's self confidence - some time ago someone was kind enough to send me the following series of ideas for plot directions etc. I have somehow divorced the main meat of the email, as it were, from the email itself and thus from the writer's identity - so to the writer...my apologies and of course my assurance that I'm more than happy to credit you with this if you make contact. Meanwhile I'm sure it will stimulate many more ideas out there:

"I was interested in your post on braces. Adult braces are an emerging trend, and more and more young professional women are wearing them. It certainly can make a woman look younger, which can be both a pro and a con. Have you ever considered a scenario involving an adult woman who got braces BEFORE visiting the institution?

Perhaps a young woman in her late twenties is persuaded to get braces by a scheming uncle, who then uses the change in her appearance to undermine her authority with the household staff and at her job so he can steal her company and her inheritance.

Or perhaps a young woman working on her PhD is distressed to learn that with braces none of her students take her seriously. Her academic adviser suggests a place where she’ll be free to write her dissertation without looking out of place: the academy.

Image a fast track assistant Principal being demoted to a teachers aid when students and parents refuse to take her authority seriously. A number of the female teachers, eager to pay her back for her haughty manner, suggest that it might create less “confusion” in the classroom if she wore a school uniform.

Or perhaps a successful stock broker looses the key to her locker at her health club. No one believes her true age, except a fellow club member who’s had her eye on her for some time…and offers to take the troublesome young delinquent wearing nothing but braces and a towel off the securities staff’s hand by whisking her off to the academy.

I think these sorts of scenarios are more dramatic because the adult woman makes an active decision that results in her own downfall. Indeed, it’s her arrogance and boundless self confidence that allows her to convince herself that the braces won’t matter and that she’ll be able to maintain her total control over things regardless of her appearance.

When things start to fall apart, she blames herself for her stupid mistake, but that only undermines her confidence more. She is surprised when her dentist refuses to take her braces off, and dismisses her complaints as “silly” and “childish.” Her loss of confidence feeds her loss of stature further, creating a downward spiral she finds impossible to break…"

One Girl's Pyjama Discipline

Hi again folks. following on from Judith's captivating story, I have been sent this fascinating contribution from a female reader, to whom many thanks - it all helps take a little pressure off yours truly while I struggle to complete volume 2. It is also very inspiring and the latter tale does have a taste of the frustration engendered by those hospital issue latex incontinence bloomers that Susan finds herself placed in within the pages of INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1, with their neat little integral key operated locking waistband. Perhaps its time for some proper purpose designed locking pyjamers - nicely latex-lined where it matters and fasting with a locking zipper at the back of the neck?

"Reading Judith's story brought back memories of my own punishment, in particular one of the last occasions I was punished at home.

One evening shortly after I had left school I went out with a couple of girlfriends to a local music festival without telling my parents, knowing very well they would not approve and would probably forbid me to go. We had a fantastic time and met up with a couple of boys who took us for a drive in their car. I knew it was getting late and I was under strict instructions to be home by midnight, but lost track of time and before I knew it realized that it was already way past the time I should have been home. I tried to ask the others to drop me off but they didn’t take any notice at first. I knew I would be in big trouble if anyone heard me coming in, so tried to creep in through the garage when I eventually arrived home but unfortunately my parents were waiting up for me. I tried to apologize but my mother simply told me to go straight to bed, adding that she would deal with me in the morning. I was hardly able to sleep, dreading having to face my mother in the morning.

I decided the best thing would be to appease my parents by getting up early and helping with the horses so quickly got dressed in a sweater and jodhpurs and went out before breakfast to start clearing up the stable yard. After a while, my mother came out demanding to know where I had been the previous evening. I told her we had been given a lift and had broken down, but it was obvious she didn’t believe me.

“It’s pyjama time for you, young lady,” she said. “You can’t say you haven’t been warned. Go in and get undressed. I’ll be up in ten minutes.”

I knew she meant me to wear the pyjamas she always made my sister or I wear whenever we were punished. They were a pair of old school pyjamas she had sewn together at the waist. To make matters worse, they had to be worn back to front so that they buttoned up at the back, making them difficult to remove without help. It was so degrading and I really hated having to wear them. Sometimes my mother would make me stay dressed like that that for a whole day, locking the rest of my clothes away so I couldn’t wear anything else.

On this occasion however, I stood there in the yard refusing to do as instructed, pleading with my mother. “Please, mother. I’ve said I’m sorry. I really am. It won’t happen again, I promise.” It was futile to argue with her but the thought of such a degrading punishment was just too awful.

“Go and do as you are told or you will only make things worse for yourself,” was the inevitable response.

With tears of frustration in my eyes, I made my way indoors clinging to the hope that I might at least avoid a spanking if I complied. Back in my bedroom I decided to change back into the pyjamas I had been wearing earlier, again hoping my mother would accept that as punishment enough for a girl of my age. Undressing and pulling on my pyjamas again, I felt intensely silly as the sunlight streamed through the window. But I was also very scared. It had been nearly a year since I had last been punished with a spanking and I hated it, not just the pain but the awful humiliation.

Of course my mother was having none of it when she eventually came in with the punishment pyjamas she kept specially for such occasions. With one look at me standing there in a pair of pretty pink satin pyjamas, she shook her head.

“It’s no good wearing those, my girl. Take them off, you know the rule.”

“No... Please mother… I'm eighteen now... You can't make me wear those horrible things any more.... Please…” I protested, but to no avail.

“Yes, you are, so you should know better. But if you behave like a little girl then you will be treated like one. Come on, do as you are told or else you will not be allowed out riding with us tomorrow....” My mother knew the threat would be enough. More than anything else, I had been looking forward to the hunt the following day and desperately did not want to miss it.

With a groan of despair, I obeyed. As I had done so many times in the past, I put on the pale green winceyette pyjamas that I had once worn at boarding school, except that the jacket and trousers had been sewn together and I had to put them on back to front so that I even had to wait while mother fastened the buttons up at the back, knowing just how ridiculous I must look in such a childish outfit. As soon as she had finished I had to leave my bedroom which was then locked to prevent me from getting at any of my clothes. Even my sister’s room was locked as well. I wasn’t even allowed any underwear, feeling cold and naked underneath the thin pyjama material.

“How long have I got to stay like this?” I asked wretchedly, wondering just how long it would be before my mother decided I had been punished enough.

“Until I say so,” came the usual reply. Dressed in those awful pyjamas, all I wanted to do was hide in the bathroom but I knew that if I went downstairs and helped with the housework I might be allowed to have my clothes back sooner than if I just stayed upstairs.

Looking back, it seems ridiculous that I submitted so meekly to such a degrading punishment but I so wanted to be allowed to join everyone the following day that I was prepared to endure anything to appease my mother. As it was, I remained in pyjamas for the rest of the day until supper when I was allowed to get dressed. More than anything, though, I dreaded the possibility anyone else seeing me like that. I think I would have died of shame."

A Well Deserved Regime?

A letter from Judith as regards her regime. Ordinarily I would respect a contributors anonymity...but under the circumstances...well, what do you think? Lets get a discussion going (particularly as the original discussion board to which she refers has pretty much met its demise). I'll have to sort out, or create, a suitable illustration later...unless any one out there already has something suitable to contribute. For now though, I off down the pub - I have more writing to do...nearly there now though!

Judith's Regime

I would like to start by explaining that my name is Judith and I wrote the article, a copy of which my Aunt found on this website. As you can see I am subject to some deserved disciplining. Since the time I wrote this I have again failed to meet my Aunt’s required standards of behavior and as part of my punishment she decided I should again be made to display my ill discipline and the consequences of this in public. Unfortunately when she returned to the original site she found some undesirable developments however somehow she also found the link to this site and she has ordered me to write out my humiliation here. I apologise if this is an inappropriate use of your site.
Shortly before Christmas my Aunt discovered I had been to a pub with work colleagues and had a drink – as you can see from my earlier disclosures this was completely forbidden. My Aunt therefore decided that as I could not be trusted to obey her outside that I would hence forth be disciplined by not only being dressed at home as a misbehaved school girl but that I would live this life at all times. I have therefore resigned my job as a Secretary and am subject to the following strict and deserved regime in which I am under constant and close supervision at all times. She has told me that I clearly did not learn the lessons when I was ten or eleven I will be subject to the experience again to provide me with this opportunity.
I wear school uniform at all times. Old style brown school knickers including a large size sanitary pad at all times, grey ribbed knee socks, yellow blouse, brown and yellow stripped tie, brown worsted square yoked pinafore dress reaching well below my knees, brown V-neck woollen waistcoat with yellow trim and brown V-neck woollen cardigan with yellow trim. Of course all items must be buttoned at all times and worn correctly. I have also been required to embroider in yellow thread the words “Reform School for Girls” across the yolk of my pinafore and embroider badges in yellow and white with the same words, “Reform School for Girls” and sew these to my woollen uniform items. I have to say that although minor this detail is a severely humiliating one particularly when having to appear in public. I wear this uniform at all times except at night I wear a grey woollen ankle length gown buttoning high to the neck in addition of course to my knickers and sanitary pad.
I do all of the housework before my breakfast at 7:30 am each morning meaning I get up at 5 am.
From 8am until 6:30 pm every day I am confined to the study room. I have a laborious regime of school work consisting of religious study (reading out loud, writing dictation or having to copy passages of The Bible), writing lines and essays on my misbehavior and punishment and needlework (making of school uniform including knitted woollen items and other plain clothing).
I am allowed porridge for breakfast, liver or mince with mashed potatoes and two boiled vegetables for lunch and two slice of bread and water for tea (except on Sunday when I receive no tea).
The only exception to my confinement is on Sunday when I have to attend Church with my Aunt. In addition to my school uniform I also then wear a brown woollen cardigan jacket with yellow trim, brown woollen beret with yellow trim and brown woollen mitts with yellow trim. To add to my humiliation the mitts are sown to the arms of my cardigan jacket by elastics. Following the Church service I have to help serve tea in the Parish rooms. Following this public humiliation I spend the rest of Sunday providing meals to my Aunt and her many guests, doing two hours of physical exercises in full uniform in the garden and when not doing this standing with my hands on my head facing the wall or corner.
I speak only when spoken to and must always reply as succinctly as possible finishing with “Maam” or “Sir” as appropriate.
I have to ask permission to go to the toilet and am limited to two cold showers per week using carbolic soap to wash my hair and body. My hair is worn in a pony tail and is swept back from my forehead. My Aunt cuts my hair to ensure I have no fringe. I have my mouth washed with carbolic soap and water three times per week before going to bed as a specific punishment for lying when my Aunt asked me if I had been drinking.
I am allowed to change my knickers and socks twice per week, my blouse once per week and my dress and woollens once a fortnight. My Aunt says that as I am a schoolgirl I can endure the body odour consequences. I, of course, am not allowed jewelry, make-up, etc..
I receive corporal punishment regularly as my Aunt says I need to be punished severely for many failings and to receive regular reminders of my new position in life. I receive eight strokes of the cane to my behind every Sunday and two strokes of the tawse to the palm and back of each of my hands on Wednesday.
If I fail to meet the required standards I am immediately and harshly punished. In all cases, without exception, I receive corporal punishment – spanking, slipper,paddle, tawse and cane to the hand or bottom, have privileges withdrawn (meals, toilet access, change of clothing, etc..) and other humiliations imposed (more woolens, corner time, wearing of Dunce’s hat, etc..).
As you can see my status has changed for the worse but I accept I deserve this and I am determined to follow the rules as laid down until I have served my punishment and demonstrated I can be trusted to behave. My Aunt has said that I will remain in this regime until the end of June at which point she will decide what happens next based on my behaviour. She has also made clear that even if my behavior until then is exemplary I can expect to be spending several further months in school uniform including in public. I have already learned a very severe lesson and recognize how stupid I was when I thought things couldn't’t get any worse as I had to go to work in a plain dress and cardigan – I now know what freedoms I still had and how long it will be, if ever, before I have them again. I apologise again for this intervention and of course, as asked by my Aunt to do, request that should you or any of your other readers have additional thoughts on how both my current disciplining or future regime can be shaped or harshened to ensure I behave please let her know. She is always keen to add to my deserved discomfort and humiliation.
Judith

Botox, Induced Debility, Speech 'Therapy' and Discipline

Hi folks: I just thought you might be interested in some further correspondence” that has been taking place between myself and a contributor as regards the creative use of Botox. By the way, for an excuse for the pic, see the bottom of this section.

“Dear Garth, I completely agree with you that the use of a drug like Botox should be use as an introduction to some debility or to facilitate the task convincing a girl that some dysfunction must be remedied by some mean that is unappealing to her; be it shame, embarrassment, discomfort, motion restrictions, humiliation... Once a remedy is introduced, proper encouragement by the nurse or governess on how improved the girl is, can be used in lieu of Botox. Once the effectiveness on the muscles weans and the girl regains her ability, she has already been conditioned mentally to the idea that the remedy is simply part of her life and has been fully integrated into her daily ritual. Should the girl insist that she can now do without the remedy (I say ‘remedy’ but am thinking ‘brace’ of some sort), the governess or nurse would acquiesce to the girl’s request that she do without. Then over the course of a week or a month or two, small quantities could be injected gradually to the point where it could be worst that originally, until the girl ask the nurse for her brace (there I said it), this is certainly a sign that the girl is more firmly under the control of governess or nurse. I can see her now humbly asking: “I would eternally grateful if you could find my brace, I’ve looked everywhere…” Yes, she did say ‘my’ brace, after all the indoctrination to integrate it into her daily ritual, paid off!””

“Dear........I found you comments / ideas re Botox very exciting indeed; especially as regards your use of the word 'remedy' – it really embodies the cynicism of the situation, the caring aid that is in actuality quite the opposite. It brings to mind yet again the 'negative therapy' handed out in that 1930s psychology experiment in which they induced stuttering in normal speakers (that really caught my imagination - as I think you have probably guessed by now – and has ironically been instrumental in holding up vol 2 as I keep returning to it). Incidentally, NewScientist (a British science mag) recently reported an experiment wherein researchers deliberately induced flashbacks (albeit mild) in volunteer subjects by showing them, repeatedly, a series of harrowing scenes – so psychological science still retains the ability to approach the unethical at times.

In this way I like to think of the term 'remedy' in the context of which we are speaking as also potentially including regular visits to the psychotherapist.”

The correspondent concerned also provided a short but very interesting, creative and inspiring vignette based on a young lady's visit to the dentist...doesn't sound to exciting put like that I suppose but the potential is enormous as I thing you would appreciate if you read it. And hopefully you'll be able to as I will be contacting the writer again soon and will ask his permission to share it with you.

Today, after my morning gym visit, I shall be settling down to write, probably in a Weatherspoons somewhere (pub)...most probably in Palmers Green or Turnpike lane, North London – although I might just be found in the Holly Bush in Hampstead later on. Pop in for a pint...I'll be the long haired-chap (some say having a passing resemblance to Slash – out of Guns-n-Roses, Velvet revolver) sitting scribbling away in the corner. Today's projects are to write a foreword setting out the story so far and linking to the present – necessary for those who have neglected to have previously read INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1 – and a detailed description of the school uniform that Lavinia's 'aunt' put her in when she was staying with her. I expect that I'll probably also get sidetracked at some point into doing some more work on that psychological induction of stuttering thing that I have been going on about now for some time...this will be my little reward for having completed my day's self-set tasks – It's going to take self control, but I'm going to hold back on that – I'll enjoy it all the more in the satisfying glow of a day's work well done. Talking of the latter...the photo manip at the top of this post? The speech therapist? What do you think?

A Really Flattering Comment and a Few Distractions

As you probably know, very few folks actually leave comments on this blog even though I do enjoy quite a thriving email correspondence, some of which I share in one form or another here. On those rare occasions that someone does leave a comment it had been my habit to reiterate it in one of my posts because for some reason or other (that I don't really understand) comments do not automatically directly appear.

It is particularly gratifying therefore to have received the following comment from
Polly-jo

"Hi Garth, just read the first volume of your Institution book and thought it was just great. I loved the delicious detail and could just imagine what it would be like to be caught up in such a situation! Please keep going with the second volume. I can't wait to read more."

As much as I encourage negative criticism where it is due (it is always very helpful) right at this moment something like this makes all the difference - struggling as I am with a particularly complex bit of narrative (a part absolutely essential to the completion of volume 2, unfortunately) and forever sidetracked by my growing obsession with the induced-stuttering thing that has so caught my imagination in recent months (and that right at this moment I'd far rather be writing about) I have become rather discouraged of late. A comment like this means the world to me!!!

Changing the subject: The pic at the top someone sent me: I just thought it particularly evocative of the whole 'admissions procedures thing' that those old Janus correspondents used to wax lyrical about. Quite stimulating of the old grey cells don't you think? You can make up your own story around it I'm sure - but if you do, why not share it with a few friends? Nudge, nudge, wink. wink.

Volume 2: Full Title Decided Upon

Today I have to admit to having spent an inordinate amount of time composing the full title that will be used for INSTITUTIONALISED Volume 2 - first sitting in Costas Coffee up on Muswell Hill (near Highgate and Hampstead) with my trusty notebook and then later at home experimenting with the Lulu publication wizard to ascertain the maximum number of characters it will allow to make up a title.


Other then sending a couple of emails I achieved little more but at least I have now decided on the full title. The extended sub title, in the style of the Victorians to some extent, probably looks a little ridiculous to the modern eye but won't actually appear on the final cover design - although it will appear on the title page inside. The only real point of it is to catch the eye of those search engines - such as the main search window on Amazon - that only (or primarily) use the book title. The idea is to make the thing more visible as even I find some difficulty finding INSTITUTIONALISED volume 1, on Amazon for example, using the main search window and the obvious sets of key words - and I know what I am looking for. Volume 1 is not very visible,except via Lulu, and has never had may hits - I am hoping that volume 2 will do better in that way and in its turn make volume 1 more visible. So, for better or for worse, here it is - a somewhat blatant attempt to use key words for internet marketing. If you can think of anything better - something that succinctly sums up the atmosphere I am trying to convey in my stuff while containing all (or as many as humanly possible) of the usual suspects in terms of keywords/search terms, then please feel free to write in...all suggestions gratefully received!

INSTITUTIONALISED 2: Spanked, Caned & Confined in the WorkHouse:

Being an Account of the Imposition of Strict Uniforms, the Cane, Tawse, Strap & Psychological Punishment on Sensitive & Vulnerable Young Ladies in a Long-term Residential Clinical Study.