Composite Uniform Design and the Imagination

'Madmonkey' wrote to me recently by email (well, 4 days ago) to say: “ Awhile back on your ‘behind the barred window’ blog you asked what everyone thought was the perfect fantasy school uniform [It was Thursday, 2 December 2010: Best Gymslip Design of all Time? You Tell Me (click to view)– Garth the ever attentive Archivist]. Attached is a picture I made from a composite of other pictures and is what I think of as the perfect school uniform for the recalcitrant young lady (or grown woman one needs out of the way).”

Well, here is the fruit of Madmonkey’s labour (above left). Thanks for that, Madmonkey old chap. It’s an interesting idea don’t you think, this composite idea. The would-be designer could in principle put together all sorts of combinations of elements on the figure of one’s choice, pillaging from both old and new. In particular some of those old classic black and white shots could be first colourised in Photoshop or its equivalent and elements – or perhaps whole outfits – put together in imaginative ways. Alternatively the designer might leave the source material in monochrome and convert any more modem elements one might choose to include – such as the school ‘jumper’ of Madmonkey’s vision – into monochrome to match, the idea being to recreate that pastimes air of strict reform-school discipline. The one proviso I would add is that the uniform should be clearly designed to conform to the biologically adult form of the late teen. Whether one starts with a 3D computer generated figure as a framework (an interesting concept in itself) or one drawn from some other source (one has to be careful here) it should be possible to morph the impression of a mature figure into one’s design. So there’s the challenge – let’s fry those imaginative little grey cells out there! I’m always looking for creative input to aid in the design of the new book cover and it may be possible to integrate the outcome into the design as it presently stands.

Now you will have noted my absence for some time from these pages: I have been a little 'indisposed'. Some fool using a mobile phone drove over my foot while parking close to where I was crossing the road. This did my foot no good at all as I only had trainers on, although x-ray revealed nothing broken (don't know how - must be made of rubber!). The real problem is that I have osteoarthritis in my right knee that I refused an operation on as long ago as 2001 (I was coming up to the 12 month report stage of my PhD and couldn't afford the time off involved). Of course it has worsened somewhat over the years.

It is little surprise that when, having argued with the driver, he subsequently leaped out and jumped on me from behind (brave chap) my knee promptly gave up the ghost pitching me onto the ground - whereupon said driver proceeded to give yours truly a 'good kicking', as we say here in the UK. Hmmm nice! No real damage was done other than a bit of bruising and I felt absolutely nothing (I was very, very drunk - of course!) but it has made my knee swell and walking painful, so I am using it as an excuse to springboard myself back onto the treatment track. I had no GP so I have been in and out of x-ray and registering myself at a GPs surgery and all the rest to ‘get the ball moving’. After all this time I would imagine we are talking knee replacement surgery (at least that is what I am hoping - they have some good stuff these days). So a little bit of a silver lining there!

Despite these...er...distractions, I have been working my way through my files from time to time and cutting and pasting into the book. At last a logical story progression is emerging. The upcoming new book now stands at 315 of 9 by 6 inch pages of 10 point text, should it be published as a single work. Of this figure, perhaps 300 pages will likely survive further editing by my estimate. Unfortunately the next part to be inserted will not be such a simple cut and paste job as I am going to have to run through it first, changing the tense it is written in. You see there is a section in which one of the characters first encounters her new ‘home’ - her first impressions of ‘The Ward’, as the place is euphemistically known - which at present is told in flashback at a later point in the girl’s mind's eye. After the adjustment I propose, the reader will encounter the layout of ‘The Ward’ in 'real time' as the girl first enters. It makes for much more sense that way from the point of view of storytelling, as the reader immediately has the backdrop picture painted in their mind for the action to then play out against. As always the devil is in the detail and the essential thing is that the action should flow in a logical sequence.

By for now – have to fly.

Locking Cots and Early to Bed

Hi Chaps

I have been in contact again with my digital illustrator chum in the 'States (remember I spent quite a time telling you all about the ideas hovering out of sight behind an illustrated version of the new book and this guy – Snooze – and his input). Anyway, as well as producing illustrations for a possible pictorial version of my upcoming book he accepts commissions from others and was recently commissioned to produce a series of images interpreting some ideas sent to him that, while now unlikely for various reasons to see the light of day, nonetheless make for a nice showcase of his talents.

As the artist himself says: “The main subject of the picture [to the artist's way of thinking] was the gruesome looking, [quite] terrifying cots. Not the girl. So thick and sturdy that [one immediately recognizes their] terrible purpose and that once [a girl was placed in one] there would be absolutely no escape from its cold confines until who ever it was put [her in ] there decided [she] be released.”

The rubber mattress and pillow “subtly implies that [she] will not be let out for the [purposes of visiting the bathroom].”

The girl on the far side is only noticed as an afterthought. You only notice her later. [Only then] does one discern the rubber suit she is dressed in; which once again implies the lack of bathroom breaks. She is diapered and waterproofed because she is not coming out until release time.”

The illustrator believes – and I agree – that “the image works [not so much due to] what is emphasized [but rather due to] what is understated; because as you look at it you see more and more.”

He sees the scene as “a special dorm for bed wetters in an institutional setting; an asylum? school or prison, perhaps. The first image is set just before 7:00 pm as it is beginning to go dark. Two inmates have been placed in their rubber nightwear and made to lie in their cots. A Dorm Matron has placed a rubber sheet/blanket over her first charge, has lifted the side rail of her cot and already secured one padlock in place and is in the process for locking the second padlock.”

He goes on to point out that:

“The dormitory Matron's second charge is already in position in her cot and is passively lying there while her [compatriot or fellow miscreant] is being [secured]. She could get up, out of the cot - she is not restrained. However, the image tries to show that such an action would be foolish. The locked bars over the window suggest that the room is in any case secure. She would not get far if she attempted to escape. Also positioned strategically in the foreground of the image is Matron's desk with a heavy punishment cane prominently on display along with a leather spanking paddle.

Less prominent, but still ominously visible on the far wall, is a board displaying three additional canes, two tawses and a pair of handcuffs and leg irons. The implication made is that the facility is well able to handle an inmate who tries to create a disturbance.

There are additional furnishings that also suggest resistance is fraught with peril: In the far corner of the room is a wardrobe containing what appear to be straitjackets. It is unclear whether [a straitjacket might be pressed into service to punish a] girl by placing her in it on top of her rubber suit, so that she would be uncomfortably restrained throughout the night] or whether perhaps [these girls] have been [routinely] incarcerated in them during the day and they have now been removed while they are locked in their cots for sleeping.

Another potential jeopardy is the half seen cage on the far left of the image. Presumably if the girls try to create a fuss, instead of being left for the night in their comfy, if very secure cots, they might be confined to the cage, which is too small for them to relax comfortably and has a bare metal floor. The implications of both the cage and straitjackets is that no matter how awful life is, it can always get much worse. And so the second girl realizes that resistance is futile and merely waits patiently for the nurse to cover her with the rubber blanket which is strategically lying on the cot, raise the rail and secure it with the two padlocks that are waiting for her.

To enhance the overall atmosphere, these girls are adults and yet the clock on the wall says it isn't quite seven o'clock. It is light outside still, yet they are doomed to go to bed so early and spend the night in very secure confinement. The lighting isn't bright but, together with the depth of field of the camera, the idea is to focus the [observer's eye] on the girl in the cot, waiting to be put to bed for the night.

The second image of the two lower is meant to capture the scene just over a half an hour later. It is now almost dark outside. The second girl has had her blanket placed on her and the side of her cot raised and secured. The lights have been turned down to allow them to sleep but it is not completely dark. The focus is now shifted on to the Dorm Matron. Her shift isn't up till 8:00 pm, when she will be relieved by a junior night nurse who will keep watch over the girls throughout the night. No talking is allowed of course, which is why the heavy cane on the desk, now well lit up, is prominently on display so that the girls know what will happen if they break the rules.

The [inclusion of the] bed pans [is intended to be] suggestive of the incontinence theme.”

There you have it! Though nothing to do with my storyline, I find the images that have resulted to be most evocative, as I think you'll find too if you look carefully! The idea of the girls just waiting without need of restraint, the no-talking rule – all this I love. But, If I were to be asked to put forward one proviso or criticism, I think it would be that I would dispense with the rubber suits. I guess another would be that I am not so keen on the depicted scenario taking place within “a special unit for 'bed wetters'”... unless it turns out that this is a unit devised to create bed wetters or enforce the behavior in some way – then all of a sudden it becomes delicious! But – hey - that's my taste; what do you think?

Spanked at Home and Veralsis Spanking Showcase: Two New Affiliate Sites Added

I've just added two new affiliate sites to this blog. Spanked at Home and Veralsis Spanking Showcase. The latter has a massive collection of Artwork, over 42,ooo drawings, including Eric Stanton and other classics. The former appealed to me as its magazine-cover style samples bring on an attack of terminal nostalgia, being reminiscent of the good old days of seeing Roue and Janus covers on the local newsagent's top shelf.

The origin of the top left offering is obvious, so you can probably safely hazard a guess that the pic on the right comes from the aforementioned artwork site. If it works for me (if you get my drift) it mostly likely will for most of you out there - that's the way I look at it.

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In addition, I have now extended the 'DropBox' albums to cover a few more of the deleted Picasaweb albums. The women's workwear and uniforms catalogue scans for: Hewat (an Edinburgh-based company) 1980s, Hewat 1960s and Garroulds of London. I have now removed all the links to the old defunct Picasaweb albums to save confusion. Longer term; I intend to create a series of standalone pages to hold the various collections I have stashed on my drives here, giving the blog - I hope - a look something more like a full-blown website than a conventional blog. I have to say, though, that I am a little pressed for time at present and the only reason I am messing around with the blog right now is that I have been away for the weekend and only got in a little while ago. As it is so late (early hours) it isn't worth getting in to any work on the book / books, but I am still a little too 'hyper' to sleep. Talking of affiliate sites:

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I just couldn't resist a quick trip to Bars and Stripes (it's that nurse /matron and cane thing) link in right hand sidebar. The two new sites I have added can be checked out by clicking on the relevant pic above or visiting the sidebar on right (as can the Dropbox albums). These affiliates will be the last commercial links I shall be adding as I want to avoid the trend, becoming increasingly prevalent, to fill up page-space almost entirely with banners and adverts; but at the same time, what with some sort of problem apparently afflicting Lulu sales, I need to do something to help fund my little hobby (I am mostly running on empty right now, financially speaking - but full of enthusiasm!!!). Tommorow will be entirely dedicated to editing the book - starting early!!! So bye for now - I'm off to bed.

Ambition and a Forum

Just a short note to say I have just added a forum address to the useful resources list in the sidebar that some of you may be interested in: SCHOOL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT on network54.

As always just click to visit or check out the right hand sidebar. It is listed prefaced with the word FORUM and shortly I shall group all forums together in the list in such a manner. Oh... and here's a little photo to whet your appetite (not sure where from, though - someone sent it to me via email. Thanks whoever you were). And by the way... While still finishing off the new book I have begun a little preliminary research for a prospective book on baldness and hair loss - male pattern baldness, that kind of thing and from a 'self-help' perspective. Opinions anyone? I am thinking about something following the 'Idiots Guides" model, with expert sections (the science stuff) and simplified 'straight to the point chunks.' Anyone out there know of a pre-existing publication around these lines? Go on: give me a hand with a little market research! See you later.

Those Magdalene Sisters - Again! (On My 'Tele, Too!)

As you know I said last time that I was going to paste up a short extract from the new book, and I will do - but next time.

There are good reasons (I think). (1) The piece I have been working on is still not ready in a form I would feel happy about sharing with you yet.

And (2): I became a little distracted. Partly this was due to a sojourn to the art exhibition currently running at the London Design Centre, Islington, yesterday (where they had, amongst other works on show and for sale, no less than four by LS Lowry, the asking price for one of which was an incredible £800,000 - just a little outside my league, Ha,ha!). But mostly, at least in as far as today has so far been concerned, it is to due to the showing last night on television of the wonderful, if depraved (but not for my taste), film ‘The Magdalene Sisters’– I almost had a coronary!! Of course I felt I had to mention it here, and of course I felt obliged to source a couple of suitable stills to go with the mention.

I have of course talked about this movie before. As you know it is based around the church-run homes that once existed in Ireland (up until not so long ago apparently) that were set up to house and control so-called ‘unruly’ girls - See the blog entry I posted on Tuesday, 23rd September 2008, entitled Corselletes, Corset Discipline & Institutional Hair and Fingernail Cutting (just click the title or use the blog archive search facility over in the right-hand sidebar).

Anyway, one thing led to another and while searching for a few stills from said film I stumbled across ‘The Encyclopedia of Women in Prison Films’(see right-hand sidebar under the heading ‘Useful Resources’ for a link to the homepage or click the site name). This site, which describes itself as “a work in progress attempting to catalogue and review every WIP film ever made”, does indeed host a clip from the aforementioned film. One of the best sections my opinion; the part where the inmates, having been made to strip naked, are humiliated by the Mother Superior who amongst other things has them compare breast sizes and ‘hairiness down below’ and so on - reducing one completely to tears. (See pictured top left). Unfortunately the clip on this particular site is in French, which is a bit of a pain for me personally be a typically ignorant Brit when it comes to languages, but I'm sure it'll be fine for many visitors to this blog to get a flavour of the movie.

Another clip I came across on the same site that I found worth viewing - though it has nothing to do with The Magdalene Sisters and appears to be silent for some reason - was called ‘Stuck’ (click on the film name and look on the bottom right-hand of the page when you arrive - or see clip embedded here). This one is a lovely clip of young women - one delightfully bashful - stripping out of their prison uniforms - which appears to consist of a button-through nylon overall or dress (perfect as a basis for a prison uniform) - under the stern watchful eye of wardress in what appears to be a prison block shower room. To view clip click on the 'play symbol' below.


Going back to the Magdalene sisters again for a moment, and that scene mentioned above in particular I think they miss out on a trick or two if this sort of treatment only occurs once in a girl's experience. In the type of institution I envisage, that form of belittling and humiliating treatment would be repeated on multiple occasions. On subsequent occasions - which I picture as being in a more formal, structured frame, almost along the lines of the series of ‘group therapy’ sessions and perhaps lead by a woman trained in psychology, and perhaps one specialising in the psychology of shame - I imagine it could have been taken a step further, with the girls no longer allowed to just stand passively while comments are fired at them but rather obliged to participate, discussing and describing their own breasts in relation to those others around them. Any sign of pride, a girl perhaps misguidedly flaunting her attributes under the misconception that she is somehow better than the rest, would be dealt with by a suitably scathing and confidence-undermining comment from the psychologist, pointing out her shortcomings in no uncertain terms. Similarly, after the various comments issued regarding the relative level of ‘hairiness down below’ displayed by the various girls while in line - with the Mother Superior saying at one point, as I recall “you've got more there down below then you have on your head, a girl, but I think so-and-so wins out in that department” (or words to that effect, I can't remember the name of the girl) - the next step would be an appointment with the institution's nurse or matron and the very carefully carried out and closely scrutinised close razor-shaving of their more intimate charms. On subsequent occasions, then, those comments could be made far more focused and even more intimate, perhaps with girls lined up with hands-on head over a mirrored floor or seated in a circle on steel-framed plastic chairs and a hand mirror then passed around. I'm sure you get the idea.

A couple of Blogs for You to Visit

Hi there!

Just a quick note to say that I have taken a little time out from struggling with the new book this evening to peruse a couple of blogs that I just can’t believe I’ve overlooked in the past. ‘SEXUELLE’, the creation of one Elizabeth Forster, is just chock full with some of the most erotic spanking orientated erotica I have ever come across on a blog – with an emphasis on erotic; just wonderful!. I went through page after page and just couldn’t get away – I have had a hell of a job just deciding which pics to add to my collection. Click on either picture to visit (they both came from there) or look for link in the blog list in the right-hand sidebar. Actually I really love the top left: the hair bondage thing – very reminiscent of the writing of Victor Bruno, don’t you think?

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‘Spanking w necie’ is another good 'un. Not sure what language it is in but there are a lot of spanking pics I have not seen before and a hell of a lot of blog links to explore. Click on blog name to link or see blog list – blah, blah, blah.

Next entry will hopefully be a shard from the new book.

And now… Back to the writing (Well International indoor bowls first on TV, the writing. Maybe a bit of sleep as well?)– enjoy!

Reader's Letters Scans Search Advice

Hi peeeps! Still hard at it here, finishing off the new book, but have also put aside a little time here and there to keep an eye on the blogI. One thing I have noted, checking through the visitor log of late, is that a number of folk are presently linking in from a bulletin board someplace looking specifically for spanking magazine reader's letters page scans. As many of you regulars will know, I have posted quite a few over time from 'Janus' and the Blushes / Whispers magazine stable, some those scanned by 'yours truly', some contributed by Alan (I hope – I have a terrible memory for names). Now, I have not always been as consistent as I might have with my use of 'tags', using insiprations (in error, obviously), inspiration, inspirational letters, Inspirations and letters pages as tags in various combinations. To help those searching for letters pages scans I carried out a little experimentation using the search window facility (look over there in the right-hand side bar). Where it says 'search tis blog' simply type in 'letters' (minus the apostrophes of course!) – this search-term was found to produce the best results – you can always then click on any of the tags that come up with the results to find related postings.

Talking of links: Quite a few folk are still attempting to follow the 'album' links in the sidebar. These all link to Picasaweb albums but as I said last time; Picasaweb have taken down all my albums. I am slowly replacing these with links to 'Dropbox' albums and at present have created 'Dropbox' albums containing spanking artwork from Thorn / Hobbs and women's workwear / uniform catalog scans from Garoulds of London and Hewett 1980s and 1960s (of these only the link to the Thorn / Hobbs artwork album is actually in place at present). There may yet be issues with 'dropbox' – I found Thorn / Hobbs artwork album to have somehow been deleted when I visited yesterday (now reinstated) – but we'll see how it goes. If necessary once the new book is completed I'll create a series of standalone pages to hold the various collections that once resided on Picasaweb – and more besides! Meanwhile, to save further confusion / disappointment, later today I am going to delete all the old Picasaweb links from the sidebar – good riddance; there's nothing worse / more irritating than a broken link.