I have just removed the link to the blog 'British Spanking Mags' from my sidebar blog list to get rid of the 'Favicon' password pop-up as the blog itself seems to have largely evaporated in terms of content in any case. I have also removed 'BT's Erotic Fiction' as a broken link. I think the latter has moved to Wordpress so if I come across it I'll reinstate a link to it. Meanwhile I am working on trying to fairly quickly convert the commissioned piece I wrote back last summer into a short book or novel of some kind before returning my attention to the volume 1 cover redesign I started and a cover for the new book (if I get it done) before looking for work of some sort. Oh, and I came upon a couple of clips from the original film of the 'Pride of Miss Jean Brodie'. Now the thing about this film, in terms of inspiring and influencing my modest little novels and developing certain of the ideas behind them, was not so much the film itself but an article I once came across way back in the mid-seventies in a magazine dated 1969. 
The article had been about the making of the film and detailed the fact that the principle actresses playing the girls were all around 18 - 19 years of age at the time and how spending all day in those school uniforms, day after day, affected how they began to feel about themselves (loss of confidence, feeling sheepish, uncertain and what have you) and the way in which others on the set tended to treat and address them. I seem to recall mention of the set and studio canteen ladies tending to develop a condescending and patronising attitude to them for example. (I have mentioned this before someplace, I am sure - try using the blog archive search facility near the top of the sidebar on the right hand side.)
The article had been about the making of the film and detailed the fact that the principle actresses playing the girls were all around 18 - 19 years of age at the time and how spending all day in those school uniforms, day after day, affected how they began to feel about themselves (loss of confidence, feeling sheepish, uncertain and what have you) and the way in which others on the set tended to treat and address them. I seem to recall mention of the set and studio canteen ladies tending to develop a condescending and patronising attitude to them for example. (I have mentioned this before someplace, I am sure - try using the blog archive search facility near the top of the sidebar on the right hand side.)
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31 comments:
I have an embarrassing confession to make. I didn't know what this movie was. I had to look it up on IMDB. The black and white picture is striking, though.
Good work on the favicon thing. It was annoynace.
The Non Victorian Chick
Thanks for that! Hopefully the 'Favicon' 'password' thing is dead and buried now. But I thought that before - back at the end of 2010, when I placed all the 'Thumbloger' blogs in their own section.
There were a number of articles about AN EDUCATION, where the 23-year-old actress playing the schoolgirl complained that her uniform made her look 'horrible' and that the crew did in fact treat her like a schoolgirl. The uniform quickly did it's insidious work, and she soon found herself feeling every bit the schoolgirl, daydreaming in class, an offense which, in Garth's institution, would certainly earn her a dose of the cane.
One can image a twenty-something starlet, hungry for an Oscar, securing a role where she pays a schoolgirl from long ago. During her research for her role she is thrilled to discover an institution in a former British colony that still requires school uniforms and uses the cane, and discretely arranges a private charter.
During her visit with the Headmaster at his private club, he suggests that "method" research might gain the actress the experience she needs to "make you a shoe-in at awards seasons." The ambitious actress eagerly agrees, and soon finds herself enjoying a delightful lunch with the Headmaster in the chamber of the local Magistrate.
The Magistrate's clerk arranges a Power-of-Attorney, to be activated upon her entrance into the reformatory, so that the Headmaster can manage her affairs during the few weeks she will be in attendance. The Headmaster explains that during her stay he will be "legally obligated to treat you precisely as I would any other delinquent. Our institution has no red carpet, merely red stripes for girls that fail to obey."
The shocked actress protests that she is a "good girl" and that she is sure that such discipline will be "entirely unnecessary."
"Perhaps, but I must warn you the little hoydens in my academy are always getting bare benders for one thing or another. I swear their bottoms itch for the cane! But perhaps you will be the first young lady in our 250 history to escape the discipline all young women your age so richly deserve."
The young starlet fidgets in her chair as the Headmaster and the Judge stare her down with hard, disapproving glares.
A quick Google search reveals a tabloid headline accusing the young starlet of cheating with a married man, and another accusing her of being drunk on the set. She protests that she won libel suits disproving these claims, to which the Judge replies tartly that "foreign settlements are inadmissible in my court, whereas the public documentation of your delinquency, which will be placed in your file, create a prima facia case that renders your sentence legally binding and entirely just."
The young woman is brusquely ordered to stand before the Magistrate's oak desk, "at attention, chin up, with your hands at your sides." Her heart races and she feels dizzy as she watches the Judge strip away her identity, property, and legal rights with a quick flick of his elegant Waterman fountain pen. The girl is shocked as the bailiff cuffs her hands behind her back, but she should not be. She is now a delinquent.
In the morning the Headmaster and the Magistrate watch as the blushing miscreant joins 200 other girls in the reformatory's large gang shower. The Headmaster smiles, for she blends in smoothly with the other naked girls; her institutionalization has begun.
The Magistrate, ogling her tight, round bottom, knows the issue of her behavior is entirely mute, as the he has already sentenced her to a fierce strapping at the next Justice Night, in front of the Judge and his assembled guests, as punishment for the "crimes" for which she was justly sentenced.
The court order specifies that she is to be released in time for filming, which places her in something of a legal limbo when the film is placed in turnaround. The young woman, now firmly ensconced in the role of a reformatory delinquent, and keenly aware of the price of "impertinence" finds herself too cowed to protest. The Headmaster happily raises his trustee fee to account for the extra discipline the young woman requires.
I love the idea of method actresses failing into schoolgirl roles. Many films have actresses in their late teens and early twenties "playing young" while in the roles of 15 to 18 girls.
Several actresses have talked about hanging with teenage girls in an effort to capture their slang and opinions. It's easy to imagine them getting into trouble and being mistaken as "one of the girls" in their "peer group".
Something like:
Elaine gulped down hard.
She hadn't thought of this when she had worked out how to prep for the role of "Angel" (a fifteen year old girl) in the upcoming movie "Harry Andrews Doesn't Live Here Anymore". Her agent had gotten Elaine some clothes that an average 15 year old would wear and she had spent the day hanging at a mall in the town where they planning to film. She had attached herself to the fringes of this group or that one to pick up teen lingo. When the groups had begun to break up, Elaine had rushed to the nearest bathroom. Locking herself in a stall she had spent over an hour typing away on her notebook, recording every teen mannerism she could remember.
She hadn't noticed the lack of teens as she made her way other of the mall. It was only when the patrol car flashed its lights that Elaine remembered the citywide curfew. She was carrying ID, but there was no way anyone looking at her now would believe that she was 23.
As he left the patrol car, Officer Edwards bit back a smile. After word was passed around about how an actress was in town early for that movie they were going to make he'd watched "Day The School Closed" just so he'd know what she looked like. There she was, 23 going 15, looking nervous as he walked towards her. The thing was, he hadn't told anyone that he'd watched that film. There was no reason not to haul her off to juvvie.
Off course if she couldn't name a parent she would have to spend the night there. And girls who acted up in jevvie, well if they gave the staff any lip then their butts paid for it. Odds were it would be morning before the 'mistake' was straightened out. Meanwhile, she would learn how juvenile delinquents were treated in this town.
----
Hmmm... Just thought of another blog with a story about someone acting young for a reason...
http://www.spanko.net/profile_blogs/Goodgulf/&action=view&id=739
"I'm sorry, we're all filled up," the harried Social Worker explained. "Either find her parents, or take her to Goodgulf Reformatory. But you'll want to follow-up tomorrow, to make sure she doesn't get lost in system."
"What do you mean, lost?" Office Edwards asked.
"Goodgulf gets paid per head," the Social Worker explained. "And once a girl's admitted, they have no incentive to let her out. She won't have anyway of communicating once she's in there, so you'll have to followup to get her back in touch with her parents. They only accept girls over 18, since they use the cane and the strap there, but since she doesn't have an ID you can fudge it for the night."
Officer Edwards smiled. Elaine had been all attitude since he had picked her up, calling him "stupid" and promising him that "she'd have his job for this." If he dropped her off at Goodgulf, that risk would be gone. And he knew that Elaine would look positively darling in her school uniform
Anyone else familiar with a much older film (1945 per the trusty IMDB) called The Seventh Veil?
This had a daft plot about a concert pianist suffering a break-down and being treated by Herbert Lom with a cod Viennese accent.
Her trauma turned out to have to do with getting the cane at school and failing a piano exam because of her sore hands.
The shot of the actress (Ann Todd) standing in her school uniform with her hand held out was issued as a publicity still and appears in several film books.
I dare say there is one on the web somewhere.
Thanks for the contribution 'Imreadonly2'! I particularly liked the part where you write “The young woman, now firmly ensconced in the role of a reformatory delinquent, and keenly aware of the price of "impertinence" finds herself too cowed to protest.” Great stuff, that!
Thanks for the info regarding what a Favicon is, Rex (comment attached to previous posting). I guess have been out of the loop for so long that I think I’ve sort of lost the plot a bit and can't see the wood for the trees! It was right there in front of my eyes. But saying that; it is strange that initially all had worked ok and then suddenly out of the blue that error message or password thing started flashing up. I certainly had not changed anything - I hadn't gone near the blog for a couple of months.
As for the website that seemed to have started it all, I have now located ‘British Spanking Magazines’ alive and well and on Blogspot. At http://britishspankingmagazines.blogspot.com/ (see also link in the sidebar)
As for that film with Ann Todd, The Seventh Veil,mentioned above by 'Anonymous', try these two links (copy and paste into the browser of you choice):
http://i893.photobucket.com/albums/ac140/moirathefinn/the-seventh-veil-6426_2.jpg
http://www.simsajoyeros.com.ar/fotos3/20192%20-%20The%20Seventh%20Veil.jpg
Thank you, Garth.
The wonder of "institutionalization" is the way that it quickly destroys a girl's identity and sense of self.
Attending classes, eating with the other girls in the mess hall, sleeping next to them in the dorm, wearing your smart uniform, with the tie knotted tightly and your white socks straight, toeing the line. Guilty-or-not, it is soon impossible think of yourself as anything but "one of the girls."
And then there are the little indignities, which taken together, add up to a crushing weight: being addressed by your last name, being scolded for slouching, or being swatted across the behind and accused of "dallying" when you pause to chatter with your friends. Relentlessly belittled and corrected, your self-esteem rapidly erodes. You come to think of yourself as "incorrigible" and "delinquent", the memory of your past accomplishments and accolades fading as rapidly as a forgotten dream.
You hate it when the Headmaster brings tour groups thru while you're in the shower, and feel humiliated as you feel the male visitor's eye's roam freely up and down your naked body. You comfort yourself that they don't you, or, to be more accurate, who you once were, and now see you only as what you (in your heart) now know that you are, just another naked delinquent justly and properly sentenced to an indefinite term of strict reformatory discipline.
Here's a review of The Seventh Veil
Hard as it is to imagine it happening now, but in 1946 a British film was released that had as its central theme the traumatic effects of a severe hand caning on a schoolgirl in her mid-teens. The girl was played by an adult Ann Todd and the drama unfolds as a psychological re-telling of her life after a suicide attempt. The film won an Oscar for best Screenplay. At the very heart of the mystery is a story about love and repressed feelings - but crucially these issues all
stem from a scene that happens early in the story when she recounts an incident at her boarding school. Having bunked off to the countryside with a tearaway pal, I think to avoid games, she is caught and punished. A talented protégé on the piano, the punishment is set to take place on the evening before a crucial music exam...the thing she lives for is to play music. In the headmistress's study she realises she will be caned and pleads to be given another punishment: 'Don't cane my hands, please' she says. We see all this and then the headmistress, quite unmoved raising the cane. The camera cuts away and we see the cane falling in shadow on the wall and hear the sound of the thumps. The next day, so blistered are her hands that she cannot play properly and fails her exam, causing a lifelong problem only resolved after rigorous analysis. She is caned again, later, by her mentor, played by a young James Mason, but it is a furious reaction to her affair with a band leader. He swipes her hands with his stick as she plays piano under his tuition...a scene of great, significant anger and the focus of the film.
Hi, 'imreadonly2'! That's an interesting analysis of the concept of the destruction (I prefer 'erosion' for some reason) of “a girl's identity and sense of self.” But it does bring up a couple of issues. For example, take the phrase; “...pause to chatter with [her] friends.”
This partial phrase in itself raises two questions in my mind. (1) Should a detainee be allowed sufficient latitude to form close relationships in the first place and (2) should inter-detainee 'chatter' be allowed under any circumstances, whatever form it might take?
Imagine the sense of isolation suffered by the poor thing if surrounded by a cohort of others yet disallowed from communicating directly with any of them in any manner, under the continual threat of the cane or the strap for any slip – or indeed one of several subtle psychological punishments of even greater corrective efficacy. Surely far more psychologically stressful – if lovingly instigated, supervised, and with sufficient attention to detail - than simple solitary confinement?
The part about a subject “relentlessly belittled and corrected” resulting in rapid erosion of self-esteem and the subject coming to think of herself as "incorrigible" and "delinquent" is interesting, although I'm not fond of the terms “incorrigible" and "delinquent" in this context – 'inferior' or 'inept' might be more apt terms.
As for “...the [the subject's] memory of past accomplishments and accolades fading as rapidly as a forgotten dream.” Yes, this would seem a worthwhile outcome to be expected of such a regimen. I seem to think that both aspects have been explored - both social isolation and continual belittling and correction - have been employed in a psychological research context in the past.
The latter belittling and correction approach could indeed be applied quite subtly given the right context, so subtly and gradually that the subject herself might not be consciously aware of what is happening to her even as her personality is being remodeled according to someone else's template. Now that is real domination!
Elise pushed her head forward making sure that the thin sheet of paper remained trapped between the wall and her nose, if it dropped there would be further punishment. Elise cast her eyes downward she could see the feet of one her fellow pupils standing next to her waiting her turn in Miss. Davis’s office. She could see the girl’s brown strapped sandals and brown ankle socks with the yellow stripe and the bottom of her yellow gingham dress. No doubt she was looking at Elise and could see the same. Elise carefully adjusted her hands but without lifting them from the top of her head where she had been told to put them before being made to face the wall. Her brown sweatshirt lifting above her waistline as she ensured her arms remained in line with her body as was required for pupils made to take this humiliating position.
Her mind drifted to the conversation with her manager and the HR officer following failure of her last project. There had been a serious miscalculation on some of the supply requirements and what could have been a profitable project had turned into a loss of tens of thousands of dollars – it hadn’t been her specific error but she was the manager and it was her accountability. It was true over the previous four years she had gained experience and more recently a good profile by running successful projects and utilizing the skills of others. She had made a mistake and it was clear there would be consequences and she knew what they might be. The choice was hers, she could have resigned but she had chosen, like many before her, to be seen to be sanctioned for her failure in the hope that she would meet the required strictures and then resume her career. She had seen two other people sent to the “Retraining school” with differing outcomes. The first Jodie Miles was now a highly recognized and admired Marketing Project Leader having spent 4 months in retraining again following a less than successful piece of project leadership. However, the second, Sam Jones, was now an HR assistant having previously held a senior role in Logistics. She had been sent to the retraining school initially for 3 months but had actually spent 6 months there. On her return she had been very publically demoted in part because she had failed to demonstrate lack of arrogance during her punishment. In addition she had been made to explain how she had been punished to the whole office of over 200 people dressed in a uniform like the one that Elise now found herself wearing. Sam Jones had not left the company because her contract obliged her to stay for at least 30 months following such an offence and anyway the reference she would be receiving if she left early would be so bad as to make her unemployable. Elise had chosen to take her chance in the “Retraining school” after all she had thought it can’t be that bad – how wrong she had been. From her initial arrival she soon realized how wrong she was but it had been too late. The stripping of all her clothes and belongings, the cold shower under supervision, the body search, her hair styled into a ponytail and any unfitting hair cut or shaved off, the infant school uniform, the order to speak only when spoken to, sleeping on a hard bed between rough blankets, going to the toilet when told, the daily routine of lessons in the cold classrooms, sitting on a hard wooden stool from 5:30AM until 1:30 PM writing lines and essays, copying out sections of the Bible and in her case hours of arithmetic to correct her failure on her project (how many times had she written out her times tables 1x1…..1x50 up to 100x50), the anxious waits each day to see if your work had met the required standards, the menial labour that followed lessons - cleaning toilets or floors on her hands and knees, hand washing and ironing laundry, the foul food – gruel, boiled vegetables, bread and water, attending assembly sat on the floor with legs crossed and hands-on-head like a five year old, being sent to bed at 8:30 PM, of course no TV or reading and the constant supervision, inspection and ordering.
“Right Douglas inside, keep your hands on your head, first time for you I think for this purpose, stand in front of my desk, feet, in the middle square, head up”, Miss Davis directed Elise into her very spacious office an sat down behind her desk facing where she had left Elise to stand. On the wall behind the desk was an array of canes, slippers, straps, paddles and even a birch each hung from a hook.
Miss Davis began, “You know why you are here girl?””Yes Maam”, Elise replied swiftly and precisely as required. “Anything to say for yourself you stupid little girl?” “I am very sorry for my misbehavior Maam and ask to be punished as you see fit for these failings”, Elise said. “It’s a bit late isn’t it – if you are thinking that your behavior which has met the required standards for the past 10 weeks will earn you any lenience you would be mistaken. Not one but five offences, “Failure of uniform inspection – button undone on dress, failure of uniform inspection – knicker seam not straight, disobedience – speaking without being spoken to, insolence – speaking without using Sir or Maam correctly, trying to avoid punishment – slowness in stripping to allow inspection. For any single one of these offences you would be punished for five on a single occasion the penance will be more severe”Miss Davis finished. “How could she have been so careless? How had that button come on done? Why had she gone,”Oh no”, when it was discovered and why had she not responded quicker to the order to strip as she stood in the corridor waiting for her next lesson.” Miss Travis hadn’t hesitated to apply her leather strap to Elise’s hands a couple of strokes each side to both hands and too her knickered behind six stokes as she had stood half-naked in the corridor in front of a class of her fellow pupils but she knew now that was just a foretaste of the allocation she was now to receive from Miss Davis.
She began, “Punishment is as follows Douglas. Uniform – this comfortable dress and sweatshirt are obviously too much for you to manage so a bit more discomfort and restrain is required for you. Winter uniform – two pairs of school knickers so you get more practice with those seams, wool knee socks, starched shirt and tie, school tunic, waistcoat and cardigan. I’m sure now in July you will really appreciate the discomfort and humiliation. Uniform to be worn 24/7 but at nights to be accompanied by wearing of restraint belt. Toilet visits limited to one per day. Stand at all times in all lessons. Two hours extra drill and inspection every morning. Gruel only - twice per day. Mouth to be washed out with soap and water after every meal and at bedtime. One less thing for you to manage – punishment haircut to be applied in school assembly – hair to be cut and shaved around bowl and maintained as such throughout punishment. No washing bathing or clothing change throughout punishment. Public display in town every Sunday “. Elise gasped under her breath she was going to be taken outside the school dressed like that she couldn’t believe it but Miss Davis was not yet finished. ”Corporal punishment – five strokes of the tawse to the palm and back of each hand in front of your dormitory this evening to be followed by 15 strokes of the strap to your bare behind at school assembly tomorrow morning. Six strokes of the slipper to your bare behind on you dormitory twice per week for the duration of you punishment. Your punishment will last six weeks. This obviously extends past your existing release date. Put you know how we deal with that don’t you Douglas?” “Yes Maam, my sentence will be extended”, Elise replied. Miss Davis continued,” That is correct – punishment is always served and I always like to see a period of good behavior before any pupil is released – particularly in the case of someone who has committed multiple offences. Your sentence is increased from 3 to 6 months.” Elise almost collapsed she had had 14 days to go now she had 15 weeks.
“Right now I told you that your previous good behavior would not spare you punishment for your offences but what I did promise you was that as this demonstrated how stupid and willful your offences today have been, you will receive a premium. Your period of serving these additional penances is therefore extended to eight weeks and I will personally apply a liberal dose of the cane to your behind immediately. In addition your offences have all, of course, been noted to your file and will be considered in setting the terms of you release – I will be recommending that consideration of your clothing at work be made before your release. Is that clear?” “ Yes Maam. Thank-you Maam.” Miss Davis stood up and removed a large thick cane from the wall behind her and moved round the desk bending it as she walked. She moved a chair from the side of the room to the middle where Elise was standing. “Right take off your sweatshirt and dress and bend over the chair girl.” She bit her lip as her knickers were stripped and allowed to fall to her ankles. “Right girl after each stroke I want to hear, “One stroke, thank-you Maam I deserve to be thoroughly humiliated and punished like the naughty little school girl I have behaved as, please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson”, is that clear girl? Any failure and I will apply still further strokes.” With that the caning began, it was more than ten years since Elise had received any corporal punishment, then it had been from her parents. The strokes made her shudder and she struggled to control her whimpering . Elise didn’t know how long she could bear it but the count continued, “Eleven…twelve..thirteen.. Finally at twenty it stopped. I hope that has started to teach you a lesson and will certainly help you do so when the strap is applied in front of the school tomorrow. Right take her to Matron for reuniforming. Given you won’t be wearing that dress and sweatshirt you can be taken to the Matron as you are – including leaving your knickers around you ankles. Now get your hands on your head and remember if you are brought back before me again the consequences will be even more severe. “Yes Maam”, Elise replied and she then was marched unceremoniously out of the office. Mrs. Saqib walked behind her as she humiliatingly waddled naked except for her shoes and socks down the corridor to the Matron’s office. She could only imagine what her behind looked like no doubt red and striated from the harsh strokes she had received. Finally they reached the Matron’s office where Mrs. Saqib handed over the slip of paper detailing Elise’s uniform for the next eight weeks.
The Matron went to the shelves containg items of clothing and then returned and placed a pile on the table in front of Elise. The Matron took over, “Remove your knickers and shoes and socks girl.” Elise obeyed swiftly removing them and then folding and laying them neatly as she was now trained to do before resuming her position stood to attention hands on head. “Well if you thought your school uniform previously was humiliating you were right girl but for next eight weeks you will have something just as humiliating to wear, including in public I see, and much more uncomfortable. If you couldn’t keep the ten buttons on your dress done up then the numbers on your tunic, waistcoat and cardigan will give you some much needed practice.
“Right knickers”, the Matron began holding out the gusseted item with which Elise had grown all too familiar but not in brown like the pair she had just removed but navy blue. Elise put them on the thick elastic biting into her legs and waist and the unfinished seams sticking into her skin, they reached farther down her legs as well – she made sure the seams were straight from her waist to where they reached a couple of inches above her knees. “And a second slightly smaller pair to help your learning”, smiled the Matron as she passed Elise another pair. The second pair clamped around Elise biting into her.
“Woollen socks”, the Matron continued the list of items whose discomfort and humiliation were to be imposed on Elise for the next 8 weeks. They were pale yellow and Elise was careful to ensure that the ribbing was vertical before turning the tops to reveal the light blue trim around the top. “Shirt put it on girl so we can check the size”. Elise put on the pale yellow shirt doing up the buttons. The Matron forced her fingers into the collar at the back pulling the front tight to Elise’s throat. “No too loose I can get a whole finger in the collar; we need the next size down so that this errant girl feels the full discomfort of her punishment. Take it off Douglas.” Elise undid the shirt and removed so that she was again left standing in the middle of the room dressed only in her shoes, socks and knickers. “Put this one on girl”, the Matron directed handing Elise a different shirt. She buttoned it up the sleeves bit under her arms and finally she managed to do the top button. The collar bit into her neck. The Matron checked the collar again and this time it met with her satisfaction. Next she was handed the blue and yellow stripped school tie which she eventually managed to get under her shirt collar. Her dressing continued as the Matron passed her a light blue school tunic. She passed it over her head the long pleated skirt reached down to below her knees, the bib hanging open in front of her. “Button it up then girl. This item is especially designed for offenders like you who fail to wear their uniform correctly with some extra buttoning practice”, the Matron scolding Elise into action. Elise quickly did up the four blue buttons which closed the bib and formed the yolk of the tunic just below the knot of her tie before standing promptly to attention so her procedural dressing and humiliation could continue. “You need to button up your dress as well girl unless you want to earn yourself another beating”, Mrs. Saqib snapped from behind her. Elise quickly looked down but saw no buttons on the skirt of the tunic. “Behind you girl, this tunic has a dress which buttons at the back so that you learn to do buttons up behind and upside down and so that if necessary your behind can be easily uncovered for a caning or strapping as will be required tomorrow morning for your 15 strokes of the strap. Now hurry up.” Elise looked over her shoulder and downwards whilst pulling the skirt of her tunic up and apart with her hands revealing that it split from the waist down at the back of the skirt. First she tried to do the buttons by reaching behind her in a standing position but this only worked for the first couple of buttons. Finally she had to bring her legs together and bend at the waist with her head down and then reach behind her legs with her hands to fasten the last three buttons of the dress. “I am sure you will get quicker over the next eight weeks and I am sure it will remind you every day of the importance of doing up the buttons on your uniform”, the Matron reminded her. “Waistcoat child”, the dressing continued. Elise took the grey woollen waistcoat and put it on. It covered over her bottom the grey wool being finished by a yellow woollen trim round the item. A school badge in yellow with in blue thread with the words, “Reform and Punishment School” embossed upon it was sewn on the left hand side. Finally the matron passed her the final item of her uniform for the next eight weeks a grey school cardigan. It had the uniform yellow trim and of course the same school badge sewn to the left breast and clear for anyone to see. The cardigan was V-necked and reached to about 10-15 cm above Elise’s knees. She did up the six buttons and returned to her position at attention her hands on her head. “Right girl that’s you dressed for the next 8 weeks – uniform to be worn at all times unchanged. You will I am sure be very conscious of your appearance particularly in public as well as of the discomfort physically”, the Matron commented and then continued
Elise marched, stopping only for the locked doors to be open and closed, to her dormitory. It smelt of body odour and toilets mixed with the stench of disinfectant with which Elise, and the other offenders, so frequently washed the facility. After ten minutes the other members of her dormitory arrived and she was led past them to her bed where she stood her hands still so childishly on her head. Elise’s eyes moved around all seven of them thinking about what she knew about each of their situations. First, directly opposite her stood Jennifer Fisher – dressed in the normal uniform of gingham dress and sweatshirt. She was serving a 3 month sentence for some performance issue. She had only been here for about 4 weeks and to date had managed to avoid any further significant punishment. At the end of the next bed stood Pauline Bradley-Matthews – she was serving 5 months again for poor performance and was already here when Elise had arrived. However her sentence had been extended due to insolence and laziness and she was dressed in a similar manner to Elise now found herself. Further down the dormitory was Helen Taylor, she was striking even in her gingham dress and sweatshirt. She apparently was serving a 9 month sentence relating to ill-discipline in the work place with her manager. She had been here when Elise arrived and seemed to be remarkably disciplined for someone here for such behavior. On the opposite side of the dormitory stood Marianne Peters. She was dressed similarly to Elise except that her outfit was completely woollen. Around her neck hung a board with the words, “I am a lazy, ignorant and stupid little girl. I deserve to be kept in woollen uniform, serve detention and receive regular corporal punishment”. Elise had seen her punishments beginning along with the rest of the school about a month after her arrival. Peters was punished for laziness, insolence, disrespect, failing to realize her need for punishment and use of foul language. In front of the school assembly she had been stripped, had a punishment haircut performed, her mouth washed out with soap and water and 20 strokes of the strap applied to her bare behind. Finally she had to dress in front of them all in wool knickers, woollen blouse, woollen pinafore dress, wool knee socks, waistcoat and two cardigans before the sign was put around her neck. The punishment was to last 10 weeks and every week she was brought in front of the whole school for a 12 stroke caning and other sanctions. Her original sentence was 6 months but now was at least 9. Opposite her on Elise’s side of the dormitory stood Pratibha Kaul–about 25 years old and dressed in gingham dress and sweatshirt. She must be due for release shortly and seemed to be “an exemplary pupil”. Next Melanie Hill–she was serving her second detention in the school. Whether she had had a choice or realized the consequences for someone serving a second period in the institution Elise didn’t know but when she had arrived about six weeks ago she had been “made an example of” for all to see. Brought in front of the whole school the Headmaster had spelt out the minimum enhanced conditions for second offenders. Full woollen school uniform, regular punishment haircut, public display every week, gruel, bread and water only, weekly caning to the bare behind before the whole school and weekly strapping to the hand on the dormitory, one toilet visit per day and most menial labour at all times. In addition for any offence punishment to be minimum double normal level and in all cases a minimum of one month to be added to the sentence. Already her 4 month sentence had grown to 7 months. Finally in the bed next to Elise’s stood Lisa Montford who had arrived the same day as Elise. She had also made the mistake of being the first to break the rules – resisting her hair being placed in a ponytail, using bad language. The consequences she was still enduring now 10 weeks later. She was dressed in a pinafore and cardigan uniform with her hair cut short around her head. She was sentenced to 6 months but now had 8 to serve.
“Right girls – toilet, wash, strip, discipline and bed. Form two queues as you are directed. Fisher left, Bradley right, Taylor right, Kaul right, Montford left, Hill left ,Peters right, Douglas left”, they were instructed. Elise took her place at the back of the 4 person queue her hands still firmly clamped to the top of her head. “Right first pair your two minutes maximum starts now”. With this Fisher and Bradley opened the half height stall doors and sat on the two toilets – as they did so the teachers walked up and down to ensure they were behaving and drive home the humiliation of the lack of privacy for even this most basic activity. Elise and the rest of the pupils stood silently awaiting their turn. As the time past first Fisher and then Bradley finished their ablutions and flushed the toilets before emerging and being directed to the single sink against the same wall. “Right next pair”, came the command. Taylor and Montford moved into the cubicles and both promptly emerged before their time was up. Like Elise they had seen that anyone taking longer than their allocated time was severely dealt with by Miss Davis. Typically the punishee would be given the pinafore, tie and cardigan uniform, corporal punishment in front of the whole school, two weeks having to toilet on a bucket in front of their fellow dormitory offenders and limitation to this of once per day. In addition they had to wear a sign around their necks for the full period saying, “I deserve to be potty trained because I am an immature and ill-disciplined little girl”.
Taylor and Montford moved to form a single file queue at the sink. “Right Kaul and Hill, let me check OK you weren’t toileted this morning, begin”, commanded the teacher. Elise stood hands on head looking at the closed door where Melanie Hill was now taking her daily opportunity to go to the toilet – a regime which Elise would inhabit for the next eight weeks. Melanie Hill was the last to emerge joining the queue behind Kaul at the sink. “Peters and Douglas both used their privilege this morning so Peters you may go and wash your hands and face; Douglas back to the end of the bed as no hygiene privileges as part of you punishment. When they were all back at the ends of their beds the next round of orders began.
“Remove your uniform, fold each item and stand to attention after you have done this and await permission to continue until you are stripped to your knickers or other state if you have misbehaved. Douglas obviously full uniform to remain for you”, commanded Mrs. Saqib. She could see the shocked look on the faces of the others as the scale of Elise’s punishment was being revealed with each round of commands. Over the next few minutes the command, “Next item” was repeated and the girls were slowly stripped of their humiliating uniforms. At each round the teachers walked up and down checking for any failures of uniform such as undone buttons or not straight seams as each layer was revealed. The procedure was so well engrained that each girl stripped in the same basic order. First command shoes removed, second command top layer be that a sweatshirt or cardigan, next command next layer be that another cardigan, waistcoat, pinafore dress or gingham dress, then ties, then shirts and finally socks so that each punishee was left naked stood to attention except for their knickers and their uniform neatly folded on the floor. Only Marianne Peters and Elise remained clothed each stood still in their full punishment uniforms.
“Right girls – firstly mouth washing. We now have two naughty little girls who require their mouths to be washed every night so that they learn not to speak without permission and to speak respectfully when doing so. Peters come here”. Mrs. Saqib completed her statement and Marianne moved to the middle of the dormitory where she could be seen by all of the pupils. “Hands on head, mouth open”. Peters obeyed and the teacher proceeded to wash her mouth with a stiff brush and a thick lather of carbolic soap. “Close your mouth and swallow girl”. Peters obeyed immediately, her face screwing up with the disgusting taste and the thought that as she knew from all the previous nights it would remain all night. “Douglas here”. Elise moved to the designated place her hands still firmly on her head. “As you will hear tomorrow in front of the whole school this stupid little girl has been very poorly behaved and as you can see already from her uniform she is, as deserved, to be thoroughly punished including the pleasure of having her mouth washed out with carbolic soap after every meal and every evening before bed for the next eight weeks”, Mrs. Saqib paused while she rubbed the brush vigorously into the wet bar of carbolic soap before beginning the punishment. “Open your mouth you insolent child”. Elise obeyed knowing that to resist would only mean even worse sanctions. Mrs. Saqib rigorously brushed Elise’s teeth, mouth and tongue frequently applying further soap so that after about two minutes foam was running from Elise’s mouth. She could taste the soap and feel it coming up her nose. Finally the scrubbing ceased. “Close your mouth and swallow girl”, Mrs. Saqib ordered. Elise closed her eyes as she gulped almost gagging on the soap in her mouth and throat. “I hope you enjoyed that experience since you’ve earned yourself the same experience three times a day for the next eight weeks”.
“Corporal punishment – tonight we have a single offender requiring disciplining which again is Douglas”, began the other teacher Miss Campbell. “Five strokes of the tawse to the palm and back of each hand. Get your left hand up girl.” Elise did as directed and raised her hand outstretched supporting her arm at the elbow with her other hand. “This is the first time we have had to administer a beating on this dormitory to you so I want you to understand my expectations. After each stroke I want to hear, “one stroke, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson”, I do not want to hear excessive crying or screaming and do not attempt to remove your hand, any failure to comply will earn additional strokes and referral back for further additional punishments. Is that clear girl!” Miss Campbell completed. “Yes Maam”, Elise replied her voice wavering as she tried to control her fear of the strapping she was about to receive. Her punisher laid the thick leather belt with its two thongs back over her shoulder before beginning application of the punishment. Elise stood holding her breath in anticipation of the first stroke.
A few moments later she heard the whoosh of air as Miss Campbell efficiently with a straightening of her elbow brought the tawse over her shoulder and down upon Elise’s hand. “One stroke, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson”. Hardly had she finished speaking when the second stroke arrived, the thongs biting into the flesh on the back of Elise’s hand. She gasped quietly before responding as required. “Two strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” The strokes followed relentlessly to the back of Elise’s hand as did her responses as she struggled increasingly to bear the pain in silence. “Three strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Four strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Five strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” “Right present the back of your right hand girl”, commanded her punisher. Elise winced with the pain from her left hand which was covered in bright red welts but obeyed straightening her right arm so that her hand was ready to be tawsed. Tears rolled down her cheeks. “The next stroke will be number six girl so don’t make any mistakes or you will receive extra”, Miss Campbell finished and the tawsing recommenced with the same accuracy and force now being applied to Elise’s right hand. “Six strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson”. Elise groaned with the pain to her previously unstrapped hand. She looked down the dormitory trying to avoid looking with anticipation as to when the next stroke would bite into her hand. As she herself had done so many times the other pupils stood to attention in silence watching her punishment and no doubt thinking that they were glad they were not the recipients. “Seven strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Eight strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Nine strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Ten strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” Elise tried to relax herself as the first application to her right hand was completed but Miss Campbell was not about to allow the already inflicted pain to reduce and hence make the punishment less severe. “Right girl get the palm of your left hand up and ready for the next five strokes.” Elise lifted her left arm, her already beaten hand felt heavy and she straightened it to present her palm her fingers shivered. She spluttered as the soap in her mouth rose into her nose as she wept – how quickly she had already been taught a lesson. The next moment she felt a searing pain as the tawse landed on the palm of her hand the thongs biting into the flesh – she drew a deep breath and managed to steady herself and force out the required thanks. “Eleven strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson”. Elise had seen numerous tawsings to the hand during her incarceration – she had always recognized the exceeding humiliation for the recipient but until now not the absolute physical pain of the punishment. “Twelve strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Thirteen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” Elise winced with each stroke, her hand was going numb but with each stroke intense pain was reawakened and shot down her arm.
“Fourteen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Fifteen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” Elise felt the need to hold her hand but observation had taught her that to do so would simply result in yet further punishment now and in the future. “Right hand palm up girl”, Miss Campbell’s orders shot through the intense feelings of pain and humiliation swirling around Elise’s mind. She slowly lifted her right hand gripping her arm tightly with her other hand to try and control the pain within it. Then the routine recommenced. “Sixteen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson”. Elise focused on the fact that only four stokes remained she had already endured 80% of the punishment. “Seventeen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Eighteen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” Elise gritted her teeth forcing bubbles onto her lips from the soap still in her mouth from her earlier punishment. “Nineteen strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson… Twenty strokes, thank-you Maam I deserve this tawsing please continue my beating until I have been taught my lesson.” It was over, Elise’s shoulders slumped but she made sure she kept her arm up until directed to do something. “I hope this has helped deter you from any repetition of your behavior today girl and I am sure the 15 strokes of the strap in assembly tomorrow will further help to do this. Put your arms by your side”, Miss Campbell finished. Her moment of relief at completion of her tawsing so swiftly removed by Miss Campbell’s reminder of what she would face in only a few hours time at assembly. “Because Douglas here has been unable to keep her buttons done up and her seams straight she is going to have something to prevent her accidentally doing this during the night whilst she will be wearing her full uniform for the next eight weeks”, Mrs. Saqib announced as she moved towards Elise carrying a thick leather belt. “Arms up and out sideways from your shoulders girl.” Elise obeyed despite the pain as she quickly moved her arms into position. Over the previous weeks her ability to listen closely to commands and act quickly and accurately upon them had been a skill which had helped her avoid further disciplining (which many others had suffered). Mrs. Saqib placed the thick leather belt around her waist and then tightened it at the back such that Elsie felt the air squeezed out of her as her layers of uniform were tightened around her. “Arms down girl”, ordered MIss Saqib. Elise obeyed and then Elise felt her left wrist drawn slightly behind her and a metal ring formed around it as the handcuff joined to the belt secured her left wrist fixing her elbow in a half-bent position. There were several clicks as it was tightened around her wrist. The same procedure was now applied to her right wrist and the cuff shut around it. She stood her punishment and humiliation complete for the day surely. Her behind and hands were agony from the caning and tawsing, she stood in front of others dressed like a junior school girl, her physical discomfort completed by her starched shirt and tight pairs of knickers clamped to her skin by her pinafore and woolens, her mouth full of carbolic soap and now her hands confined in cuffs as she looked forward to yet another night confined on this dormitory. Her confidence that she could handle this punishment which had been so strong stood in the HR manager’s office was now at least dented and as she thought of what was to come tomorrow and beyond Elise started to weep again. “Right back to the end of your bed Douglas – I am sure you will continue to serve as an excellent example to others over the coming weeks.
Nightgowns on pupils”, Mrs. Saqib ordered. The other girls all put on their half-shin length grey collared nightgowns quickly doing up the buttons so that the collars sat uncomfortably against their necks before returning stood to attention at the ends of their beds. “Put you blankets out”, she ordered. The girls moved quickly first spreading out a thin grey woollen blanket across the flat wooden surface of their low beds and then placing another on top and folding it back neatly. Miss Campbell walked up and down inspecting their work. Only Elise stood unmoved at the end of her bed. “No blankets for you Douglas as you are not even capable of laying them out correctly. Still fifty-six nights on that nice hard surface will do you good”, Miss Campbell spoke directly into Elise’s face leaving her in no doubt that yet another meager comfort would be removed. “Into bed”, Mrs. Saqib completed and they all got into their narrow low beds. “Remember girls absolute silence, you must not get out of your bed for any reason and no self-fondling – you are here to suffer”, Mrs. Saqib completed her usual directive before lights-off. With that the lights were switched off and the dormitory door closed and locked. Elise twisted from her back to her side so that both her hands were not trapped under her and the pressure was at least relieved from her caned behind. She coughed trying to clear the soap from her nose and mouth – at least the taste dulled the smell of detergent and body odour which hung always in the dormitory air. The tight collar of her shirt bit into her neck but her cuffed hands could do nothing to reduce this, the thick elastics of her pairs of knickers bit across some of the welts left by the cane on her thighs making every movement painful. Somehow eventually she fell asleep.
“Up girl now”, a teacher stood over Elise torch in hand ordering her into action. Elise struggled to get up her hands still cuffed to her restraint belt and her arms stiff from their positioning. As she stood up and the blood flowed to her legs the pain of her previous days caning by Miss Davis flooded back. She tried to swallow to remove some of the dried soap which coated her mouth but to little avail. “Move time for you extra drill and inspection you stupid little girl”, the teacher hectored from behind as she left the dormitory and was taken through several doors and out onto the drill yard outside. About five other women all uniformed similarly to Elise in tunic and cardigan were also assembling. It wasn’t surprising this was additional punishment for those who had failed, like Elsie, to meet the rules. One of the teachers unlocked the cuffs on Elise’s wrists and undid the restraint belt allowing her tunic, waistcoat and cardigan to fall under their own weight. “Into line Douglas”, commanded the teacher and Elise joined a row of six girls all stood to attention hands by their sides.
For the next two hours at first under floodlight then in the breaking light they were subject to vigorous and humiliating sessions of drill and inspection. Elise was stripped to her knickers, socks and shoes at least three times, redressed and then made to drill at double time for several minutes around the yard. Her caning from the day before was reminded to her with every move and only the need to follow the never ending stream of commands prevented her from considering what tomorrow morning would be like after 15 strokes of the strap.
She was stripped again this time they were all left in shoes and socks with their knickers stripped to their knees and then made to march hands on head to and fro across the yard. The teachers using a martinet liberally to the behinds and legs of anyone failing to obey. After about an hour a further eight inmates joined them obviously only sentenced to one hour of this particular penance for their offences. The regime however continued finally it ended with a double time march around the yard in full uniform, hands on head. As they stood the session complete, sweat rolled down Elise’s forehead and she could feel her knickers and shirt sticking to her – with this everyday plus her other menial work she could already see how severe the removal of all her hygiene privileges and clothing changes was to be. She was returned to the dormitory in time for her to experience the removal of this privilege. At least this time she was allowed to go to the toilet. She did not even notice the teacher staring at her as she sat on the toilet which at least helped to relieve the cramp retention for the last 24 hours had started to cause her. She was permitted to wash her hands but nothing else and then they were marched to the dining hall. As ever they filed into the hall in silence taking a bowl and moving in rows of three before the serving points to receive their steaming bowl of thin gruel. She collected her plastic cup of water and moved to a table where she stood holding her bowl and spoon and cup of water whilst everyone else was served. Eventually all of the pupils were present and they were directed to place their bowl, spoon and cup on the wooden bench. Miss Davis then ordered from the front of the room, “Grace begin”. Like robots the girls began including Elise. “Lord thank you for granting me the privilege of this food which I know my behavior has not merited. I am truly thankful for your mercy and promise to behave in a better way this day”. The teachers patrolled to ensure no one was not saying grace – it did not matter what your religion was or even if you had one, religious compliance was required. “Sit”, Miss Davis continued. They all sat on the low wooden stools designed for infants so that their knees with feet on the ground were above their waists and pressed uncomfortable under the low tables. “When you have finished eating and drinking put your hands on your head and sit quietly. You may begin”. Elise swiftly picked up her spoon and began eating the foul tasting now lukewarm gruel making sure not to spill anything on the table, floor or her uniform. She had seen people offending in this way have the contents of their bowl emptied onto their heads and their hands and behind caned or strapped on the spot. Full punishment then followed later. She scooped the last morsels from her bowl (leaving food uneaten was also punished), drank her water and then placed her hands on her head looking directly forward. After a couple of minutes more orders followed. Six of them Elise included were told to stand and come to the front of the hall. Next they all received a full soap mouth washing lasting 2-3 minutes whilst everyone else watched. This punishment completed, they were all dismissed and filed to assembly. It was only 5:00 am and Elise had already been up for two and a half hours.
The pupils filed in silence, as ever, into the assembly hall and were directed to sit in rows on the floor with their legs crossed and hands on their heads like five year olds. Elise was marched to the front and made to stand in front of the stage facing the rest of the school with her hands on her head. Two other girls joined her similarly uniformed although one girl who Elsie recognized from earlier assemblies was fully clothed in a woollen uniform.
Mr. Hamilton entered the back of the hall closely followed by Miss Davis and the school was ordered to stand. The girls obeyed keeping their hands still on their heads as the two teachers marched up the middle of the hall and up onto the stage. “Right we will begin with the hymn “Where shall my wondering soul begin?” – begin now”, ordered Mr. Hamilton. At once without any musical accompliament the girls sang, Elise included. Learning the hymns sung regularly in the morning assemblies was a vital part of the education in the first four weeks. Anyone unable to recite all six hymns fully by this time was placed on punishment until they learnt and for a suitable time thereafter as an additional penance. Elise despite her fear of what was yet to come joined in so that it was clear to the supervising teachers that she did not require correction for yet another failing. Girls failing to sing ended up in junior school uniform with an assembly caning and then appearances to sing alone in assembly and in public amongst other sanctions. Elise continued through today’s hymn.
“Where shall my wondering soul begin?
How shall I all to heaven aspire?
A slave redeemed from death and sin,
A brand plucked from eternal fire,
How shall I equal triumphs raise,
Or sing my great Deliverer’s praise?
O how shall I the goodness tell,
Father, which Thou to me hast showed?
That I, a child of wrath and hell,
I should be called a child of God,
Should know, should feel my sins forgiven,
Blessed with this antepast of Heaven!
And shall I slight my Father’s love?
Or basely fear His gifts to own?
Unmindful of His favors prove?
Shall I, the hallowed cross to shun,
Refuse His righteousness to impart,
By hiding it within my heart?
No! though the ancient dragon rage,
And call forth all his host to war,
Though earth’s self-righteous sons engage
Them and their god alike I dare;
Jesus, the sinner’s friend, proclaim;
Jesus, to sinners still the same.
Outcasts of men, to you I call,
Harlots, and publicans, and thieves!
He spreads His arms to embrace you all;
Sinners alone His grace receives;
No need of Him the righteous have;
He came the lost to seek and save.
Come, O my guilty brethren, come,
Groaning beneath your load of sin,
His bleeding heart shall make you room,
His open side shall take you in;
He calls you now, invites you home;
Come, O my guilty brethren, come!
For you the purple current flowed
In pardons from His wounded side,
Languished for you the eternal God,
For you the Prince of glory died:
Believe, and all your sin’s forgiven;
Only believe, and yours is Heaven!”
Elise had not entered a Church for real for more than six years before beginning her punishment but she now recited the words as if she had always known them. The hymn ended and the room fell silent. “Sit girls”, Mr. Hamilton directed and with that there was a short noise but no talking as the girls returned to their places legs crossed and their hands on their heads. Elise stood at the front realized that the humiliation she felt every morning as she sat there was real; rows of young women, probably all of relatively high intelligence, sat cross legged with their school knickers easily visible, in school uniform hands-on-head.
Mr. Hamilton remained standing, “This morning’s reading is from Deuteronomy 6, verses 1-20 and will be given by Schoolgirl Hastings.” With this he sat down and a girl sat in the front row stood up and walked up onto the stage carrying a Bible which she opened stood in front of the whole school. She was dressed in standard uniform with her yellow gingham dress reaching to her knees and her brown school sweatshirt. She began, “These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you.“ Elise despite her predicament listened intently – frequently questions were asked in lesson about the assembly reading and failure to answer correctly was of course punished. The girl continued, ”Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. Fear the Lord your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name. Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you; for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land. Do not test the Lord your God as you did at Massah. Be sure to keep the commands of the Lord your God and the stipulations and decrees he has given you. Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you and you may go in and take over the good land that the Lord promised on oath to your forefathers, thrusting out all your enemies before you, as the Lord said. “ As ever the reading included the need for obedience in it’s message. “In the future, when your son asks you, "What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?" tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Before our eyes the Lord sent miraculous signs and wonders—great and terrible—upon Egypt and Pharaoh and his whole household. But he brought us out from there to bring us in and give us the land that he promised on oath to our forefathers. The Lord commanded us to obey all these decrees and to fear the Lord our God, so that we might always prosper and be kept alive, as is the case today. And if we are careful to obey all this law before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness. This is the word of the word of the Lord”, Hastings completed closed The Bible and remained standing in the centre of the stage.
“I hope you have all listened carefully to the reading as I am asking all teachers to check on this later – I have notice some slacking in this area over the past few days so I have asked all individuals with failings on answering questions on the readings to be referred to Miss Davis in addition to immediate punishment. In addition I have asked Miss Davis to impose corporal punishment in front of the whole school as a minimal component of punishments for any such offenders.” Mr. Hamilton spoke authoritatively. “We have three offenders to receive corporal punishment this morning. “First, Schoolgirl Pritchard”. A teacher led one of the girls stood with Elise up onto the stage where she stood hands-on-head. “Offence – failure of uniform inspection. Punishment - Uniform –Winter uniform – school knickers, knee socks, starched shirt and tie, school tunic and cardigan. Uniform to be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Stand at all times in all lessons. One hour extra drill and inspection every morning. No washing, bathing or clothing change throughout punishment. Corporal punishment – three strokes of the slipper to the palm and back of each hand on your dormitory once per week for the duration of your punishment. Eight strokes of the cane to your bare behind at school assembly. Punishment to last two weeks. Sentence increased from 3 to 4 months. Hopefully this caning and your other penances will punish and correct your stupidity child. Miss. Davis please administer the caning”. The girl was told to undo her cardigan and her tunic from the waist downwards and then bend over the back of a chair with her hands holding firmly to the chair legs so that she was stretched with her back to the assembled pupils. Miss. Davis lifted the tunic of her skirt over her back to reveal her navy blue knickers. Pritchard’s knickers were then stripped to her ankles. Miss. Davis repeated the rules for application of such a public beating which were the same as for others except that the punsihee was spared having to count each stroke instead thanks had to be given to the inflictor of the beating when complete. The effect of this, as Elise knew, was that each girl sat watching counted each painful stroke as it was inflicted whilst listening to the weak sobs from the person being punished trying to avoid yet further indiscretions. Miss. Davis walked over to the table on the stage and returned carrying a medium thickness 3 foot cane with crook handle. She swooshed it through the air a few times so that Pritchard stretched over the chair was left with an impending sense of what was to come and then having steadied herself Miss. Davis began the application. Eight firm strokes were given across the punsihee’s buttocks and upper thighs such that they were left striated with red welts and she was left sobbing. After being left in position so that everyone could see the impact of her caning Pritchard was told to stand and face the assembly with her hands on her head. As she did this her tunic and cardigan flopped back over her behind so that she was left standing hand-on-head, her undone cardigan and tunic skirt lifted apart so that she looked suitable disheveled and her knickers still around her ankles. “What have you to say for yourself child”, Miss Davis asked. “I would like to thank you for caning me in front of the school Maam. I thoroughly deserved this punishment because of my poor behavior. It has taught me a well deserved lesson. Thanks-you, Maam”, Pritchard completed her compliant reply. “Right go and stand over there, facing the front and keep your hands on your head”, Miss. Davis directed pointing towards the side of the stage. Pritchard hobbled to the directed position her movement restricted by her knickers still ringing her ankles.
Mr. Hamilton moved on, “Next Schoolgirl Morris”. The second girl with Elise was accompanied onto the stage leaving Elise stood alone at the front of the hall.“Offence relating to this punishment – attempting to escape. Remaining punishment - Uniform – All woollen Winter uniform – school knickers, knee socks, shirt and tie, school tunic, waistcoat, V-neck and round neck cardigans. Uniform to be worn 24 hours a day seven days a week. Stand at all times in all lessons. One hour extra drill and inspection every morning. Bathing once per month and clothing change - knickers and socks once per month, rest of uniform every two months. Public display every week. Restrained to bed every night. Corporal punishment – twelve strokes of the strap to the behind in school assembly once per week for the duration of your sentence. Five strokes of the tawse to the back and palm of both hands twice per week on your dormitory. Punishment to last for remainder of sentence. Sentence increased from 4 to 18 months. I am sure this latest strapping will remind you of the error of your behavior in trying to avoid the punishments you deserved. Miss. Davis please administer the strapping”. The girl was told to undo her cardigans and waistcoat and her tunic from the waist downwards and then bend over the back of the chair with her hands holding firmly to the chair legs so that she was stretched with her back to the assembled pupils as had Pritchard earlier. Miss. Davis lifted the tunic of her skirt over her back to reveal her woollen navy blue knickers. Morris’s knickers were then stripped to her ankles revealing her behind which still bore the marks of the previously weekly strappings she had received. Miss. Davis repeated the rules for application of such a public beating except that in this case Morris was instructed to give thanks and count each stroke. Attempting to escape was the ultimate offence and the punishment which Morris now endured continuously was in fact the minimal to be inflicted for such an offence. Miss. Davis strolled to the table and returned carrying a thick 3 foot leather strap with a wooden handle. She swooshed it as before so that the recipient’s fear was allowed to rise as they laid awaiting their fate. Miss. Davis applied the first stroke with a fearful slap as the leather bit into Morris’s behind. “One stroke. Thank-you Maam I deserve this strapping in front of the whole school because of my failure to take responsibility for my poor behavior and accept appropriate correction. Please continue my punishment until you are content I have been taught my necessary lesson today and served as a suitable example to others of the consequences of immature behavior,” Morris spoke clearly and steadily for everyone in the silent hall to hear. The strokes were applied regularly with just sufficient time for the pain to begin to ebb before another application of leather to the punsihees behind and thighs. Morris managing to utter the required thanks with increasing difficulty as the number of strokes increased. “Eight strokes. Thank-you Maam I deserve this strapping in front of the whole school because of my failure to take responsibility for my poor behavior and accept appropriate correction. Please continue my punishment until you are content I have been taught my necessary lesson today and served as a suitable example to others of the consequences of immature behavior.” Elise quivered with each stroke knowing that soon her beating would begin – a feeling of fear spread over her. Her behind was still aching and sore from the caning how was she going to be able to endure this? Finally the twelfth stroke was applied and Morris squeezed out her last response, “Twelve strokes. Thank-you Maam I deserve this strapping in front of the whole school because of my failure to take responsibility for my poor behavior and accept appropriate correction. Please continue my punishment until you are content I have been taught my necessary lesson today and served as a suitable example to others of the consequences of immature behavior.”
After a while she was permitted to stand and face the assembly with her hands on her head. She was left standing hand-on-head, facing the hall her woollen knickers displayed around her ankles and tears rolling down her face. “Stand over there, facing the front and keep your hands on your head. We will of course see you again next week for a deserved repetition”, Miss. Davis directed pointing towards the side of the stage. Morris hobbled gingerly to the directed position. Mr. Hamilton moved on, “Next Schoolgirl Douglas”.
Elise gulped as a teacher told her to mount the stairs onto the stage and take her place in front of the audience for her strapping. Already the tears clouded her eyes and she had not yet even been through the broadcasting of her sentence let alone her hair cut, undressing or beating. Mr. Hamilton began, “Offences, “Failure of uniform inspection – two occurrences, speaking without being spoken to, speaking without using Sir or Maam correctly, slowness in stripping to allow inspection of your knickers. Punishments - Winter uniform – two pairs of school knickers , wool knee socks, starched shirt and tie, school tunic, waistcoat and cardigan. Uniform to be worn 24/7 and at nights accompanied by wearing of a restraint belt. Toilet visits limited to one per day. Stand at all times in all lessons. Two hours extra drill and inspection every morning. Gruel only twice per day. Mouth to be washed out with soap and water after every meal and at bedtime. Punishment haircut to be applied in school assembly. No washing bathing or clothing change throughout punishment. Public display in town every Sunday. Corporal punishment – five strokes of the tawse to the palm and back of each hand in front of your dormitory followed by 15 strokes of the strap to your bare behind in school assembly. Six strokes of the slipper to your bared behind on you dormitory twice per week for the duration of you punishment. Punishment to last eight weeks. Sentence increased from 3 to 6 months. This girl had behaved as expected until now but for some reason thought this allowed her a few liberties. As you can and will see she is learning this is not the case – in fact quite the opposite as it shows her lack of discipline was willful – her sentence was extended from six to eight weeks because of this. Miss Davis please begin with the punishment hair cut and then move to the strapping as is your pleasure”. “Right girl sit on this stool and place your hands behind you back and keep them there”, Miss Davis pointed to a low stool which had been brought in front of Elise. Elise sat finding herself like with every activity further humiliated. Miss Davis appeared in front of her using a large pair of scissors and then another teacher placed a small bowl on her head and held it firmly in place. Elise could still see clearly in front of her at the watching audience. “Keep your head still girl whilst I cut or I will trim it even shorter”, Miss Davis warned as she, starting next to Elise’s left ear began to cut. The cold metal of the scissors came to and fro against her head as she felt he hair cut at about 0.5 cm above her ears. She felt the cold on her head as huge clumps of hair were removed and fell to the floor. Miss Davis pulled her ponytail out and the Elise felt the clip that removed it. She had always worn her hair at least to her shoulders but not any longer. With a few sharp clips Miss Davis finished at her right ear. Elise knew the punishment was not finished, having seen others suffer this penance, and Miss Davis switched on a set of powered clippers and roughly shaved off any hair remaining below the line she had already laid out with her scissors. In short time Elise’s head lay bare below a line 0.5 cm above her ears. The bowl was removed. Miss Davis continued, “Now we want a nice clear forehead too. Taking the scissors again she chopped at Elise’s already short fringe such that it was laid bare back to her natural hairline before taking it back a further centimeter with the clippers.
“I do not normally approve of the vanity with which you young ladies check your appearance but in this case I think a look in a mirror so you can see how you look is appropriate”, Miss Davis smiled at Elise as the other teacher brought a large mirror in front of her seated on the stool. Elise hung her head when she saw herself. Large clumps of hair laid on her cardigan whilst on her head was only a meager covering on top of her head. She looked like some convict, she hung her head with shame. “Stand up girl and keep your hands behind your back so that everyone can see you with a hairstyle more appropriate to your behavior”, Miss. Davis continued. Elise stood, hair falling to the floor from her clothes. “It will certainly make you stand out in public when you are on display. Right undo your cardigan and waistcoat and put your hands on your head”, there was no end to the flow of punishment and Miss Davis continued swiftly. “Turn around and undo the back buttons on your tunic skirt”. Elise felt around the back of her waist undoing the buttons she could reach before having to bend over and reach round her legs and find the lower buttons before the whole school. These simple designs were so effective in demeaning her. She returned to her standing position, hands on her head, cardigan and waistcoat hanging open. “Get over the chair and reach down as far as possible to the far legs with your hands Douglas”, there was an even more strident tone still now to Miss Davis’s command. Elise bent over the back of the chair, and reached down the chair legs on the other side of the seat grasping them firmly halfway down, at least her height enabled her to keep her feet on the floor comfortably. Miss Davis came round grasped Elise’s wrists and pulled them down to almost the bottom of the chair legs, pushing the air out of Elise the back of the chair dug into her stomach. “Don’t move child and keep your feet flat on the floor”, Miss Davis ordered. Elise was now stretched completely over the chair which was of course Miss Davis wanted so that her behind and thighs were clearly presented and taut so as to maximize the pain of the beating to come. Her woolens were thrown over her back and her tunic skirt parted and tucked in front of her. Her first pair of knickers were then stripped to her ankles. It was a rare moment of relief as blood flowed easier into her legs and then her second pair were stripped to her knees so that the humiliation of her double knickering was made clear to others as a deterrent. The fact that her behind was also already striated from yesterday’s caning was also now evident for all to see. “As this girl is a multiple offender she will receive the thick strap rather than the medium”, Miss Davis announced; Elise gulped she had seen this used only occasionally on severe offenders to great effect. It was her first offence why so severe but she knew it was no good to complain. She heard Miss Davis’s footsteps as she walked to the table and then saw her feet and the end of the strap as she walked back in front of her. It must be ½ an inch in thickness.
Miss. Davis repeated the rules for application of such a public beating. Elise tried to clear the drying soap from her mouth and prepare herself for the imminent pain. Miss. Davis began the application. Elise struggled to stop herself from screaming as the first stroke bit across her behind and the pain spread throughout her body. She could barely begin to feel any relief as the next stroke landed again across her buttocks. Four more strokes across her behind followed with Miss Davis’s experienced timing, the intense agony of the preceding stroke only beginning to pass as the next blow was struck. Elise cried and she could see the pool of her tears forming on the stage floor. The next stroke took her breath away as Miss Davis moved to her thighs. Elise’s knees almost buckled as the belt struck again and again across her thighs, digging into the welts from her caning. She had to remain silent and unmoving to resist would only be to have further sanctions.
Only ten days ago she had seen a girl raise her hand after six strokes of a ten stroke caning. She had been secured back to the chair, the beating restarted and fifteen further strokes applied. The next day in assembly she received 12 strokes of the strap, her sentence length of other punishments doubled to four weeks and her stay at the school extended from four to five months. In addition for each of the four weeks she was also to receive her additional ten stroke caning. Elise was not sure how many strokes she had now received at least twelve she thought. She blew slowly out through her mouth, soap bubbles forming on her lips – there was no bodily movement which did not result in some aspect of her punishments making clear her position to her. The next stroke returned to her behind and then again. “Only one more”, she thought. The strap dug again into her thighs. She relaxed but not for long as the belt came crashing down again on her thighs, this time on top of the same place as the previous stroke. The pain was excruciating as well as unexpected and Elise bit her tongue as she struggled to control herself and she felt a thin trickle of blood and soapy saliva emerge down the side of her face. She was left in position so that everyone could see her welted behind and thighs and consider how they would do everything possible that day to avoid such a fate no matter how obedient, humiliated, childish, uncomfortable and meek that required them to be. At last Elise was told to stand and face the assembly with her hands on her head. As she did this, her woollens flopped back over her behind and thighs as her skirt remained stuck in front of her and her knickers remained around her knees and ankles. “What have you to say for yourself child”, Miss Davis asked. Elise struggled to respond both the pain and humiliation of her predicament had left her in almost a state of shock. She began, “I would like to thank you for strapping me in front of the school Maam. I thoroughly deserved this punishment because of my disgraceful and willful behavior. It has taught me a well deserved lesson and I hope served as an example to others. Thank-you, Maam”. “Right go and stand over there, facing the front and ensure your knickers remain in their current locations, keep your hands on your head”, Miss. Davis directed pointing towards the side of the stage. Elise waddled to the directed position her feet moving one after the other, Elsie forcing her knees against her knickers to keep them in place. Mr. Hamilton returned to centre stage, “Let these three girls failures and there deserved punishments which you have had the fortune to observe be a reminder to you this morning of what happens to those who fail to meet the required standards of behavior for girls like yourselves who have been confined to this school to be punished for your failings, be deterred from such failings again and serve as an example to others. Ensure that your behaviour today is perfect and that you do not find yourself requiring further correction.
Miss Davis have these three’s skirts pinned up and then allow the other girls to see the results of your canings and strappings more closely as a final reminder. You may turn your heads to observe them.” Elise knew what was to come, as did Pritchard and Morris, though like her it had not been at the forefront of their minds as they had endured the pain and humiliation of being positioned and beaten, they were to endure the “walk of shame”. A teacher stood behind each of them in turn pulling up their tunics and woollens and pinning them back on themselves at the collar with heavy clips designed for the purpose so that their behinds and thighs were left exposed. In Elise’s case her humiliation, because of her split front and back buttoning tunic was going to be even worse. First her cardigan and waistcoat were pinned up behind her but this left her skirt tunic unbuttoned the back still covering at least the sides of her legs and behind. Rather than just pinning it together at the front and leave it covering her to the knees the teacher gathered it up folding the sides together and then pinned it up to the front of her tunic bib so that she was now naked from the waist down save her knee socks and two pairs of lowered knickers. Elise started to cry afresh how had she let herself end up half-naked her hands, behind and legs beaten, in school uniform being paraded in effect a prison – she would never make such a stupid decision again – her career suddenly looked less important. They were directed down the stairs from the stage, Elise being reminded again to keep her second pair of knickers round her knees. Starting then with a clear gap between them first Pritchard, then Morris and finally Elise, Miss Davis led them down the right side of the hall, the other pupils sat on the floor stared at them in silence. Elise could see the deep red welts across Morris’s bottom and thighs although the whole area was inflamed. Elise could barely imagine what her own backside and legs looked like although from the pain and having seen others who had been strapped, she could imagine it was a clear deterrent. They were marched along the back of the hall and up the right hand side before passing back in front of the stage and down the centre aisle toward the entrance. Elise felt ashamed and of course this meant the punishment assigned had worked – she blamed herself for committing the offences and had accepted the punishments resulting. Finally they stopped at the door and the three of them were made to stand with their backs to the aisle.
The school was told to stand and Mr. Hamilton left the stage, marched down the aisle and left the hall. The pupils then left in an orderly and supervised manner row by row from the hall, filing past the three punishees and gaining a last chance to be reminded of the results of their beatings. The pupils were then dispersed to begin that days’ lessons. They would start at 5:30 am as they did every day.
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