Ballet School Discipline - and the New Magdalenes?

A little while back I posted up a snippet involving a modicum of private ballet class discipline.  Recently that set me to thinking how within a suitably private, secluded scenario the approach of involving a young minx within a structured ballet class or school environment need not necessarily have anything to do with her learning ballet per se.  Nevertheless it might still be advantageous if she happened to be led - or allowed - to believe that the rigorous,  stern regime instigated by her new governess or dance teacher or what have you is headed that way, perhaps with the vague promise of a place at a prestigious ballet school at the end of it; and the dire warning of her lack of prospects otherwise, forever ringing in her ears.

Anyway what led to that particular train of thought was a little confection I blundered across today (see left) while searching for a few more Julian Guile illustrations to pad out my otherwise somewhat sparse collection of that artist’s work for inclusion on my new website.  Funny how these things work out!  When I was actually looking  I didn’t seem to be able to find much beyond that famous (I hope – it deserves to be) Rosaleen Young set and that photo set that was published way back in the mid-eighties in Janus and which I alluded to.       

While on the topic of Julian Guile:  Is it me or is his style virtually inseparable from that of ‘Thorn’ (can we even mention that name nowadays?  Last time it almost cost me having the blog shut down – I certainly won’t knowingly be including any of his work on the new website).

In terms of writing; much of today has been taken up writing about this sort of garb (eyes right!) for the new book but I have to admit to having been sidetracked by this little offering (left).  Now I am not one to be easily moved by art – and I don’t know what it is exactly – but I think I’ve fallen in love with a girl made of ink, pencil and pen!  (at least she can’t argue back)  (I originally wrote ‘pen and ink girl’ here, but that has unfortunate connotations in London-speak!).  And then earlier today on BBC Radio 4 - right as I happened to be working on a section relevant to that very subject - there happened also to be a discussion about Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries, the last of which was only closed down in 1996 as you probably know by now; talk about coincidence!  It leaves me a little worried, though, that I might leave myself vulnerable to moralistic criticism if the public spotlight begins to focus too brightly on that particular area.  That is particularly the case considering a subtitle something along the lines of ‘The New Magdalenes’ has been running around inside my skull for some time now!

Just what is it about this one?  Might it be the face or exression?

In the background I have been adding and uploading more content to the website (which eventually will also host unfinished pieces, sketchy ideas and snippets that have not made it into my books or are intended to one day form parts of new works.  I have also managed to put aside a little time to make a few changes to the blog.  For example I have recently added  ‘Curious QBuzz’,    ‘The Spank Shop’,  ‘Teen Spankings & Discipline’ and  ‘Red Lion Street’ (“An illustrated erotic blog in 50 chapters by Captain Shame. ‘Impossible things happen on Red Lion Street’”)  to the blog list over in the right-hand sidebar.  In a new departure 

I have also started hosting links to ‘tumblr’ blogs and a new section has duly been created in the sidebar for just this purpose (I’ve just lapsed into the passive voice again – ignore it; I’m a scientist).   

For the time being the tumblr blog list shall be sited above the main blog listings to make it easier to find but “keep ‘em peeled” coz I’ll be adding to and updating the tumblr listing to as we go along - and eventually the list will move.

To get the ball rolling I’ve added to the tumblr blog list:  ‘Discipline Days’,  ‘A Firm Hand’ and  ‘Spanking and Punishment Art’.  The latter I found to be full of imaginative stuff beyond the expected and ordinary (For example: see right for yet another image that spawned a burst of creativity today – pinched off that very site), although they all proved inspirational...  Great stuff!.  

And if I may now make a request it is this:  This blog is haemorrhaging readership (probably through my having so often neglected it over the last year or so, but I don’t think that is the whole story) and so it would be helpful if, when visiting or linking to other blogs and resources from here, you could perhaps - if leaving a comment or two or feeding back to the author for example - see your way clear to also giving a mention to this blog.  I’d be most grateful!