Wear your shorts and Wellingtons

Dear Lorraine

My story has many parallels with your other correspondents and shows the way that your early years can shape your actions in the future.

I passed the 11 plus to qualify for Grammar School and my Mum started to buy my new uniform in the period before I left my primary school to spread the cost. Up until then all first and second year boys were required to wear short trousers and long grey socks along with the maroon blazer, shirt and tie but this was relaxed to allow boys to wear long trousers which was the more usual at the time (early 1970's). Unfortunately Mum had already bought my new short trousers and was not going to run to the additional expense of new long trousers.

At the start of the Autumn term we had warm weather and a number of other boys were also wearing short trousers. The Indian summer changed quickly and I remember waking up to heavy rain one morning. Mum had new Wellington boots ready for me to wear with my navy gabardine. My protest that boys didn't wear Wellingtons at senior school fell on deaf ears. I hatched a cunning plan that I would wait outside the school gate as the bell rang and then slip in behind everyone, go straight to the cloakroom and change out of my Wellington boots into my plimsolls.

The Deputy Head was waiting inside the gate for any latecomers and promptly marched me into my classroom. This was met with amusement by my classmates who with the exception of one girl were all wearing shoes and not Wellingtons. My form teacher was in her first year as a teacher and had not resorted to corporal punishment for misbehaviour although this was common in other classes. The Deputy Head suggested to her that I should be taught a lesson that punctuality was important and handed her his leather strap and told me to hold out my hands. My teacher then gave me two of the belt and although encouraged by the Deputy Head to continue she said this was a first incident and was content that I would learn my lesson.

I never told my parents about my punishment for being late and from then on my Wellingtons were as much a part of my school uniform as they had been at junior school where many other children were similarly attired. At the start of my second year I think I was the only boy in the school in short trousers. I had the same form teacher again but had not been punished for any misdemeanour since the events of the previous year. A few weeks into the term and I was wearing my Wellingtons as it was wet. I cannot recall what I had done wrong but was told to return to my class after school when I was ready to go home.

And so I turned up at my teachers desk with my Wellington boots on and my gabardine over my arm. She told me that she remembered having to punish me previously but that she was not happy with the form the punishment took. She said that when she was my age punishment was by a cane on the bottom and not on the hands. She told that as the cane was not used in our school she would administer the belt to my bottom. I had to kneel over a step stool where she gave me six of the belt. After my punishment she said that my behaviour was very good in class but that I did not always pay attention and every time she felt that I was not paying attention she intended to punish me. She said that she would warn me and on any occasions which demanded punishment I was to dress as I was that day saying that my Wellington boots would serve as a reminder that punctuality was as important as paying attention.

Another few weeks passed before my teacher informed me that my concentration had lapsed and that the following day I would be punished - and that she would expect to see me in the same uniform as the previous occasion. The following morning it was dry and I had to persuade my Mum that I thought it was going to rain and so I should wear my Wellington boots. She seemed bemused by this given my previous reluctance to wear Wellingtons. My teacher was waiting as I entered school in the morning and suggested I keep my boots on in class as she would see me at the morning interval. I was apprehensive over my imminent spanking with the belt but have to admit to a certain excitement at the prospect of my meeting with the teacher. In fact she delayed our meeting until the close of the school day when the punishment took the same form.

I had grown in height over my first year and a half at grammar and was delighted when we went shopping to buy new trousers that I could wear after the Christmas break. I was almost fourteen and looking forward to being the same as the rest of the boys at school. My teacher had asked when I would start wearing long trousers and I was pleased to tell her that this would be from the start of the following term. She said that she thought short trousers were a more appropriate uniform for junior boys but accepted that the school had relaxed its uniform policy. In the last week of term she told me to expect to be punished at some point in the week and that I should be dressed accordingly at all times.

As it was mid December it was not too difficult to leave home in the morning wearing my Wellingtons even though it did result in me being the brunt of other pupils jokes even more than was usual. On the last day we broke up for the holidays at lunchtime and I was summonsed to return to the class. My teacher instructed me to drop my trousers and pants as she intended to give me the belt on my bare bottom as this would be the last opportunity when I was wearing proper school uniform. I protested that I had not done anything to deserve such a punishment but she said that my protest alone was sufficient reason as I was challenging her authority. I did as instructed and received six of the belt bent over the desk. That was the last time she punished me in that way but I still remember it vividly and along with the other times I was punished at her hand it did shape my attitudes later in life.

Sincerely

Ben

Hi Ben

Not sure what quite is going on here, but you had a very rough deal!

It would be very interesting to hear something more about the attitudes you say were affected. I think you are implying that somehow being made to wear your Wellington boots for these punishments somehow made you want to wear them later on, or made you want to see others wear them? - Or even have others wear them while you wielded the strap, cane or whatever?

I wonder, how important do you think was the feeling of embarrassment in these episodes?

Very interesting experience - thank you very much for the story so far ...

Lorraine

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