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UK Memory 4 - School Strappings

My name is Lorna and I went to school in Edinburgh in the 1950s and 1960s. This was the era of the Lochgelly Tawse but luckily I managed to avoid it until my final year at senior school at age 16.

My first meeting with the Tawse (or strap as we called it) was in a History lesson with Mrs M as the teacher. She had been at the school for many years and I knew many boys who had felt her strap. She rarely used it on the girls, thankfully.

The lesson was going well and I frequently chatted to my friend sitting next to me. Mrs M noticed and told us to stop so we immediately stopped. I slipped a sweet in my mouth shortly after because I was getting hungry.

It was at this time that Mrs M asked me a question. I was not able to speak clearly because of the sweet and Mrs M asked me if I was eating in her lesson. I admitted it and was told to throw the sweet away.

The lesson continued and we were told to copy some writing from the board. I dropped my pen and said: “Damn,” as I bent to pick it up.

Mrs M had heard me though and shouted out: “Lorna Mackenzie, stand up.”

She demanded to know why I had used the word. I apologised immediately but could not offer a good reason. Mrs M told me to go and stand outside the door and she would deal with me shortly. I walked out slowly because I knew that this would mean the strap.

I was only outside a short while before she emerged carrying her two-tailed strap. My heart sank at this sight. Mrs M asked me if I had been strapped before. I replied that I had not.

She then instructed me to remove my blazer and roll up my sleeves. I did as requested. She then told me to hold out my hands, one on top of the other. She also told me to change hands after each stroke. I watched in fear as she stood in front of me and laid the strap lengthwise along my hand.

She announced that I was to get 4 strokes. This was for persistent chatting, eating in lesson and swearing.

I watched as the strap left and went over her shoulder. I did not have long to wait. The strap cracked down on my left hand. The pain followed shortly and it was unbelievable, it was like nothing I had felt before. I yelped in pain.

Mrs M had to remind me to change hands. The strap was then laid on my right hand. I was mesmerised as it went up over her shoulder again. Shortly after my right hand felt the same pain and tears rolled down my face.

I remembered to change hands this time and offered my hot left hand to her again. She laid the strap on my hand before lifting it over her shoulder. I remember the fear as I watched it come cracking down. I yelped again and was now very red faced.

I slowly changed hands for my last stroke. Mrs M touched the strap on my hand and shortly after lifted it over her shoulder. It soon cracked down on my right hand. Another cry of pain followed.

Mrs M then told me to roll down my sleeves and put my blazer back on. I was then told to follow her back into the class. I walked in with a bright red face, partly from the tears and partly from embarrassment. I was told to sit down.

I rubbed my hands through the remainder of the lesson and rushed to the toilets at the end. Cold water had never felt so good. In break time I was consoled by my friends and teased by some of the boys.

I only got the strap once more near the end of the last term. I suppose I was lucky because several of my friends got the strap more than twice but it did not feel like that at the time.

My second and final strapping at senior school in Edinburgh happened when I was 16.

With my friends Mona and Rowena, I decided to try my hand at smoking. I slipped off and purchased a packet from a local shop and hid them in my bag until lunchtime.

At lunchtime we all met up and sneaked to the rear of the boiler house. We all lit up and were smoking away when we heard a noise from the side of the boiler room. Before we could hide the cigarettes a teacher called Miss Q came round the corner. She was our PE mistress and in her early 30s. She was dressed in her normal PE attire of tracksuit bottoms and white PE top. There was no escape and she immediately told us to put the cigarettes out. We did as told and she then said to follow her. We all followed at a brisk pace as she stormed back to her office in the changing rooms.

She demanded to know who had bought the cigarettes and we all denied it. She then searched our bags and found the packet in my bag. She asked me why I had them. I said I was just carrying them for all of us. I am sure she did not believe me from the look on her face. She told us to remove our blazers and put them in the changing room while she got her strap from the office. Although we knew we were likely to be strapped we hoped to avoid it. This last statement confirmed our worst fears.

Miss Q told us to follow her into the gym which we did. She lined us up against a wall and told us to roll up our sleeves. Three girls slowly did as ordered. She then called out Mona and told her to hold out her hands. Mona held her hands out and we all watched as Miss Q lifted her strap over her shoulder and brought it down on Mona’s hands. Mona had not been strapped before and she cried out loudly.

Miss Q then told her to change hands. Shortly after the strap went up again and crashed down. A second yelp followed. Mona changed hands and the strap lifted for the third time. It crashed down and Mona cried out loud. Tears were streaming down her face by now. Mona changed hands and the strap lifted again. Shortly after Mona cried out loud as it hit her hand. Mona changed hands before Miss Q lifted the strap again. It cracked down on Mona’s hand and she cried loudly. Mona changed hands again and Miss Q lifted the strap for the sixth time. It cracked down with the usual cry that followed.

Miss Q then told Mona to join us at the wall. Mona was very red faced and shaking her hands as she walked back.

Miss Q then summoned Rowena out. She told her to hold out her hands. Rowena had been strapped several times and knew the form. Miss Q lifted her strap and it cracked down on Rowena’s hand shortly after. Rowena managed to avoid crying out loud. Miss Q waited as she changed hands before lifting the strap again. Shortly after it came down hard and Rowena let out a grunt. Rowena changed hands and the strap went up for the third time. I remember thinking that Miss Q put more effort into this stroke as though determined to make Rowena cry out loud. It worked because she yelped out. Rowena changed hands and the strap went up for the fourth time. It cracked down and Rowena cried out. Tears were beginning to run down her face. Rowena had to be reminded to change hand this time. Miss Q lifted the strap again and the crack followed. A loud cry rang out as it hit. Rowena changed hands and Miss Q lifted her strap for the sixth time. It cracked down and there was another loud cry. Rowena was then told to join us at the wall.

Having watched my two friends get their punishments I was truly terrified by now. I had a sick feeling in my stomach and felt weak kneed. I was summoned to Miss Q. I held out my hands without being asked, after all I had been strapped before.

Miss Q lifted her strap over her shoulder. It crashed onto my hands shortly after. The pain was as I remembered it from my only previous strapping. I managed to avoid crying out loud though. I quickly changed hands before Miss Q lifted the strap for the second time and I watched as it came down on my hand. I could only just avoid crying out but could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

I changed hands and watched as Miss Q lifted her strap for the third time. It cracked down on my painful left hand and she had broken me. I cried out loud and the tears flowed. I changed hands and Miss Q lifted the strap for the fourth time. I tensed as I watched it come down. I yelped out loud again as it cracked home. A change of hands before Miss Q lifted the strap again. It cracked down and I cried out again. I changed hands hopefully for the last time and Miss Q lifted her strap. A short while after it came down and I cried out again. Tears were all across my face by now.

I was told to join my friends by the wall before we were all given a lecture and dismissed. We went to the changing rooms and ran our hands under the cold tap before getting our blazers back on and leaving. When we got to the playground everyone seemed to know about our strapping. The questions flowed, how many whacks, did we have to watch each other, etc. I was never so glad to hear the bell and go to the next lesson.

One thing that this did make me do was never to smoke again. Luckily this had been my last strapping at school. I left at the end of that term.

LL