I left senior school in 1967 (catholic secondary modern school) and I can remember a particular boy called Billy who was in my year and came from a big family being told off by a Miss Hughes. She was livid and shouting at him and waving the cane around, only he wouldn't hold his hand out for the cane. "Get your hands out of your pockets" she was shouting, and he wouldn't. She was so furious with him, that she whipped him down either side of his body with the cane, from shoulder to knee, whack, whack, whack it went. We were all lining up for school dinners, and everyone was watching. Billy didn't flinch, he stood and just took it like a man (he must have been about 14 at the time) - although he went slightly flushed. Whilst Miss Hughes was almost exploding with rage. I will never forget it. But it wasn't ususual in those days. I remember being rapped on the knuckles with a ruler as the teacher walked by, if my writing wasn't very neat. And if you were left-handed - well you were in trouble.