That was how our mother did it, and it was her way and belief. So I settled down and ate the rest of my food in a chastened manner.
To make matters worse, a short while later a neighbour came round with their children, and they saw where I was sat. They asked why I was in the high chair like a baby, so mum told them the truth. “Francis has been a naughty boy. He’s had his bare bottom smacked and because he acted like a baby, he’s been put in the high chair like a baby, too.”
I suppose the strange thing was that despite my sore bum, being in that chair still didn’t feel like a punishment, as it was something I had wanted, albeit somewhat perversely. However, being discovered bare by the neighbour and her children, and them being told I had had my pants taken down for a smacked bottom – well, that felt like a real punishment all right!