Of course, in school, up to the sixth form, as was traditional in Boys’ schools at that time we were all called by our Surnames, anything else thought completely unacceptable.
On her first day of teaching as acting deputy head she took our year group for History. Now she hadn’t warned me she was going to teach in my school, ( indeed our deputy’s illness was so sudden that we were only told of his illness and replacement an hour before this fateful class),and as there were two deputy heads at our Sister school ,as both had previously taught boys and all we knew was one of them was ‘subbing’ for our sick Deputy , I never really had time to put two and two together……….
When she entered the class I was dumbstruck! She also came in with a clear ‘no nonsense ‘ attitude, and soon informed everyone that she had assumed the old Deputy’s portfolio student progress and discipline, including his rights to cane,- and thus she was no pushover.