(gap: 2s) In the England of the 1950s, it was considered quite customary for children to receive a sound spanking from their parents, a practice which, I must confess, was not unfamiliar to me or to my companions. Such discipline was meted out from the earliest years and continued, with unwavering regularity, until one was deemed sufficiently mature to be trusted with greater responsibility.
At home, all such punishments, whether administered by Mother or Father, were invariably delivered upon the seat of one’s trousers. Mother favoured the wooden spoon or, on occasion, the hairbrush, whilst Father, with a certain solemnity, would employ either his hand or the household slipper.
There were times, too, when, staying with my cousins, I found myself subject to the authority of aunts and uncles, who, in the matter of discipline, were no less resolute. Among my cousins, Jenny was a particular favourite. We were nearly the same age, I being her senior by a mere two months. Jenny was a delightful companion, full of spirit and mischief, and, as is often the case with such children, she was no stranger to the consequences of her escapades, which frequently concluded with a visit to her parents for a well-deserved reprimand.
The episode I am about to recount concerns a most memorable occasion, when both Jenny and I found ourselves summoned before my aunt for a matter of grave disobedience. I had been enjoying a week’s stay with the family during the school holidays.
The day in question was oppressively warm, the sort of day that makes one long for the cool relief of water. Fortunately, there was a splendid open-air swimming pool not far from the house, and Jenny and I were most eager to avail ourselves of its refreshing embrace. However, we were strictly forbidden to visit the pool without adult supervision, and the only available grown-up, my aunt, was at that moment enjoying a well-earned rest after a night’s work.
Undeterred by such trifling obstacles, we resolved to proceed regardless. We crept into the house with the utmost caution and made our way to Jenny’s room, where we donned our swimming costumes beneath our ordinary attire, each of us securing a towel and a change of underclothes for after our aquatic adventure. We congratulated ourselves on our ingenuity.
Our time at the pool was nothing short of splendid. We splashed, we laughed, and we even encountered some acquaintances. After two hours of unalloyed enjoyment, I remarked to Jenny that it would be prudent to return home before our absence was discovered. We changed quickly and hurried back, hoping to arrive before my aunt awoke.
Alas, our hopes were dashed. My aunt was already awake and, having been informed by a neighbour of our unauthorised excursion, awaited our return. As we entered through the garden gate, she called us into the drawing room with a tone that brooked no argument.
The expression on my aunt’s face left us in no doubt as to her displeasure. She informed us, in measured tones, that a neighbour had observed us at the pool and had expressed surprise at our presence there. We had, of course, no permission, and we stood before her, thoroughly abashed, as she delivered a most thorough scolding.
Then came the words we had most dreaded: “There is only one suitable punishment for such wilful disobedience, and that is a most severe spanking for you both. Go upstairs to Jenny’s room and wait for me.”
We ascended the stairs with heavy hearts, the prospect of what awaited us weighing upon our minds. The minutes passed with agonising slowness, the silence broken only by the occasional anxious whisper. Jenny, her voice scarcely above a murmur, said, “We are certain to receive a most dreadful spanking for this.” My own nerves were in a state of considerable agitation.
At length, the sound of footsteps upon the stairs announced my aunt’s approach. She entered the room, her countenance grave, a solitary slipper in her hand. There was an air of solemnity about her, as though she regretted the necessity of what she must do, but was determined to carry out her duty.
My aunt seated herself upon the edge of Jenny’s bed and beckoned her daughter forward. Jenny, though pale, obeyed with admirable composure. With gentle but unwavering hands, my aunt guided her across her knee. Jenny’s eyes were wide, her lips pressed together, but she uttered not a word. The room seemed to hold its breath.
With measured deliberation, my aunt raised the slipper and brought it down upon Jenny’s posterior. The sound was sharp and unmistakable. Jenny gasped at the first sting, but bore it with as much dignity as she could muster. The slipper descended again and again—fifteen times in all—each one a reminder of our transgression. Jenny’s knuckles whitened as she gripped the bedspread, and tears welled in her eyes, but she did not cry out.
When it was over, Jenny was assisted gently to her feet. She wiped her eyes, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of pain and embarrassment, and stood aside, awaiting my turn. My aunt’s voice was calm but resolute as she addressed me: “Come here, if you please.”
My legs felt curiously unsteady as I approached. My heart thudded in my chest, and my hands trembled. My aunt guided me over her knee, just as she had done with Jenny. I fixed my gaze upon the carpet, bracing myself. The first smack of the slipper was a most unpleasant surprise, and I bit my lip to keep from uttering a sound. Each stroke was firm, yet not unkind—a lesson, rather than a punishment delivered in anger. By the fifteenth, my posterior was exceedingly sore, and tears pricked at my eyes, but I too endeavoured to remain stoic.
When my ordeal was concluded, my aunt stood us both before her. “Face the wall,” she instructed, her tone softening ever so slightly. “And do not move until I say so.” We obeyed, standing side by side, our faces burning with shame and our eyes brimming with tears. The sting lingered, but so too did a sense of relief that the worst was behind us.
We remained thus for what seemed an eternity, rubbing our sore backsides and sniffling quietly. At last, my aunt returned. “Get into bed,” she said, her voice gentle yet firm. “If either of you leaves this room for any reason other than to visit the lavatory, you shall receive another hiding.” We nodded solemnly, grateful for the comfort of our beds, and resolved, with all the earnestness of youth, to conduct ourselves with greater propriety in future.
