We gave little thought for the feelings of the poor wretch on the receiving end of the slippering. We just admired and silently applauded the athletic performance of the one wielding the plimsoll. The masters and prefects who slippered the hardest were spoken of in the same ways as heroes of the sports field.
On the other hand when it inevitably came your turn to be slippered you also wanted to show your bravery and toughness in front of the other boys. “Take it like a man”. So you never complained or whined when the master or prefect singled you out for punishment. You silently took his scolding and then instantly obeyed when told to bend over. You stretched over and touched your toes and stayed as still as a statue.
