Neither myself nor my brother could believe this was happening as our mother opened the double doors of our wardrobe to reveal a resplendent display of skirts, blouses and dresses. “You honestly don’t expect us to wear those do you?” Peter asked.

“Well after you two have had a bath, you won’t have any choice in the matter,” she replied. “If you want to wear your boy clothes, you’ll have to earn them,” she stated as she divided the rail full of girlie clothes and removed one of the gingham dresses the girls all wore. “Otherwise you’ll both be going to school tomorrow wearing this.”

“You’re joking right?” I said. “There’s no way we’d be allowed to go to school dressed as girls.”

“Do I look like I’m joking?” Mum asked. “And for your information, it was your teacher Mrs Brown who suggested petticoating.”

“Petti-what-ing?” Peter sneered.

“Petticoating.” mum replied. “If you haven’t worked it out, it means dressing naughty boys in girls clothes until they can behave themselves,” she explained. “Now… why don’t you two jump in the bath before you get ready for bed?”

“BED!?!” we protested in unison. “It’s only half-past five.”

“And by the time you’ve had your bath it’ll be six o’clock… and six o’clock is the time you get ready for bed.” mum stated, before smiling wryly. “Don’t look so worried boys, bed time isn’t ’til eight,” she said. “Now come on… bathroom,” she said as she began to shepherd us onto the landing.