You see the panic on his little face, but afterwards Ken explained to all of them why it was necesary and they understood, so they didn’t bear any grudges.’ Director of photography Chris Menges was also prepared for the scene. He recalled, ‘Ken whispered in my ear: “They are going to be walloped.” I thought: “Christ! We’re going to beat children up and what happens if I miss it!” It’s a scene that millions of people have lived for real in schools, though.’
As with the moment in Cathy Come Home when the children are taken away from Carol White, Loach justified such realism, affectÂing children, with the need to portray reality. ‘They were going in for a caning but weren’t sure what was going to happen and it stung for a minute or two,’ he said. ‘