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16 October 2014
Scotland on Film

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Forum - childhood - Click here to return to the Forum menu page.
the strap
There are 3 messages in this section.

David MacMillan from Vietnam. Posted 11 Nov 2005.
I went to school at Elgin Street, Clydebank in the late forties and very early fifties, and I was a regular recipient of the strap. The hard part was pretending it didnae hurt in front of the class. Sid Gallegher, Harry McKinley,Ian McGregor are some of the names I remember.
Elspeth Sinclair Nee McKail from Spain. Posted 10 Feb 2006.
I was educated in Bridgeton Glasgow at both John Street Primary and secondary schools in the 40's and 50's. Although I was usually top of my class and dux of both schools I got the strap almost every day for talking, laughing and being at the wrong page in my book. Some times it left weals right up your arm and you had to keep your sleeves well pulled down when you went home because if your parents saw them you got punished again for upsetting the teachers.
Some boys used to pull their hands away and then the teacher got it on their legs and all hell was let loose. Our headmaster at secondary school used to stand in the hall until 9.30 until he had collected all the latecomers and then line them up for the strap. He was a particularly vicious man. However looking back I don't think it did me too much harm and you were always a bit of a heroine to your classmates.

Veronica Hann from Adelaide. Posted 16 Oct 2006.
Oh I remember the days at Caledonian Road Primar School in th early 60s. Open your mouth and you were out the front straightaway for the belt, I remember looking down at the red stinging hands, never did me any harm though. I do remember a girl who I was very friendly by the name of Marjorie Carr




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childhood