In regards to the infamous former headmistress at Northwich County Grammar School, I think we both agree that compared to some of her contemporaries she did not actually resort to CP that often. Within the Northwich/Cheshire Nostalgia facebook groups I have investigated she is mentioned frequently, yet despite this I could only find the following two first-hand accounts.
Anne claims:
‘She wielded her cane with a passion. I know, I felt it’.
Whilst Debbie recalls:
‘I had the cane off Miss Dines and it flippin hurt!!!’
This is further supported by Lynne Simmonds herself as according to the Northwich Guardian (1976), she stated that Dines had told her:
‘she had hardly had to cane anybody in all the 10 years she had been there as head’
The same could be said about her previous School in Romford. Lots of mentions of her name, yet very few actual cases of her using the cane. When she did use it, it was applied across the hands and bottoms of girls and across the bottom of boys.
Slightly off topic but worth a mention is that one person in a Cheshire Memories groups claims that after Janet Dines left Northwich Country Grammar (around 1977) she went on to teach at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive. I have no idea what happened to her after that. I also no idea what happened to Lynne Simmonds.
Regarding the alleged caning of Sheena at I’ve revisited the group and discovered a bit of fresh information. A gentleman named Tommy states the following about Mr Haslam/Haslan:
‘Wow that’s ‘Penguin’ he used to walk like one. And use to hit you with his cane or slipper!’
This triggers the following response from a lady named Lisa:
‘Yes Tommy but it was only the boys Mr Haslam would threaten with his cane or slipper. I remember the girls in my math lesson petitioning for the same treatment! The girls would get detention instead and a few of them would much rather get the slipper and be over and done with it rather than stay behind in detention (not me though), they thought it was highly unfair! Did any of the boys actually receive Mr Haslams slipper/cane….?’
I also found a couple more relevant quotes from Sheena:
‘Mr haslan wasn’t scary lol, we called him penguin, but he did love his cane collection. Lady left to him, headmistress who also kept a slipper collection, I know lol. Got punished often enough x x’
‘He stopped caning year I left. Some boys broke into his cane cupboard n snapped a few. Mr haslam was the main punisher, u were sent to him. I didn’t have him as a teacher. N when I went there was a queue, awful hearing others before u x x’
In light of this, perhaps Sheena opted for CP instead of detention and Mr Haslam/Haslan punished her the same as the boys to maintain equality and avoid any prejudice. However, I still don’t believe the actual number of cane strokes.
Regarding the post-caning visit to the doctors. There are some topical lotions that could have been prescribed even if the skin was intact. It also could have been the application of the lotion directly onto the welts that could have ‘stung like hell’ and not the actual lotion itself. I’m speaking from experience here, not from the cane, but from having had a Rugby ball kicked full force against my naked thigh in icy weather.
Hello Sorepants,
In reference to the alleged Window Pole punishment here is the exact quotation from Lesley:
‘Remember Mr Howell making me and 3 friends bend over the desk for the window pole. Imagine that today’
I totally agree with everything you said about practicality. I therefore conclude that it was either a more jocular form of punishment. Or Mr Howell had a more lightweight form of window pole unlike the hefty brass hook ended staffs that were used in our previous schools.
My imagination is also working well with Mr Howells use of the window pole. “Made me and 3 friends bend over the desk”evokes a vision of 4 bottoms in a line . In which case the length of the pole would have come in handy for visual effect if totally impractical. I also suspect this may have been a somewhat jocular or light hearted punishment.
