A Shout From The Attic: Teachers
...He was also given to caning the whole class for the misdemeanour of one. He had a very striking style...
Ronnie Bray recalls a teacher with a "striking'' style. For more of Ronnie's life story click on A Shout From The Attic in the menu on this page.
I spent a year in the class of a Miss Sykes. The whole year is a wipe-out.
Miss Lillian Sykes was a short large woman of some simple ferocity although I do not recall being more frightened of her than I was of anyone else. I do recall that she once caned me with some vigour - for what I cannot remember - whilst bending over a chair. Thus passed another year of my education.
The following year was spent under the tutelage of two teachers. I cannot recall where the split came. The teacher I best remember was Mr Llewellyn, affectionately known as Louie. He was not Welsh, in spite of his name. He was a good teacher, having a sense of humour. He was also given to caning the whole class for the misdemeanour of one. He had a very striking style.
I do remember standing behind my desk. Every member of the class was standing, with hands outstretched. Mr Llewellyn went down the lines with his thin cane, giving everyone a single blow on the finger tips. In spite of the pain and injustice of it, no one seemed to mind and I did not hear anyone complain about injustice. On another memorable occasion a boy exclaimed at his punishment, “Ooh, right on’t tips!”
Louie was given to removing comics from those reading them when they should have been doing something else.
“It’s a swizz!” one lad remonstrated.
“No it’s not,” rejoined our smiling teacher, “it’s a Beano!”
