Thursday 31 December 1952
And so another year comes to an end. Itís been a strange twelve months. Looking at the official school punishment book, I see that I have administered 118 strappings, 33 on the bare, 48 canings, 18 on the bare, and assorted other punishments, all of which left their mark. The slipper would normally be at the milder end of corporal punishment spectrum, but I shall not quickly forget young Knox, after a mere eight swipes with slipper, begging, begging me to stop. Who did he think he was fooling? I had promised him twelve swipes with the slipper, and that was what he going to get, however sore his bottom. I laid on the last four like an avenging fury. Result? Knox has been a paragon of good behaviour ever since. If I have learnt anything this year, it is that it is better to thrash someone too hard than not hard enough ñ itís the best deterrent.
The other curious feature of 1952 has been the way my daffy secretary Celia has TWICE had to be reminded, through the rat-a-tat of my cane on her backside, that I donít put up with nonsense from anyone. Fingers crossed, I will never have to deal with her in that way again.