AD 2022: Welcome Back Cane & Birch!

And now, it was all going to be possible again. John-Jacob took out his taws from its enforced retirement in the cupboard and was ready to go on the first day the new act became law: the most joyous occasion of the past twenty years. So with some six or so years to go before retirement he looked forward to making up for lost time. He had no intention of standing aside and letting others have the pleasure of whacking the arses of all delinquents: absolutely not: he would, until the day he retired, be an active participant in the beating stakes himself. To celebrate the return of what he (any many others too) saw as a return to sanity, he invited the man whom he saw as the prime mover in the new corporal punishment scheme to celebrate with him, on which occasion he lashed out and opened a bottle of champagne.

Fergus McMurdo, a rather dour Scott (so many of them seem to be! Is it the weather up there, I wonder, that makes them the way they are?) was the youthful replacement of the now retired Commander Spencer. John-Jacob, an as ex-physical training instructor himself, thought that the best person to be the "lead performer", for that was how he thought of him, in the new era of corporal punishment was the physical training instructor. He wanted a young man, muscular and well-built who was not afraid to lay on whatever instrument was appropriate to the situation; the physical training instructor was in regular close contact with the inmates in a way his more sedentary colleagues were not, which gave him greater insight into what governed their individual behaviour. In fact, McMurdo was the only teacher to be allowed to thrash the inmates other than the Warden himself.

McMurdo felt himself highly honoured to be asked alone by the Warden to celebrate the dawning of new regime but whether he appreciated the champagne, a beverage he had never before tasted, was doubtful. In fact, strictly speaking McMurdo was a teetotaller and even as a true Scott from a Highland village, he never ever imbibed a drop of the Scott's sacred beverage. He was a fitness fanatic and his dedication showed when he was training the inmates, whom he pushed to the limit and beyond. In fairness to him, it had to be said that McMurdo could outdo any of his charges at any task he set them He had no time for slackers or those who bent the rules and as such John-Jacob saw him as the ideal man for the job. The only problem, if problem it indeed was, was the fact the McMurdo and, for that matter pretty well the entire staff of warders, had no experience whatsoever of administering corporal punishment, as they had all been recruited in the time of the caning moratorium.

With McMurdo, whom he wanted to involve totally, heart and soul so to speak, in the project, John-Jacob discussed the need to order some new equipment. The old punishment room, now fancily thought of by John-Jacob as McMurdo's "therapy room", where he would carry out his Friday night sessions of "percussive therapy" on the naked arses of those lads unfortunate enough to have the appropriate entry "ticket" to join what the Warden called the "punishment parade" a name had seen used in some army cadet training article.

All the old equipment was still there: an old but very serviceable adjustable birching horse and a rather simpler but also adjustable padded frame over which the "patient" could be bent and the height adjusted to place his arse in exactly the right place to be beaten. But of the indispensable accoutrements of corporal punishment, in the form of canes, birches and taws, nothing at all remained from the old days; everything had to be purchased afresh. John-Jacob explained to McMurdo whom he already thought of as his senior discipline officer, that what was needed was a full complement of various grade and lengths of rattan canes for the punishment room; two or three of the new cable birches of different gauges (these he had already seen in the "Corporal Punishment Special Supplement" in the school suppliers general catalogue, which had landed on his desk what seemed but five minutes after the publishing of the new law. If only the government were so prompt in doing its job!)

It was finally decided that each warder world carry a rattan cane at all times to keep the lads in order with a few sharp strokes across their trousers when they were not in class. All formal punishment on a day to day basis would be carried out by John-Jacob himself (he was really looking forward to it again after twenty years in the wilderness) and Mr. McMurdo, who would hold a regular Friday night "therapy session" in the restored punishment room. McMurdo, who was in regular contact with the lads in their various physical education activities, also decided that he himself would carry a taws in the gym and would mete out punishment immediately during the class to any miscreants if he thought it was merited. McMurdo thought the taws an altogether better alternative to the old tradition plimsoll.

He selected a straight leather taws from the catalogue and fitted it with a leather strap so that he carried it round his right wrist all the time, ever ready to apply corrective action to any offender. And as you might well imagine, it did not need much by way of an infraction for a lad suddenly to feel the crack of the taws against his lightly covered arse. A good many lads found themselves with red hot arses in the showers after their gym class; McMurdo had a short fuse and when he exploded, which he regularly did, woe betide the target arse for he laid on the taws with vigour. In a few weeks after the re-introduction of corporal punishment, McMurdo had established for himself the reputation among the inmates of being the most hated and feared member of staff.

It was to this "idyllically situated and caring place" that our "friend", Thomas Makin arrived in the Black Maria from North London Magistrates Court. On the long journey north, which seemed like a foreign country to an East End Londoner born and bred, who had never got as far as Potter's Bar in his brief life, the vehicle had stopped on the way to pick up other detainees, who like him, had been sentenced to spells of detention at Grimthorpe Reformatory. Makin had proved as recalcitrant as ever throughout the long journey north and had repulsed, in his usual foul languaged manner, any attempt by the other two lads to make conversation with him.

The three young men were unloaded and brought one by before Warden Murdoch. The other two lads were soon dealt with as they had no such interesting sentence specifications attached to them. After having been lectured by the Warden on the various punishments which they would incur if they misbehaved, they were taken to shower after which they were examined by the house doctor and pronounced fit for work and, if they misbehaved, punishment. They were the forced then walked stark naked to the commissary where they were provided with the regulation attire worn by all inmates at Grimthorpe and were then taken to their respective dormitories, where they would meet for the first time their roommates and learn first-hand what life at Grimthorpe was like. Their arrival had passed without incident.

This was not, however, the case with Thomas Makin. Before meeting Makin for the first time the Warden had read the details of the court sentence with great attention and, let us not pretend otherwise, with considerable relish when he saw the part that the School had to play in the further execution of the sentence. Occasionally in the old days, lads had arrived with the sentence of an additional dose of corporal punishment to be administered to them after arrival at Grimthorpe. But here was an amazing case: a new inmate with a two-year sentence, freshly beaten by the court and with a sentence of no less than three additional beatings to be visited upon him in the coming months; and moreover, three very severe beatings, for each involving fifteen stroke of the heavy gauge cable birch. This was an unbelievably severe sentence.

The Warden read the whole background to the case and saw how this young tearaway had had no thought at all for the old lady he had robbed and then, when apprehended and brought before court, had expressed no remorse for his actions before going on to provoke, by his vile language, the Magistrate into increasing his initial sentence to the most severe punishment allowed under the law. Having read and digested the facts, the Warden saw that he had a very dangerous and uncooperative young man on his hands: a young serial delinquent who certainly did not know "How to Win Friends and Influence People," Yes, here was a lad who, by all appearances would need very careful firm handling; Thomas Makin had all the appearance of being a dangerous and incontrollable young man.

Makin was brought by two burly warders before the Warden and as ever his insolent and insulting manner still persisted. He refused to stand to attention when told to do so by the Warden and in his habitual way mouthed off a few insults. It was quite clear that he had learned nothing either from his court appearance, the very severe beating he had already received and the three judicial birchings which awaited him over the coming months.

The Warden was appalled by the attitude shown by the young man, who clearly had no respect whatsoever for authority, in spite of his recent experience. The Warden, never slow to react, grasped the bull by the horns and said: "This new inmate clearly needs a cooling off period, which will begin with a ten-minute cold shower, after which he will be examined as usual by the doctor to see that he is fit to work and, equally importantly, is fit to attend this Friday evening's "therapy" session held by the estimable Mr. McMurdo. When he has received his regulation clothing, he will then be taken to an isolation dormitory where he will sleep during his first two or three days with us; he needs to calm down before he meets his new room-mates. I think he will ultimately fit in quite well into Dormitory 15, as there are at the moment three empty beds there according to my records here."

The two warders looked knowingly at each other as they heard to which dormitory Makin had been assigned. They knew, as did the Warden himself full well, that this particular dormitory was notorious for its brutality. Its self-appointed head, was a muscular nineteen-year-old named James "Ramrod" Norton: Jake to those very few who called themselves his friends, but Ramrod to the rest of the school's inmates. Norton was a notorious bully, now pushing twenty and nearing the end of his sentence; as far as the Warden could tell, his two years in Grimthorpe had served no useful purpose other than to keep him off the streets. In short, Grimthorpe had been, for him, nothing more than a juvenile prison; the idea of reforming an errant lad's character which had been a fundamental original concept in the creation of reformatories, had had no effect at all on Norton: he was as unreformed and unrepentant today as the day he had arrived there nearly two years previously. Like Makin, he had been a teenage serial offender and had proved very difficult to control during his time at Grimthorpe as until now the cane and birch had been forbidden.

It was the Warden's private view however, that on leaving Grimthorpe in a few months' time he would revert to a life of crime, which was all he knew; or for that matter, wanted; he would finish up as an adult serial offender in and out of prison. Norton had the perfect profile of the "future old lag" candidate, if ever there was one.

This prognosis depressed the Warden, for in his eyes it reflected on the shortcomings of Grimthorpe. which in this case had failed in its mission The Warden saw, somewhat prophetically based on what he knew from his file and what he had now seen of Makin that here was another lad of the same ilk as Norton. He saw no hope for him either unless his aggressiveness could be tamed; and the Warden had every intention of attempting to tame the young man. But if any of the inmates could deal with Makin on a day to day basis, Norton was the man: Norton could quash anyone who crossed his path if he wished. But having made this decision, the Warden, knowing Norton's proclivities, shuddered inwardly to himself at what Norton might do to Makin. But Makin had to adapt to life at Grimthorpe and Grimthorpe was no bed of roses! Makin needed a roommate who would dominate him: a senior whom he would fear, otherwise, from what he had already seen of him, Makin would bring a reign of terror on the more acquiescent inmates.

The Warden consulted the school doctor about Makin's general health and physical condition, which the physician declare to be absolutely in order and saw no reason at all why the lad should not be put to work in the daily running of the school ."Yes, I see," said the Warden, "But in your professional opinion, will the lad be fit enough to take another beating this coming Friday evening, when Mr McMurdo conducts his next session with the cane on those lads who have been slated for punishment for offences committed during the week? For instance, did you examine the lad's backside to see what state it was in? On Thursday he was both birched and then immediately caned by the order of the North London Magistrates. Now you conducted your medical on Saturday; so what do you think?"

"Look here doctor, this young man has already overstepped the bounds in his first meeting with me and I intend one way or another to see that his arse pays the penalty for his unwarranted insolence. So the lad is going to pay for his loud mouth and is going to take twelve across his naked arse; he doesn't know it yet, but he is! So the only question is, can it be done this coming Friday at what will be the inaugural session of a regular Friday night punishment parade choreographed by Mr. McMurdo; or should it be put off to the following week. Frankly, I am a great believer in nipping things in the bud before they get worse, so the sooner we get this young hoodlum strapped across the beating horse and let McMurdo loose on him, the better."

"My dear Warden, Makin will be in perfect shape to offer his arse, as you call it, to Mr. McMurdo for his attention this coming Friday. Of course I gave the lad a thorough examination, including the usual anal probe, and of course I saw the state of his buttocks. I have to say that whoever wielded the rod at the North London Court did a splendid job on him; it must have hurt like bloody hell. But that was on Thursday and by the time I saw him on Saturday, things were already settling down. So the lad was still sore but he had no skin broken and the welts were calming down. So in my opinion, given another six days until the fatidic moment when he has to face the redoubtable Mr. McMurdo and his cane, he will be perfectly fit by then to take another twelve. I'm sure he won't like it; but that is, of course not a consideration is it? Look here Warden, what I suggest is that you pronounce sentence on the lad immediately and let him stew in his own juice for the coming week; then on Friday afternoon I'll look him over again and let you know if I see any reason to postpone the beating."

The Warden sent for Makin and told him that he was to have the honour of joining the first of Mr. McMurdo's Friday "therapy session" when he would have the very doubtful pleasure of allowing Mr. McMurdo to give him twelve cuts of the cane across his naked buttocks. Not surprisingly, Makin was spitting bricks at the Warden by the time he had finished telling him what was to happen to him.

"What the fuck do you think you are playing at?" he yelled at the Warden. "The court said that I should be birched in this school three times and for the first time a month after my arrival here; and now you are telling me that you are going to beat me on Friday after only about ten days. You are bloody-well out of your tiny mind if you think that I'm going to stand for such fucking nonsense. So you and fucking the lot of you can just piss off and go and fuck yourselves for all I care; stuff yourselves up your own arseholes if you want, but you're not going to beat my arse again on Friday and that's final; so put that in your pipe and smoke it."

The Warden listened to this mouthful of invective before attempting to speak. "Makin, you are without doubt one of the foulest mouthed young men I have ever met, I have just listened to another torrent of verbal abuse from you, which taken together with what you said at our previous meeting, confirm that I am quite right in imposing another beating on you. Young man, this punishment is totally unrelated to that already imposed on you by the court for your violent street crime and I understand from your case file that you dug yourself more deeply into the hole in which you found yourself, so much so that by that same sort of foul language used by you on that occasion to the Magistrate, he upped our original sentence gave you the severest penalty allowed by the law; which is why you were first birched and then immediately caned And I have to say, in the brief time I have known you, Makin, I have the greatest sympathy with the Magistrate and would have done that same"

"You cannot expect to stand in front of me and shoot of your cesspit of a mouth the way you did at our first meeting and have just again done right now and get away scot free. This is an institution set up to try to reform young hooligans like you and I can tell you, in your case, it looks as though it might be a long hard struggle. But whilst you are here, and under our care, you will obey the rules and you will stop using foulmouthed language on me or any of my staff. Is that clear, young man?"

"So, Makin, on Friday you will attend the regular weekly punishment session on Friday evening and Mr. McMurdo will give your naked buttocks twelve strokes of the cane.

Eventually I hope that you will learn that your words have consequences; very painful consequences indeed, which your backside will have to bear. And just to make things quite clear; if you continue misbehaving, then Mr. McMurdo will be happy to welcome you to his Friday night gatherings on a regular basis. Make no mistake, Makin; in this school, the cane is used regularly and it is applied as hard as possible to an offender's buttocks."

Did this calm Makin down? Of course not. "You are out of your fucking mind if you think that I'm going to let you thrash my arse again: it just ain't going to happen; there is no way; no way at all: absolutely no way that I am going to drop my pants for your bloody Mr. McMurdo. You talk about being in your care; well it sounds more like you want to thrash the living daylights out of the inmates rather than care for them."

And on and on ranted Makin, becoming ever more abusive until finally the Warden stood up, banged on his desk with his hand and said: "Young man, you will now shut up. I have heard enough from you to last a lifetime. You are here to be reformed, although I see little hope of ever achieving that objective, but if you disobey the rules whilst you are here, then you will be punished; and to be quite clear punishments include both the cane and the birch; and don't think that we have any qualms about using either or indeed both on offenders. Moreover, you will also be punished if you address me or any of the staff in the way you have just now shot off your mouth at me."

"Makin; I was being relatively lenient with you when I sentenced you to twelve cuts of the cane next Friday, but in view of your foulmouthed intransigence, I have decided to raise your quota to eighteen strokes of the cane. Now, if you take my advice, boy, you will now shut up otherwise I will increase your punishment to twenty-four cuts, which is, more's the pity, the maximum that the law allows me to visit upon you. So, boy if you have any sense at all, you should now shut up."