NOTC

Night of the Cane – 2005; Reviews by the Muir Academy

My first Night of the Cane

This was my first visit to NOTC and I had been told it would be a great party. Some party, loads and loads of teachers and guardians all ready to pounce on innocent boys and girls just for trying to have a bit of fun!

And wiv all those free jelly babies (far too many for Ma'am to confiscate), I do believe the pupils had been set up so that teachers had an excuse to whack them, not that they ever really need an excuse.

It was nice to meet some pupils from other schools and to find lots of familiar faces too.

That Edward Tranta was there along wiv his partner in crime (best mate) Steve Miller, Lisa Jade looked to be having a nice time and it was good to see Jill Brown and Emily obviously enjoying themselves.

Maid Angela Brown was doing a wonderful job around the place too.

My Guardian had driven from Hereford, with the precious cargo of Miss Prim and her whack-bag packed full of her demonstration canes wiv Andrew Robertson and me there to guard them. (We both tried our best to slip them out of the car window but never really had a chance under the eagle eyes of Old Primmy).

I avoided the classrooms and just went to play with some of the other kids for a while, but eventually Primmy caught up wiv me and said I had to attend her lecture on "caning for teachers", now some people seemed to think it was a good idea to teach, teachers how to cane each other, but the teachers didn't seem to think so as the only ones whacked were in fact pupils.

I sat very quietly in the background and managed to avoid being the target of one of Primmy’s demonstrations and I thought I was going to go the whole night without earning any punishment at all. Of course I should have known better.

After the caning competition, as most people were getting ready to go home Ma'am decided several of her pupils needed a bit more correction, for no obvious reason, as has been said in other reports.

Tranta and Miller were among the "chosen" few and each received some gentle encouragement with the Singapore.

What that rat Edward Tranta didn't say in his report, was, when it came to poor innocent Belynda having to account for some obviously imaginary crimes. HE was the one wot chose the implements for Ma'am, who kindly let me sample 12 strokes
each of Dragon 1, Dragon 2, Dragon 4 and finally a lucky 13 strokes from the Singapore. Nice choices Edward!!! Thank you.

It was quite a painful bumpy ride to where we were staying overnight, I can tell you. But it had been a good night.

Thanks to Mr Ishmael all his helpers and everyone there.

Belynda Belle

Night of the Cane - November 5th 2005

Things looked bad from the outset due to a misunderstanding over the ingredients for Miss Prim's pumpkin soup and pumpkin seed bread, which did genuinely look like rubbish for the bin. She had informed me we'd be having a "chat" about it at NOTC.

Undaunted, as Saturday came I put on my Muir 'grey' uniform, met up with friends Charlie, Sarah and Emily, stole guardian's car key and credit card and hit the M4. We managed to get from Wales to inside the M25 in under two hours but then hit bad traffic with apparently half of London driving to see firework displays.

The party was being run by Ishmael and "The Firm", some will know Ish. from his part as Mr.McBlain at Muir Academy, but tonight he was quite different – clean shaven and wearing a DJ. Many other familiar faces were there - Mr. Jones, Mr.Tweedy and Dr. Best from Muir College and Miss Prim arrived just after us. "Mademoiselle" Zak was there too and Tranta, Belynda, Robertson, Miller and a few boys in Muir uniform who I didn't recognise. There was a contingent from St.Virginia's too - Kaz, Bunty, Simon, Roddy, Jonathan, Beth & Anita. It was good to see Bunty as she's been ill lately and she had a doctor's note not to get whacked (though that could have been a forgery). There were three or four pupils in St.Cath's uniform which made guardian happy, but I didn't see any
groups identifiable from the other schools that were going to be there. Angela Brown and Meena were both there too. Jose from Kane magazine was there and a reporter from Forum, but cameras were strictly controlled so no worries about inadvertent publicity.

First we went to a talk by Ishmael. He explained that he organises a 60-strong civil war re-enactment for a week each summer and wants to do something similar in school scene. He's looking for volunteers so get in touch with him if something on that scale appeals to you - the scale he's talking about means 3 forms, school gangs, caretaker, cook, prefects, etc.

Then we sneaked in to a demo Miss Prim was giving called "Corporal Punishment for Teachers". We thought that sounded fun and looked forward to seeing some teachers getting whacked but it was just the pupils who got whacked. Kaz experienced Miss Prim's "twilting" technique. Tranta had 12 of the Singapore, Miller had 12 of the #4 dragon for his mobile phone going off, Beth had a spanking and a new teacher got some expert tuition in how to cane his girl. During Ma'am's demo Robertson slid a radio-controlled "fart machine" under my chair in an attempt to embarrass me and get me into trouble. But it didn't go off! Ha!

I didn't go to any of the classes as guardian had told me only to go to ones where I knew the teacher was OK. So instead I hung around talking to friends from Muir. Mr. Tweed threatened me with a caning later for mentioning "Chicken Run". Two people came up to me and said they recognised me from the front cover of St.Cath's 2 and said how they enjoyed watching me get whacked. Which I suppose is a compliment, I think.

At 10.30 there was a caning contest in the main hall. Mr Jones, Matron Sarah and other familiar faces all lined up to whack their unfortunates. Miss Prim has been banned from entering as she won too often, so she was one of the judges.

[Editor’s note: If Miss Prim ever was banned, she certainly was not banned by us, while we have been running the competition she has never been a contestant! We have always asked Miss Prim to be a judge, thus confirming her status as one of the three best caners in Britain. Her multiple victories must have been between the Muir Academy’s founding in 1987 and the transfer of the Caning Competition to Club Whiplash in 1992]

Ishmael had laid on food - baked potatoes with chilli, and earlier in the night there had been pots of free jelly babies circulating, but I think that was just a cynical ploy to get us all in trouble.

Before long it was 1am and we had to leave and start the journey back to Wales. Miss Prim said goodbye at the door and lamented she hadn't caught up with me over the pumpkins. I cheekily asked whether this meant it was "forgiven and forgotten" but she said she'd see me at the next day class. We had to stop for petrol somewhere in Islington and I met some very nice men at the petrol station who complimented me on my outfit and smiled a lot at me and stuff.

We eventually got home around 3.30am having had a wonderful night, but I think some aspects will be in a "guardian's letter" very soon.

Jill Brown.

Night of the Cane

Well I said last week I was packed off to Night of the Cane my Uncle put me on the Train at Birmingham Snow Hill and was met in London by Steve Miller's Guardian. We picked up Fish and Chips for out Tea and had a can of pop to swill then down. Then after a break watching television, he ran Steve and myself across London to a place Called Chat's Palace were this NTOC thing was
taking place, and where we were due to meet Primmy.

However as she was not there, we decided to have another Glass of pop it was at that point that we ran into Jill and Emily and their Charlie and Sarah and then just after that it happened Primmy Arrived with the younger Bylinda and Andrew Robertson in tow. It will come as no surprise to know that she was soon issuing orders, Tranta do this, Miller do that etc. until she appeared to have
all the Muir Pupils she could see doing something.

Well I have hoped to have a look round and enjoy myself but in the big room, there were classes being taken by Teachers who looked as thought they were only to keen to whack some poor unsuspecting little boy like me. So I thought I'd give them a wide berth and go off and find some other mischief to get into. However the arrival mentioned above, put a stop to all that.   I got the job of
looking after Primmy's Whack Bag that she had brought with her complete with the Singapore Cane sticking out the top like a Radio Ariel with the added the threat or should that be promise that I should guard them with my life.

I was soon dispatched to the main lecture theatre where Ma'am was due to give her practical lecture. "Corporal Punishment for Teachers" but as Jill said it turned out that only got whacked. It was Beth from St.V's that was the first to incur Ma'am wroth and soon found herself over Ma'am knee for a Spanking.   Unfortunately for Beth Ma'am found out that Black Knickers were not regulation issues for St.V's Girls. And as we all know Ma'am does not spank non-regulation knickers or pants, she takes them down so it was a bare bottom spanking that Kaz had to suffer, and those who have suffered one of those, know that Ma'am can spank. I was somewhat shocked at one point when Ma'am started to be nice to me. This was when Kaz, another St.V's girl suggested Ma'am
should give a demonstration of Twilting using Tranta as the Dummy so to speak. Ma'am looked at me, smiled or should that be leered at me and said no, not Tranta I think it should be the person who chose the Cane and called Kaz to the front of the Lecture Theatre. Another Pupil from another school was next to fall foul of Primmy by slouching against the Theatre wall by which time we had
moved from spanking and onto the Tawse. The boy was asked or told to pick a Tawse from the 6 that Ma'am had with her that he wanted(?) her to give 6 of the best with. Eventually he made a wise choice missing out on the innocent looking Lighter Tawse aka Black Adder. Then a Mobile phone was heard and we all looked round including Ma'am only to see a rather sheepish looking Steve
Miller at the back of the Room. "Miller was that you I was looking for a Bottom for the next demonstration come out the front. Steve's fate 12 with the No.4 Wood handled Dragon. Then at the conclusion of Ma'am lecture after Kaz's Twilting Ma'am picked up the Singapore that Beth had asked to be demonstrated and turned to me. Saying to me shorts down and over the bench, well the bench was high so I changed kit for a chair whilst Ma'am addressed her audience. I was in place when Ma'am turned her attention to me pulling down my pants and giving me 12 with the Singapore. However when she invited a member of the audience to count the striped they only counted 10 Ma'am the counted them for herself and agreed that there only appeared to be 10 so gave me stroke 11 and 12 again. I can only be glad that it was not in class or defaulters as Ma'am would under Rule 3 have started again for miscounting.

The one thing Ma'am did not have time to cover was Hand Canning as she showed a couple of Canes. The problem was she looked in my direction with one of those smiles at me as she said I might get on to that later. Phew time won out and I think I was spared that fate for now anyway.

In the Main Hall we had a Caning Competition when Headmasters & Headmistresses all whacked their own pupils to win some sort of prize I don't know what the kids had done but some got a fearful whacking. However Ma'am caught up with a boy who had been foolish enough to offer Ma'am advise when she was using the Singapore on me. He was marched to the Lecture Theatre where Ma'am demonstrated that she did not really need this boy's advice and was quite capable of using the Singapore much to his cost. However Ma'am saw fit to give further Canning to Belynda, Steve and Tranta(?) For what we can gather was no other reason than we were there!!!!!!

Edward Tranta

But another good evening was had by all.

And from the Westgate School…

Michelle had the dubious honour of receiving the last whacking of the term as she pushed the Headmistress too far with her use of the water pistol. So out to the front of the class Michelle was summoned where she was to receive a Spanking, the Plimsoll & the Cane. After which The Headmistress informed her that because of her unacceptable behaviour she would forgo her Bonfire Night celebrations & accompany her to London with an equally naughty boy, from another class, for a severe caning at the Night of the Cane competition.

November 5th duly arrived & Miss Hastings-Gore looked resplendent in her evening attire & gave a very impressive display of her Caning skills. Many non Westgate people being shocked at the ferocity of the strokes. The time came for the main event & Miss Hastings-Gore meant business as she changed into her PE kit. There were approximately 20 people due to receive 6 of the best, all from a different Master or Mistress. Each caning to be awarded marks out of 20 from 3 distinguished judges in front of an audience approaching 200.

Eventually the time came for Miss Hastings-Gore to be called onto the stage. A sense of anticipation descended on the audience as she took centre stage & blew her whistle to summon Martin, from the upper School, to the stage for his caning.

Martin was ordered to bend over the punishment trestle. Silence descended as his PE Shorts were yanked down & Miss Hastings-Gore swished a couple of practice shots through the air. Then the Caning began for real & the audience were treated to a truly outstanding exhibition of caning combining extreme hardness with deadly accuracy. Each whack being greeted with loud gasps from the audience.

To his credit Martin didn’t flinch, he dare not as he knew he would get a lot more when back at School if he did. After the 4th stroke the Headmistress paused to check Martins composure & confirm number of strokes given. She then prepared to give the coup de grace. First place beckoned with perfect scores of 20 a distinct possibility as the stripes clearly showed the accuracy of the fierce strokes.

The cane was raised & the 5th stroked cracked across the buttocks with deadly accuracy again, slightly tearing the skin. However a tiny amount of blood had been drawn which is not allowed in the competitions rules. A voice from a source unknown shouted to the adjudicator, “BLOOD, BLOOD" Before Miss Hastings-Gore could deliver the final stroke the adjudicator sensationally stepped in to prevent her doing so & thus Disqualifying her.

The Photos of the caned bottom can be seen in the new gallery - "Autumn Term 2005" & clearly show the accuracy of the caning & the travesty of the disqualification just one stroke from victory. Many people said afterwards that the decision was harsh and that the "D" mark awarded should be looked upon as one of Distinction not Disqualification. Miss Hastings-Gore had certainly proved herself to be a "CUT" above the rest & returned to Westgate with her reputation enhanced.