Hi

Whilst looking on Friends Reunited, I came across The Sir Wilfrid Martineau School in Birmingham Where it appear that a certain Mrs Shervington use to punish girls on the hand with a plimsoll. There are also references on the schools Facebook page by girls who were slippered by her. Was this a common form of punishment, especially for girls? As I have never come across it before.

I've just looked that one up. It seems Mrs Shervington was not exactly the most popular teacher!!

I have never heard of the slipper on the hand before, very odd. I was at school in the 60s and 70s and the slipper was always given on the bottom.A couple of female teachers at my school used to slipper girls on the bottom, though only rarely in public, but what great joy when a public slippering happened. Both the girl and the teacher went very red in the face!.

A maths teacher once slippered me on the hand - one whack with a trainer which I had to have repeated because I moved my hand. It stung quite a bit and he warned me that next time he would put me over a desk and slipper my bottom. I was nervous of being put over the desk to have my bottom slippered by him as I imagined that he slippered bottoms hard.

A year or so ago I worked with a woman from the Leeds area who said she got the slipper at primary school. I of course listened intently - but then she concluded "my hand stung for ages".

Not so uncommon then.

Hi Declan


On January 29 2009, 12:56 PM you said:
I have never heard of the slipper on the hand before, very odd.

I believe it was rare but it happened on occasion. One of the teachers at my school definitely did it - I had it on my hand from her a few times. I think one or two other teachers might slippered hands also but I can't be sure. Why they did it is anyone's guess. It might have been to make it more painful although I expect they'd claim it was to spare us the embarrassment of bending over and having it on our bums.