Readers remember those curious moments when an old-fashioned smack, slipper or school punishment unexpectedly became part of everyday life
There was a time when corporal punishment was not confined to stories about stern headmasters and school punishment books. The belt, cane, slipper and ruler were familiar enough subjects of conversation, particularly for people who attended school before attitudes began changing during the 1970s and 1980s.
But what about those occasions when something connected with this old-fashioned world of discipline unexpectedly appeared in ordinary life?
Several readers have shared their memories. Some are amusing in hindsight, some distinctly uncomfortable by modern standards, and others simply illustrate how dramatically social attitudes have changed.
