Public school...
during the 70s I went to a minor provincial independent school - I was a day boy but there were boarders too.

Tom Peters - English teacher - was a barking mad Welshman, six foot four with a booming voice. He was also a raving bender in a very macho sense. He had a collection of whips. When handing in late work you had to go to his room. He'd snatch the papers out of your hand & then the game was to run like fuck down the stairs while he reached for a 5 foot whip hanging on the wall and tried to crack it over the back of your head & neck as you scarpered below. He never hit me, but I had mates who got a bleeding ear a few times. He also used the cane quite a bit - he'd make you drop your trousers first, mind, & then get very excited if you had coloured pants on. (He used to cane with one hand in his pocket...)

He was also in charge of the swimming pool. (I'm sure the thought of being surrounded by young boys in trunks never crossed his mind, oh no.) A couple of boarders told me that after summer term had ended they had to stay on for a couple of days waiting for their flights home abroad. Tom roped them in to helping clean out the pool. Once the water was drained out he showed them his party trick - standing in the shallow bit he (accurately) cracked a 25 foot bullwhip & smashed upturned flowerpots lined up on the edge of the deep end. They said it was awesome to watch.

He was apparently quite wealthy, owning huge amounts of land in Wales, but he lived a hermit-like existence in one room at the school. He's still going, I think, though he must be in his eighties now. He never actually shagged any of us while I was there, but we were told he was *fairly* active in the 50s & 60s. People just don't believe me when I tell them about him. My god, social services would have a field day now!

He was just one among a group of totally eccentric nutters on the staff. I'll post up some more later.
( Dunks, Sun 13 Nov 2005, 11:02, Reply)