Sheffield School

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A Sheffield School Experience - Resisting the Cane

Harry Oldham, a former resident, talks about a school experience in Sheffield where he grew up with his mother, father, two sisters and a brother in the earlier part of the last century. This reminiscence recorded in Lancaster at a group in the late 1980s probably refers to the 1910s.


I used to go to Council School at home and er a lad, a dark skinned lad, was sat on the next desk behind me and had a habit of throwing his ink well over me, over me  homework. And the teacher came out in middle of the classroom and saw it and er I got blame for it and he got away with it. I put me hand out, me hand out to be caned and I got some shiny stuff, like resin, rubbed it into me, well into me hands and a great big long bamboo cane and I splitted it in two in the middle. Never touched me no more since.