To close the matter, she would meet me from school the following day to visit the neighbour where I would say sorry and promise never do it again. My parents were very religious and strict Christians whose child-rearing principles were founded upon “Spare the rod, spoil the child,” and “A child should be seen and not heard.

When I entered my room and closed the door behind me I was greeted for the first time by a cane hanging behind the door. I also wanted to know if you had actually been spanked by another person that was not in your family? This was the first time I had pleaded with my mother not to spank me, especially with the lady present.

The cane was on show for everyone to see including friends when they visited to play music or do homework, workmen, window cleaners and neighbours from across the road. Mum assured me that what she had done earlier would happen again if there was further naughtiness or misbehaviour and that I would be spanked in front of anyone present. A young girl recounts her first bare bottom spanking as administered by her strict mother: “Protest became clearly pointless as my knickers were removed completely. Then Mum’s hand came down with a sting far worse than anything before and now for the first time on my bare bottom. I did not for a couple of weeks but then one afternoon the temptation became too much: I pressed the button and immediately the door opened – the lady grabbed my shoulder and marched me straight down the road to my home.

Mum did punish me again over the years sometimes with others present but fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you view, never used the cane. I was a timid youngster and soon learned that any tantrums or misbehaviour meant a slap on the legs or on the seat of my knickers in my very early years. Mum said she felt it when younger and I would soon feel it if there was any more misbehaviour adding that it should not be removed from where it hung.

As someone who endured many over the knee spankings from both parents, I can honestly say it is the most used style of punishment in the UK when I was growing up.