Trawling press archives sometimes brings up a wealth of fantasy fodder. Take this article in the “Time” magazine from 1967, which considers the corporal punishment situation in British schools.
At least one quaint custom of British education has not changed since Tom Brown’s Schooldays: the tradition of “six of the best” for misbehaving pupils. Although the cane and the strap are still essential equipment for every self-respecting headmaster, public indignation against corporal punishment is on the rise, and the Labor government would like to abolish it for good.
It took a good few years for corporal punishment to go away, and in the meantime “Time” supplies us with incidents that I for one wouldn’t mind mining for future stories or role-play:
Two Southampton schoolboys were given 21 strokes because they incorrectly spelled “meringue.” … Three girls were caned because they forgot to bring semolina to a cooking class.
Excessive in real life, of course, but as good an excuse for a scene as I’d like to find.
As long as I can be spared actually cooking any semolina.
or eating it – yuck
Semolina isn’t too bad (unless it ends up like wallpaper paste.)
Being made to eat frogspawn (tapioca) is a cruel and unusual punishment. I’d rather be caned!