Anyone spot the omission? Yeah: damn: they forgot the “Galloping Foxley” stamp. Dahl’s account of public school life – featuring a savage prefectorial caning – was one of the earliest accounts I read of school corporal punishment. Indeed, in many ways, swapped mentally to an M/f scenario, it still shapes much of what lies at the core of my school kink.

I’ve never actually recreated the exact scene, though – with me as the prefect, caning a younger girl: it really rather sounds like something I should try to arrange… although finding somewhere with space for a run-up might be challenging!

I don’t often post links to drawings, this being a literary blog, but occasionally I think it’s worth making an exception to the rule. In this case, it’s for a fabulous little illustrated spanking novella by Ian Hamilton, at his “Graphics Spanking” blog. It’s called “House of Correction 1894″, and you can read the two parts at:

http://graphicspanking.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/house-of-correction-1894-part-1/

http://graphicspanking.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/house-of-correction-1894-part-2

So good to see such high-quality original spanking artwork; hope you enjoy it.

“So, your poly relationships: were they vanilla?”

…and relax… Because if someone uses the word ‘vanilla’, then it’s a sure-fire thing that they understand what “not vanilla” means, right? And so it turned out.

I wonder if there are any other innocently non-kinky expressions that signify interest or understanding in the same way? Mention of the Leveson inquiry, for example, might hint at knowledge of past invasions of kink-community privacy. References to Secretary (much as I have reservations about it) could indicate interest in certain aspects of the movie’s plot. Bemoaning the closure of a certain coffee and cake shop near Covent Garden might work with the London crowd who frequented CCK.

Can you think of any more?

Found on the “Make It Hurt Please” Tumblr page; originally posted by “Cut Out And Keep”. LOL neither link is safe for work, but both are rather lovely.

Quickly catching up with one remaining account from the first half of advent, from Not An Odalisque (winner of the “best blog” in the 2011 Spanking Writers Awards):

The lover chose the 10th for our Spankvent day, on a weekend we planned to spend away. We stayed, conveniently, at No. 10, The Coffee House, in Haworth (which is a lovely B&B with fabulous coffee and cakes, if you’re ever visiting the area). On the way there, we came up with a role play scene which would play into the Victorian theme of the focus of our visit. We were nearly swayed when the lover found a shop selling ration cards and carbolic soap, but I convinced him to save that for another time (I also ended up with the soap—my overnight bag stinks!). We meandered back to the coffee shop after a less than successful attempt at finding veggie food slightly too late in the evening in the country, and I demolished a packet of shortbread from beside the kettle as we finalised the details.

The coffee parlour, transported back in time, was owned by Mr. Taylor, who’d been on a trip to Manchester or Liverpool—my knowledge of historical coffee shops comes almost entirely from Habermas and French novels, so I’m a little hazy on the details—to source beans. Whenever he went on one of these trips, the housekeeper, Nelly, always made sure the parlour fire was warm and put out a meal before the servants went to bed, in case Mr. Taylor came home late. Since Emily, the newest maid, had started, though, he’d never got home in time to eat a single one of those meals, and she was often asked to throw them away in the morning, not long before Mr. Taylor would clatter into the yard, talking about late nights or bad weather making him stay overnight in the city.

When Emily woke in the night, cold and shivery, she knew there’d be a nice fire in the parlour. And when she stood there in her nightgown warming herself, and found that she felt slightly peckish, she didn’t think there’d be much harm in nibbling a biscuit, since she was the one who’d be throwing them away in the morning. And when she became curious about how her master’s special cheese and pickle sandwich tasted, she didn’t think there’d be any serious repercussions. It was nasty, anyway.

Emily heard a noise downstairs. She was mindful enough to make it to the kitchen with a tray, but then she was trapped in the basement, far from her room, hearing footsteps go to the parlour and then descend toward the kitchen. She stood in the dark, clutching the tray, until her master found her there, with the crumbs of his biscuits and dismembered sandwich. He was hungry, he was cold, and he’d ridden a long way through the frosty night. He told her she had five minutes to bring him another tray. Unfortunately, looking for the pickles and the biscuits in the dark pantry, it took her fifteen.

When Emily got to her master’s room, he told her to put down the tray. He told her that she had a choice between a punishment, one stroke for every minute she was late, or dismissal without a reference. Seeing her indecision, he threatened to increase her punishment for every minute she kept him waiting, and instructed her again to bend over his bed. He drew her nightdress up, and she tugged it down. He pulled it up again, more firmly, and she blushed at the thought of what he saw. Emily squirmed through five strokes of the strap, and bit her lip through five burning cane strokes, afraid of waking the housekeeper, who wouldn’t go as far as to give her options.

I imagine that Mr. Taylor then went on to eat his sandwich, but we stopped the scene there. I do know, however, that Emily was so humiliated by the experience that she left Mr. Taylor’s service, and indeed the village. I’ve some photographs of her walking through the heather and the misty rain on the moors, setting out to seek her fortune.

Next up: Nicky Montford bagged the 13th December, but won’t get to enjoy her Spankvent spanking until the new year. (She suggested on Twitter that an extra stroke epr day’s delay might be appropriate; I countered with six!). On the 14th, Leia Ann took 14 strokes with the Canadian Prison Strap – and the 15th fell to Tepees, and the lovely Lucy (of Northern Spanking fame).

Next, on to Poppy St Vincent:

I had been looking forward to the 16th of December for about two months. It was the first day of my week with Dexter and, as such, the start of Christmas. But, this holiday being what it is I arrived in London, tired and grumpy after a shocking week and a five and a half hour drive.

What a welcome awaited me. He had dressed a Christmas tree, opened a delicious bottle of wine and made a meal that still makes my mouth water when I think of it. I was then packed off for a bath and to seek out my Christmas pyjamas.

I returned and found my place in his arms. I did not mention spankvent. I had already been spoiled and felt I could not ask for any more. So when he pulled me over his lap I was unsure at first what kind of spanking it was. He tugged my knickers down and ignored my quiet protests. Each slap was hard but his voice was gentle and cheerful. As he counted I realised this was indeed spankvent and, as such, it was only 16 spanks. Nevertheless as he got to number nine he got harder so I helped by saying “teneleventwelvethirteenfourteenfifteensixteen”. I waited for a moment and his reaction.

I heard, “One” and over he started. I would like to tell you that only happened once but on the second attempt when he got to thirteen I protested too much and I heard the fateful “One” all over again.

It was a beautiful, gentle, slightly sore start to Christmas.

We move on to the 18th: my own turn, taking advantage of various lovely friends being over at my house for Sunday lunch. Four girls, bending over the end of my bed in turn to take eighteen strokes in total, four or so from each of five implement-wielding tops. We pretty much ran through the range of my implement collection – Singapore canes, school canes, straps, birches, more… with the whacks administered pretty severely, as is the wont of the gentlemen concerned! Huge thanks to the lovely Emma Jane, Martha, Cath and Faye for taking part in such good spirit.

Next day: Mr Allen writes:

Our original plan for #spankvent was nineteen hard strokes using a thick kooboo or dragon cane. After the intense canings Cate Stoker received on Saturday afternoon, however, it was decided she was too marked! We decided not to let the occasion pass, so I took nineteen strokes of this cane expertly administered by Cate. She, of course, took delight in choosing that I should take the strokes in head-down position – this was definitely a top the top revenge caning but whilst bloody painful, absolute fun. My vanilla bottom remains profoundly striped, marking the nineteen strokes of #spankvent.

Of course, Cate wasn’t to get away scott-free so I administered nineteen stokes with my two lovely thick custom leather belts that I purchased this year. One belt is thick saddle leather and the other is even thicker bridle leather. This scene marked the end of a lovely relaxed afternoon with Cate – followed by an awesome lasagne.

And then on to the 20th – Emma Jane’s chosen day, on which she received twenty strokes with my cricket bat – as documented here a couple of days ago. Such wonderful fun!

From one lovely Irish girl to another, as we head next across the water to Bandree:

I chose the 21st for my Spankvent date just because it sounds like a serious, important, grown-up number. I didn’t think it would actually happen! But by coincidence, around that time my good gentleman found in a hidden cupboard a cane that he had bought this year as a gift for a friendly Top; and he suggested a trip to present it, and to claim back one that had been given on loan.

…so we made the journey. A story was contrived; the sea captain had been bringing a parcel from Singapore (where else?) to deliver, carried by his maid (me) and she had paused on the way to finger longingly the gold ribbons and pretty lace in a haberdasher’s shop…

Now that the long thin parcel has been handed over and opened, he suggests that the recipient (Mr Carpenter) should try out the contents… So the two gentlemen order the maid to take off her black top and skirt and she stands before them in her chemise, petticoat and drawers; she is commanded to slip off her petticoat and open the back of her drawers; and nervously, bashfully, she complies. She is given a preliminary spanking OTK as a warm-up. Then she is ordered to place her forehead on the table and expose her rear: Mr Carpenter on her left and the Sea Captain on her right – and they commence, one stroke each, by turns. And she has to count: one, one! two, two! – all the way to 21, to punish her for shop-lifting and to remind her to behave for ever more in a mature and grown-up fashion.

Soon the creamy skin of her bottom is is glowing pink and striped with red lines, high and low. When this has been done, she is as contrite and sober as she has ever been; she can keep her job, but there will be no more childish pilfering of pretty shiny things that don’t belong to her…she is a grown-up now!

Jessica provided an entertaining description of Scarlett’s turn, on the 22nd:

And so it was that in those times, St Nicholas, with his trusty sidekick Schwartzer Peter came to London. St Nicholas was laden with presents for good children and Schwartzer Peter had his trusty willow switch for bad children. It was decreed that Scarlett DW had been a bad girl and thus deserved 22 strokes of the willow switch to celebrate Spankvent. These were duly given and laid on well. And now Scarlett is truly repentant and promises to be a better girl next year!

On to the 23rd: Kaelah’s written a delightful blog entry describing the 23 strokes of the flogger then 23 with a short cane that she received from Ludwig. And the, concluding our festive fun, Alias chose the 24th, but…

… unfortunately I didn’t manage to meet up with my Daddy. We don’t live on the same continent and can’t see each other often. So I didn’t get the spanking yesterday. But if I did, it would have been with his belt. The one he wears on his jeans. He would order me to get over the bed. Then he would stand beside the bed so I could see him unbuckle his belt. He would make the buckle jingle ’cause he knows how much that turns me on. He would then pull the belt through the loops of his jeans and double it in half. He would scold me while taking it off. And then he would spank me. He would try to make me cry.

So, I wasn’t spanked, for real, yesterday. He did virtually spanked me though. Among other things

Thanks to everyone who participated. This really has been a lovely festival of kinky friendship around the world, and its been a pleasure and an honour to co-ordinate it. Here’s to Spankvent 2012!

It’s been wonderful following accounts of what’s happened, on Twitter, by email and on participants’ blogs. And here, to celebrate Christmas, is the first selection of accounts of what went on…

Spankvent started with Ellen May taking one hundred strokes of the cane on the first of the month, before the virtual baton passed to Eliane. Arriving late in the evening on a visit to Liverpool, she ended up being whacked twice by Sarah in public, in front of La Tasca restaurant.

Sarah took her own turn the following day:

I was so lucky to finally have my own home full of wonderful kinky friends and we’d decided that three strokes from three people using three different implements would be rather fun with me on the receiving end, again, lucky me!

So up to my bedroom/schoolroom I went and happily bent over my school desk while Irelynn flexed the chosen cane before getting down to the job in hand. Three perfect stripes later and we were both rather pleased with the result.

We trooped back downstairs and proudly showed off her handiwork before it was back up the stairs with Masterretep. Little did I guess what he had hidden away! Out of his trouser pocket came his strap: he said that with a mere three strokes he was going to make them count, and he most certainly did!

The final three were due to come from Eliane, but she was happily settled on the sofa with champagne so kindly passed the baton to Sixotb. By baton, I mean carpet beater, a ridiculously ouchy implement I wasn’t even aware I owned (silly me!). Laid across the bed with two pillows underneath to raise my bottom high, those three strokes were so hard and painful they took my breath away before a hug and a kiss made it all better and it was back downstairs for the third round of showing off my various marks.

Many more spankings went on that evening but it was such fun to get the ball rolling with spankvent, a great idea which I hope will become a tradition.

I hope so too, Sarah!)

Ronnie had selected the 4th – but had actually been caned hard enough on the 3rd that she decided that would have to suffice! You can read about her 24 strokes here.

Next, Alyss Abyss:

I chose the 5th because it is mine and the bear’s wedding anniversary… I got ready for bed and sat waiting for B to come up. Nerves were starting to flood me and when he lined up his favourite toys on the bed, I just sat there cowering, hugging my legs under the duvet. Waiting for him to be ready felt like an eternity.

I was to take four strokes with five implements of his choosing from the selection. One for every year of our marriage. To count in years and to ask for more after each set. I knew they would be with force. He wasn’t going to let me off lightly.

A strap and a selection of canes followed. There’s a lovely post about it at Alyss’s blog.

And on to Irelynn:

I picked the 6th of December as my spankvent day because I knew Stephen and I would be holed up in a hotel in Amsterdam that day. I’d left it up to him to decide what to make of that number ‘six’, and he decided that six strokes of the cane per minute, for six minutes, starting at 6pm on December the 6th would be appropriate.

Unfortunately he forgot to remind me to pack a cane to take to Amsterdam with me (although he would undoubtedly tell you that he did remind me – while I was half asleep in bed the night before we were due to leave!) so he used his belt instead. Just before 6pm he had me undress and lie down on the bed, and a minute later our spankvent began! He swapped sides every minute so that my whole bottom got to enjoy being strapped, and afterwards there was lots of lovely cuddling. So a good day all around.

Quai chose to give his sub seven minutes of belting for day seven.

I told her to bend over the end of our bed at the foot and stretch her arms out in front of her head. She rested on pillows for plenty of support. I decided that the first 40 strokes (20 from each side to keep it even) would be her warm up. The rest of the belt spanking would be at full ‘playing’ severity (as opposed to punishment severity).

Again, there’s an excellent blog post in which you can read a fuller description.

Toby joined in on the 8th. There was a webcam involved, and a wooden spoon. The rest can be left to your (and my) imagination!

Judy bagged the 9th:

I knew I was due a birthday spanking from R, so on the evening we were to meet, we were on the phone discussing dinner plans, etc., when I added, “By the way, I’m going to ask you to give me nine with an implement of your choosing. I’ll explain later.” He was confused but happy to oblige.

After my birthday spanking was duly delivered (and I discovered he thinks I turned about 130) I explained about #spankvent. He seemed delighted to participate and practically skipped off to select an implement. He returned with a well-worn belt in his hand and a gleam in his eye. Over the armchair I went and he quickly laid the first three licks before I called time due to the belt wrapping and landing on the exact same place on my upper right thigh. An adjustment in positioning solved the problem and the remaining hard six landed quickly and efficiently. As R is a switch, I was delighted when he agreed to let me return the favor with nine of my own.

Miss Swoons took the 11th. Again, there’s a lovely post on Alyss’s blog. “Eleven hand spanks, to be counted down, in German” followed by “another eleven for me, bare bottomed this time” – and then an IKEA shoe horn. “Two Spankvent sessions, two partners and two very different experiences; one very happy Alyss.”

Half-way through the Spankvent season of spanking goodwill to all women – and men – we reach the 12th, and Simon Jenkins, whose name Amy Hunter kindly (?) put on the list:

She decided we were going to do a memory game based on the twelve days of Christmas. So for day one, I got twelve strokes of the ruler, day two was twelve hand spanks and twelve strokes of the ruler to the hands, followed by the twelve strokes of the ruler.

Day three was then twelve strokes of three more implements and then I head to remind Amy of days one and two. Day four was then four sets of twelve, and then I had to remember days three, two and one… And so on.

We got up to day ten, and then I got eleven sets of twelve followed by twelve sets of twelve without the countdown. The total I got was around 2500 strokes – had we completed everything planned it would have been 4368! The strokes weren’t just confined to the bottom, but also the back, hands, front and back of thighs and feet. It was very intense session!

Thanks to all of the above for entering so wonderfully into the spirit of the season. More to follow from the rest of the communal celebration! Merry Christmas to you all…

Best implements: my wonderful set of six canes from Prysm – so beautifully made, wonderfully balanced, perfect to use

Best spanking story: without a doubt, “The Library” by Casey Morgan – an absolute gem amidst so many highlights in “The Spanking Collection”, the charity anthology I was honoured to co-edit with Haron earlier in the year

Best kinky event: “The Yorkshire School”: an amazing extended roleplay at Easter, involving HH, Emma Jane, Cath and Eliane. (With, here, a very honourable mention to the truly wonderful Fawcett Hall house party: 1811 truly rocked!).

Best music. Nothing even vaguely kink-related here this year, just one amazing album – “The Rip Tide”, by Beirut, the soundtrack to the loneliest week of my life, in Egypt in September.

Best blog post: “It’s only a game”, by Amelia Jane Rutherford: a wonderful, eloquent rebuttal to an email criticising the lovely author (and, by implication, so many other kinky models and bloggers).

Best scene: to adapt from the Oscars – best original sceneplay goes to “Paying off the debt” with Emma Jane and HH. Best adapted sceneplay goes to “The Punishment List” with Kami Robertson.

Best book: without a doubt, “The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern. Although “A Lover’s Dictionary”, by David Leviathan, is also hugely special, Neither kinky; both touching on love in original and profound ways.

And, to my mind, the most prestigious award one blogger can give to another:

Best blog: “Not An Odalisque”: wonderfully written, so often exploring topics at the heart of my own scene dilemmas so eloquently and perceptively. Such a clear winner.

2011’s not been the easiest of years, but there have been so many bright spots within it. To this year’s award winners, my congratulations and thanks!

Early next year the Mob Museum will open in the historic building that was once the Post Office and Federal Court House. The interactive exhibits mean that tourists will be able to have their photograph taken in a criminal line-up… and see a mock trial in the courtroom.

And, of course, the right company could then be sentenced to an appropriate judicial punishment – never mind the whipping that the mafia dons would doubtless give a girl on her release for having let herself get caught in the first place…

I have no idea how 2012 will pan out for me, personally or professionally – but there’s a tentative entry blocking out my diary at the end of the summer. Here’s hoping…

Like me, you may have been made to learn lists of collective nouns at school. There are the obvious ones – a pride of lions, a flock of birds, a pack of dogs, a school of dolphins. And then there are the quirkier ones – such as a bellowing of bullfinches or a murder of crows.

In response to one of my posts, Nic wondered what collective nouns might apply to words that crop up here on Spanking Writers on a regular basis. So, here are a few suggestions:

• A disapproval of headmasters
• A giggling of schoolgirls
• A boredom of detentions
• A stripe of canes
• A searing of tawses.

Any alternatives for the ideas above? Or any suggestions for different spanking-related collective nouns? Do play along in the comments…!

Participants wanted… see below for how to play.

It all started with an exchange about advent calendars, involving @marthalinton, @tobywednesday, @sarahlrh, @hellomrallen, @nickymontford and myself (and what a nice group to chat to, I must say).

Sarah explained that she had an advent calendar with numbered felt pockets for each day; I mentioned that I’d long wanted one such with a different implement per day; Nicky suggested that the spanking should somehow match the day number (for example, one minute’s hand spanking or spray birching on the 1st; 12 strokes on the 12th).

So that’s the game. If you want to play, comment and claim your date (not selecting a date that’s already been claimed by someone else), between 1st – 24th December; if you want to share your plans, please do so; and I’ll collate some tales from all who’ve participated and publish Tales from Spankvent here on the blog at the end of the festive season.

Ready? Set? Go…!

–

Edited a few hours later – here’s the final list of who’s playing: thanks so much to you all for joining in; this is such fun:

1st – EMDifference

2nd – Eliane

3rd – Sarah

4th – Ronnie

5th – Alyss

6th – Irelynn

7th – Quai

8th – Toby

9th – Judy

10th – Mr Wrath

11th – Miss Swoons

12th – Amy Hunter / Simon Jenkins

13th – Nicky Montford

14th – Leia Ann

15th – Tepees

16th – Poppy

17th – FawcettHall

18th – Abel

19th – Cate

20th – Emma Jane

21st – Bandree

22nd – Scarlett

23rd – Kaelah & Ludwig

24th – Alias