Punishment

Esther Annenberg: Sore Knuckles

Esther, known as Etty, was born in 1909 in Upton Park in London. Etty went to Venetian Road Special School in Camberwell, London from the age of five, going on to an apprenticeship in dressmaking at Holdren's department store in Peckham. At the time of interview Etty was 104 years old.

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Esther Annenberg

Here Etty describes being punished with a ruler at school.

  • Esther Annenberg
https://howwasschool.allfie.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sore-knuckles.mp3

Transcript

We, well we tried to do lessons. As I said it was only if you made a mistake, she used to bring the ruler down across your knuckles and that, and that ruler hurt! It really hurt, you know. I'll never forget the last day she done it I got hold of the ruler and snapped it, I said 'Now take it,' I says 'you won't hit anybody else with that.' She looked at me, I bet she could have killed me. I was waiting for her to tell my mum but she never did, I don't know why. Because I s'pose she would have told my mum and my mum would have told her off.

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