Fighting and Scrapping
Well, that was Jim, Oh he could look after himself. Well we all could, I mean, all us kids – I know Fatty could and I never Fred in a …. Anyway Fred could look after himself, well I used to have a bit of a scrap myself y’know.
I remember once, we was always scrapping anyhow, I remember once there was a young lad – he was lot bigger than me though. Boxer Pearce we called him. Speaks for itself doesn’t it? Boxer Pearce we called him. Always fancied me chance against him. I wouldn’t say he was scared of me, but he was always a little bit wary. Anyhow, the kids kept on that I wanted to fight him see. Anyhow, we ended up fighting. Kids kept egging him on, egging him on. In the end, he couldn’t get out of it – OK see you after school in the playground.
Well, there was a little playground behind the girl’s playground, behind the Infant’s playground I think it was, probably wasn’t much bigger than a boxing ring. Anyhow, we gets there and off with our coats like you know. We got stuck in and were going at it hammer and tongs. Oh dear, by the time we’d finished, that old Boxer…. I had him worried though, he thought he’d killed me, honestly he did. Never had such a hiding in all my life, he gave me the biggest hiding I ever had.
Well, that was all over, we just shook hands, we was never the best of friends, but we was always alright. The best of it was though, next morning when we got to school, assembly like, old Stilly(??) that was the headmaster….
“Pearce” – that was him see
“Dunford”
Out we goes.
“I had to stop behind and do a bit of work last night and I looked through the window and I see everything that was going on. You really enjoyed that, didn’t you boys?”
“Yes sir! Yes sir!” We didn’t know what it was all leading up to you see.
He said “It seems like you wouldn’t mind a bit of punishment”
“No sir! No sir!”
“Right, and I’m the one for dealing out punishment”
Three on each hand. And I think that was the only time I’ve been caned. Never been caned in all my life before, or since.
He wasn’t a bad old kiddie though, old Stilly(??) Pity there isn’t a few more like him about today.
