True but sad story from 1971

I started school at five years old, on my first day my mum shouted downstairs for me to shut the fuck up and if I woke Jamie (my brother)I would be in trouble. I was there with my long blond hair, white shirt, grey sweater, grey shorts, knee length grey socks and black shoes. With hindsight I looked a knob as everyone else appeared to be in a totally different uniform.

The school was about a mile away and I did not actually know where it was. So I watched from the window until I saw the children I knew walking up the street with their mums. I left the house and followed them up the hill frightened but also full of curiosity and to some extent, excitement.

When I arrived at the enormous black gates that opened out like a large mouth towards the school, I froze. The place was momentous to a small child. A large red building with wooden shacks either side surrounding a large concrete area that had five-a-side pitches and hop scotch areas painted into them. On the wall of the large red building targets were painted and between them a goalpost in 2d. I think David Sutherland when drawing the Bash Street Kids could have used this school as inspiration to his illustrations. I span round and started to slink back home only to be thwarted by an eagle eyed teacher who had spotted me stealthily sneaking away. He escorted me into reception and eventually they found the class I was supposed to be in. It was probably 2b but if ya get that link then I am impressed. All the other children had started school a few months earlier. My mum didn't send me until the authorities turned up to ask where I was.

The morning was brilliant and today I still remember the first thing we did. The teacher held up a rectangle of wood which had maybe twenty holes drilled into it. One of those toys that babies knock the pegs into with the little hammer. We were asked whether it had more holes if held vertically or horizontally. I can remember the shock when the teacher announced that it was the same both ways. Definitely sideways I thought and made a note to ask my mum when I got home at dinnertime. It was a fantastic morning, there with all those other children and new things to learn. Being the new boy I was seen as new meat and by 10.10 had a girlfriend. Life was looking up.

At dinnertime I made my way home after first giving my new girlfriend a kiss and being disgusted when she attempted to stick a tongue in my mouth. Not having any of that weird stuff I thought and told her it was off.

I arrived home and amazingly my mum had got up and she had made me beans on toast for my dinner, but I was not hungry I wanted to tell her about my morning and ask her if she knew which way the rectangle block had the most holes. I started talking to her at 100 miles an hour how children do when they want to get everything out at once.
“Shut up you fucking cunt and eat your fucking dinner,” she spat. I’ll never forget those words because she then shoved my face into the beans until I choked.

I was five.

I went back to school that afternoon with burns on my face and beans all over my clothes. Not one teacher noticed or said anything.

I for one am glad that although people think we live in a nanny state that type of thing wouldn't happen today. It would be spotted and it would be acted on.