One of the main traditional implements in English domestic correction is the slipper. The term slipper covers everything from the humble carpet slipper, which is a very mild implement, to a plimsoll or much used by yours truly the deck shoe.

The following snippets from the DJB archive illustrate its use.

Mary B said, describing home punishments in the 1970s:

“From our mid-teens on mum decided to use the slipper as she said her hand wasn’t enough to make an impact. It was quite embarrassing at 16 to have to go and get it from the hall and then take down your own jeans. Mum used take your pants down, if she was going to, once you were over her knee. It hurt but it was more the embarrassment, especially if you about to go out with friends. My friends might be waiting out in the street or once or twice in the hall when Mum called me to account. I once remember having to fetch the slipper from the hall and my best friend’s boyfriend was standing on it and I had to ask him to move.”

“Then I had to go into the lounge, I made sure the door was closed, then take a spanking on my bare bum with three friends, including boys, outside the door. The boys were grinning when Mum let me go out. I blushed all day.”

“The worst time was when I was 19 and had a huge row with my mum because I hadn’t come home from work and had gone straight out then stayed with my boyfriend. She just said go and get the slipper. I hadn’t had it for year by then and I couldn’t believe it. She said if I didn’t then my dad would deal with me. I don’t know why this was such a threat, as he had only spanked me once, three whacks on the seat of my jeans when I was 17, but I didn’t want him to get involved. So I went out into the hall as a working woman and got the slipper. I had to take off my skirt and go over mums knee like a 16-year-old for her to take my knickers down. I think we both knew it was my last spanking and she really made it hurt. I think it lasted about 20 minutes, maybe more, it seemed like hours at the time. I was crying after.”

Rachel describes an incident that happened with her and her sister when the both thought they were well past spanking. Again this took place in the 1970s.

Dad was always threatening us with a good hiding for this or that, but it never happened. Then when I was 19 and my sister was 21 a couple of things happened. First my mum caught my sister Kat and her boyfriend smoking a joint in her bedroom. Smoking wasn’t allowed in the house and my mum thought that all drugs were hardcore and the gateway to crime and addiction. So as you can imagine she was really shocked and upset. My dad hit the roof and threw her out, for about three hours, before there was a tearful reconciliation. Then about a month later, my sister and I were going out to a rock club. I was told I couldn’t go, big argument. Then once dad relented he told us both our skirts were too short, Kat’s skirt was completely hidden once she put her leather jacket on. I didn’t argue and went to I put a longer skirt on, but put my mini skirt in my bag and took it to change into. Kat just flounced out and told dad to F* off. Even I was shocked.

I think things would have settled down even then but a friend of dads happened to drive past the rock club when there was a minor punch up going on outside. Although he didn’t know we were there, but somehow it must have got mentioned. Only the way he told it you would think there was a youth riot in progress.

Dad panicked and drove down to the club to see if we were alright. Obviously a great dad, but sometimes kids don’t see it that way. When he arrived we were both standing outside the club smoking joints, me in a forbidden skirt. Whoops! Kat could have said anything, of course she chose. ‘oh F* off dad, what are you doing here?’.

Dad exploded, I don’t know how he managed it, but we were both bundled into the car and driven home. We both got an epic telling off and even Kat, who was absolutely fuming with rage and embarrassment, shut up for once. Then dad said he had had enough and mum was going to spank us. Kat laughed, I didn’t. Mum got the old slipper, which we may have got once or twice as kids and I was soon over her knee. I got about 10 painful whacks over her knee on my knickers, but it wasn’t too bad. Then Kat laughed and said that mum wasn’t doing that to her. Mum dumped me on the floor and grabbed Kat, they practically had a fight, but Kat lost. Instead of taking it, she started to laugh again and said it was silly. Then dad got really mad. He got a bucket of water from the kitchen and took the slipper and dropped it in. Then her told us to get ready for bed. Even Kat did as she was told, but she still thought it was funny. She protested that we were too old to be sent to bed.

“The old man’s gone mad.” She laughed.

When we came down dad grabbed Kat and put her over his knee. He bared her bottom and then with a soaking wet slipper gave her the spanking of her life. She really howled and her bum was tomato red. Dad spanked her for ages then made her stand and face the wall with her hands on her head while she had a good cry. Then it was my turn. I really hated having my bottom bared, but so what. I got a really hard spanking and I know I made more fuss than Kat. Then afterwards I had to stand next to Kat with my hands on my head. Our bums were still bare and we both crying, but we had to stay like that until our usual bedtimes. Dad said I bet we wished we could go to bed now. We both did.

We got spanked a lot after that, right up until we both left home. I hated it, but Kat’s behaviour really improved and she openly admitted to me that it did her good and she was glad dad wasn’t a wimp. The only thing she hated was getting the slipper. She even told dad he should use his belt because the slipper was so childish. He said if she behaved like a child then it was appropriate.

The future is bright, bright red!