sci chat

The Science Lab holds particularly good memories for me as chemistry was my
favorite subject at Tal Handaq. However, one particularly painful (and I thought
long forgotten) memory was triggered when I saw the Science Block for the first
time in almost 44 years.

I and three of my 3BG classmates (I will not reveal names) had been caught
smoking during the lunch break by some prefects - we had climbed over the dry-
stone wall at the bottom of the playing fields (near where the football pitches are
now). Only one boy had actually been seen with a cigarette in his mouth but we
were all taken to the headmaster as "boys caught smoking".

The Head asked us "none proven" smokers if we were going to let our friend take
the full brunt of the punishment (when he "knew" we were all equally guilty). Of
course we couldn't do that and, in the spirit of all good "boy's comics", admitted
that we too had been taking a lunchtime drag.

I remember feeling quite noble and thinking "now I'm in for a REAL ticking off" but
to my/(our) shock and horror we were told that we would each receive six
strokes of the cane for our crime. I had never had the cane before (or thankfully
since) but I can tell you - IT REALLY, REALLY HURTS - MORE THAN I COULD
EVER HAVE IMAGINED! By the time our punishment was over the first lesson of
the afternoon had already started - which in our case was double chemistry -
which is where the Science Block comes into the story.

When we got to the class the only thing any of us was actually aware of was the
pain we were feeling - although I do remember an amount of looking and
whispering (not all sympathetic) from my fellow classmates. The chemistry
teacher however (I wish I could remember his name) had obviously been informed
of our caning, as he very considerately instructed us to stand at the back of the
class and just do our best to follow the lesson.

Did that cure me of the habit? Well no and yes - in as much as I never smoked
AT school again. However I did eventually give up the weed on 27th June 1973.