Jimmy Graham – Domo Boy tells of Scrubbing Floors & Floggings

Jimmy Graham who was in the Boys Dormitory from 1941 to 1952 remembers daily life of toil and beatings.

Jimmy Graham – Domo Boy tells of Scrubbing Floors & Floggings

Transcript

JG: Yeah we had to scrub the floors then, after the showers ay. A bucket of cold water, piece of rag, big bar of soap and a scrubbing brush. Got down on our hands and knees, we done so (spreads arms) oh there was a lot of boys so they gave us a piece as far as we could stretch. Wouldn’t be that long (brings hands closer together) My arms woudn’t’ve been that long then! And we used to scrub that little square

LW: so who would have organised you to do the floors?

JG: Uncle Frank and Aunty Kitty Fisher. First.

LW: so they would have had a roster.

JG: Yeah. That’s it …they would have lined us all up, tell us to do this bit. And after that –

LW: what would have happened if you didn’t?

JG: oh we woulda got a flogging I s’pose.

LW: What’s a flogging?

JG: Well, a strap! (…) yep, strap. Drop yer trousers and they’d whale you. Bloody hard strap too.

LW: what’s a strap?

JG: A belt. (…) or them strops. No! they genuine leather. Hard, too. You know like them razor strops, them shavers? Something like that.

LW: How many would you get? (..)

JG: Yeah, they’d whale you until you bloody went red, or whatever colour! (laughs)

LW: did you get the strap?

JG: Yeah, a lot of times. That’s why I’m a hardhead now. … If you played up, or didn’t do as you told, that’s when you got the straps. Same as down the school.