when it comes to slipperings they were always gym pumps that were used. I recall that several staff in our school and the gym mistress who used slippers in the girl’s school did have their ‘own’ slipper ….it was a large black or white plimsoll, always with a ‘ worn smooth’ sole from which they cut away the canvas near the heel, and a little further forward, to give them a more flexible rubber sole which really ‘whipped’ into your backside when applied with force.

In good weather during senior years several of us from both schools who had ‘music room passes’ as musicians of various sorts ( from both schools) used to relax on the balconies which overlooked the girls playing fields. If you were lucky you would see some unfortunate underperforming hockey players getting anything from a couple to six good whacks from the gym mistress- traditional touching toes position,