tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post4043029485258070360..comments2024-03-25T17:49:20.811-04:00Comments on Hermione's Heart: Not About BirchingHermionehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15395671806340391253noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-77381068957738070292009-01-16T00:56:00.000-05:002009-01-16T00:56:00.000-05:00Ronnie, I think that the last judicial birching in...Ronnie, I think that the last judicial birching in the UK took place in 1976, on the Isle of Man.<BR/><BR/>PrefectdtSPANKEDHORTIChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01555647356077533450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-91226807574865543842009-01-15T17:46:00.000-05:002009-01-15T17:46:00.000-05:00Ronnie - Times certainly have changed.<B>Ronnie</B> - Times certainly have changed.Hermionehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395671806340391253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-1481559231577906592009-01-15T07:24:00.000-05:002009-01-15T07:24:00.000-05:00Hi Hermione,Very nasty things, Birching was used o...Hi Hermione,<BR/>Very nasty things, Birching was used on young offenders in Britian and Isle of Man. (not sure in what years).<BR/>If I had a choice between the cane and the birch, I would have to go for the cane and I hate the cane.<BR/>Thanks Hermione.<BR/>Ronnie<BR/>xxronniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16402712634206383021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-2721186680217345682009-01-14T16:54:00.000-05:002009-01-14T16:54:00.000-05:00Recidavist - I agree, that was fascinating. I had ...<B>Recidavist</B> - I agree, that was fascinating. I had no idea they woudl stay pliable after so long.<BR/><BR/><B>Greenwoman</B> - Neither have I, but now I am curious too!<BR/><BR/>Hugs,<BR/>HermioneHermionehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395671806340391253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-85719384175921123142009-01-14T12:57:00.000-05:002009-01-14T12:57:00.000-05:00I have never had a birching. I definitely wasn't c...I have never had a birching. I definitely wasn't curious about them until I read what Paul said about them. Now I'm curious. LOL!Greenwomanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09595575183652183234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-43014714687452673822009-01-14T03:48:00.000-05:002009-01-14T03:48:00.000-05:00Ok, I'll chip in with my bit of birch trivia. Fir...Ok, I'll chip in with my bit of birch trivia. First up, I've never been birched or caned, we use flat things, hands, brushes etc. Don't know why being British, we just do.<BR/><BR/>Now birches, well well a few years ago I was helping K's father (steady on its not like that!)with the end of winter garden tidy up. I was about to start a bonfire of all the garden rubbish that had been piled up since last summer - an annual ritual in England (smokey, not sacred). So, I picked up a handful of pruned twigs from the bonfire pile and tried to snap them into short lengths to make kindling to get it started - well, would they break? They could have been made of rubber, they had been cut since last autumn and lying out on the ground since then but they had this amazing tensile plasticity of having been cut yesterday, they bent, they twisted, they flexed, you could tie the thin ones in knots.<BR/><BR/>And so it dawned, these were birch twigs. <BR/><BR/>And that my friends is why they hold such a special place in the British nations' affection. <BR/><BR/>They grow almost everywhere, even a small tree will provide a good supply of neat straight twigs from delicate filaments to thick as a finger, and most importantly they hold this wonderful whippy flexibility for ages after being cut!<BR/><BR/>Fascinating thing, nature<BR/><BR/>RAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-78062307977065379002009-01-13T16:08:00.000-05:002009-01-13T16:08:00.000-05:00Jay - I didn't know the English had a thing for ha...<B>Jay</B> - I didn't know the English had a thing for hairbrushes. You learn something new every day!<BR/><BR/><B>Headmaster</B> - Thank you; that was very enlightening. Birch trees don't live long in Canada. They tend to be attacked by borers (insects) and die after a few years. Lucky for me.<BR/><BR/><B>Daisychain</B> - Yes, I noticed the typo. It's on his blog too, but I didn't like to point it out to him. There could be repercussions!<BR/><BR/>And all's fair in love and blogging. I expect this post will get a fair number of hits too.<BR/> <BR/><B>Paul</B> - I should think that "scared" would have been the appropriate spelling in that case.<BR/><BR/>Hugs,<BR/>HermioneHermionehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15395671806340391253noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-62988043943551673152009-01-13T13:15:00.000-05:002009-01-13T13:15:00.000-05:00Hermione, the birch was used at the home I was in,...Hermione, the birch was used at the home I was in, I prefered it to the cane, it stung more but the pain didn't last nealy as long as the cane strokes.<BR/>Believe me there was nothing sacred about the birch at that home, specially when we had to cut them.<BR/>Warm hugs,<BR/>Paul.Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03790580459962602757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-17193086683906909872009-01-13T10:23:00.000-05:002009-01-13T10:23:00.000-05:00I think the Headmaster means SACRED, not scared!!!...I think the Headmaster means SACRED, not scared!!!!! LOL. Fancy a headmaster making a typo like that! Bless him! xxx<BR/><BR/>Hahaha, so, you use trickery to get visitors, Hermione! Well done! xxxDaisychainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10327195200946342709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-51830803333071108252009-01-13T06:46:00.000-05:002009-01-13T06:46:00.000-05:00Allow me to shed some light on these matters. The ...Allow me to shed some light on these matters. The birch was a scared Druidic tree, with the power to cast out evil. Many commentators believe that this is how spanking originated. Of course, a birching over clothing hardly constitutes a salutary punishment, hence the requirement to disrobe, or at the very least to bare your bottom. Now, in the hey-day of the public school, the British replaced the superstitious nonsense of the birch with a simpler alternative - the easier to maintain cane. And, although it is effective over clothing, the tradition of administering punishment on the bare buttocks remains. I do hope that helps!The Headmasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05536548176644716762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4178998232488314107.post-85885627886641465312009-01-13T06:24:00.000-05:002009-01-13T06:24:00.000-05:00Well I live in England and I'm not obsessed with b...Well I live in England and I'm not obsessed with birching. The Paddle and the belt hold my attention for much longer. <BR/>I dunno why the English are obsessed with hairbrushes either, nasty demonic things.<BR/>Hugs, JayJay Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18038667143610164829noreply@blogger.com