I attended Warwick School in the Midlands from 1978-83. It was a public (ie private) school, and I lived about 12 miles away in a place called Balsall Common. There was a large comprehensive school called the Heart of England located here, and most of my friends from the area went to school there, but my parents decided that it was not the place for me. Each morning I would make the seemingly long bus journey to Warwick, and back again each afternoon. (In my 5th and 6th form years I would cycle from time to time - but that is not relevant to this particular incident.)
Most evenings when the bus arrived back in Balsall Common at 5pm or so, the kids from the Heart of England School had already gone home, and there were no gangs of them walking along the local streets. From time to time I would come across some of them and be greeted with the odd comment like "Public School Twat" but had no real trouble until one afternoon in May 1979. As I recall the bus was late, and I must have had games because I was dog tired and half asleep when I got off at the bus stop and started the half mile or so walk back to my house. Therefore I failed to spot the group of half a dozen or so boys who were loitering nearby and who started following me.
It wasn't too long before I noticed them following me however, and for obvious reasons I started to quicken my pace. The prospect of having a "chat" with some lads from Heart of England was not alluring to say the least. But I was nowhere near quick enough and was soon surrounded by them. The usual remarks started "Why do you go to a stupid public school?" "Do you think we're all thick?" I was hoping that they'd soon lose interest and just go, but we were near the park and a couple of the lads were pushing me towards the entrance - off my route home. By now I was getting scared and tried to break out of their grip, but one of the lads twisted my arm behind and up my back so I had little choice as I was frog marched into the park. They were about 14-15 years old (I was nearly 14) and there were obviously too many of them for me to resist this "abduction".
Once in the park area, I began to get very tetchy and this provoked mirth on their part. "There there...Temper temper...Public Schoolboy is swearing !" "We ought to teach him a lesson...!!" My bag had been kicked to one side, and there was a bit of debate between the captors before the suggestion of "Let's get his kit off !" was made. This made me start to wriggle like mad, but I was soon floored flat on my back, and my arms pinned out by two of them. One boy then sat astride my chest and looking straight at me began to slap me across the face and taunted me "Time for Public Schoolboy to be stripped !!" Whilst the others got hold of my legs and yanked my shoes off. Then it was a case of "Come on, let's get his trousers off !! Strip the bastard !!"
I couldn't move at all and was absolutely helpless as my trousers were undone and my legs lifted up and I was unceremoniously debagged to much laughter. The lad sat on my chest turned round and barked a quick command to his mates who'd got my trousers - "Get the pants off !" They soon obliged, yanking my white Y-fronts away from my bum and up my legs and off. There was a war dance of delight and a "YEEHAH !!" as one boy waved my pants around above his head like an indian with a scalp. My socks were yanked off and the boy on my chest who had assumed the role of leader issued the command that my legs should be held down, and that I should now be stripped naked. My blazer was removed by lifting me off the ground slightly and my shirt was unbuttoned at the cuffs as my tie was taken off. A few buttons were ripped off in the process of removing my shirt - but that was of somewhat secondary importance to me as I was now "bollock naked" to coin the term used by the Heart of England boys who were almost squealing with delight at my predicament.
There was a clamour that I should be tied to something naked, and the kids roundabout was chosen. I was half dragged half carried over to it and there were already a few slaps being aimed at my bare bum. "Smack Public Shoolboy's bottom !!" My school tie was used to lash my wrists to the bars of the roundabout and it was spun round so that I had to jog to prevent from falling flat on my face. By now the slaps to my bum had become frequent and were accompanied by cries of "Trot Public Schoolboy, Trot !!" My shoe was also applied to my backside to add insult to injury.
My clothes were by now being scattered all over the place and my trousers and pants were thrown up into the trees as the command to "Tan the prat's arse !!" became ever more insistent. A stick was produced and swished across my already reddened bum. "Has he got a hard on ?" was also asked and I was taunted about my small willy and the lack of pubic hair. My bum was also pinched which was very painful.
After what seemed like an eternity but was in reality probably more like twenty minutes, I was perhaps surprisingly released from the roundabout - but then again it was hilarious for the others to watch me scurry and scuttle around naked trying to collect my clothes together. The worst bit was climbing the tree to salvage my trousers and pants. My tormentors left by the time I was dressed and I slunk home - tears still streaming down my face.