Hi Mike/Folks,

Before I start talking about my meeting with Gerry, let’s have a "Speak Gerry" quiz.

1 A large place where convicts come from.

2 A thing that moves about underground with people in it and they can get wet.

3 Toast

4 Round things that you dig up out of the ground and bash them.

5 A place where you take bits of paper and the man bashes them.

Your Answers to be posted to this site by Monday of next week.

Punishment:-

I asked Gerry about him giving the stick to boys, as I found it very hard to believe he ever did this.

He confirmed that he did do this at the orders from David Peaster. He is against corporal punishment, and has always hated the idea. Only once did he feel justified in caning a boy and he admits it was the only time he felt it worked. The boy was always rude and disobeyed all the staff . After the punishment the boy became well behaved and enjoyed being helpful to others. Gerry did tell me the boys name but I feel it should be left unsaid.

The amazing kidnap incident:-

Quantock had a boy kidnapped by one of his parents, leaving the real guardian very upset and took Mr Peaster to court over it.

Peaster put in a counter claim for unpaid school fees !!!

The judge ruled in favour of the parent on the grounds she didn’t have her boy returned by Peaster also why should she pay fees for someone who isn’t there.

Fingers in bake bean tin shock horror :-

Gerry remembers the boy falling off a fire escape while trying not to get caught smoking, as he fell/slipped he lost some fingers and was rushed to hospital. Gerry denies putting the fingers in a bake bean tin and running after the ambulance with it. The fingers were packed with ice but the hospital couldn’t do anything. Gerry likes the bake bean tin version better !!!

Love at Quantock:-

Gerry was in love with a married member of staff, she came from Bridgwater. Name withheld by me to protect the guilty.

Sending your child to boarding school :-

Gerry, if he had any children, would never have sent them to boarding school. He thinks it’s very unnatural and should be a sort of last resort. IE Parents dead, military commitments etc.

This is just part of a 5 hour "chat" with Gerry. Hopefully at the Big Reunion you can all talk over "Old Times" with him.

Laurie