To Darlings we are sent...

There is just so much to say about Finishing School that it will take several blog posts, so this is just a teaser. The introspection and analysis comes later. For now I'm just going to give you a taster of what came to pass.

It all begins with the wonderful world of Twitter and a conversation between a few girls (one of which was me) and Lucy of Northern Spanking, on which she half joked about hosting a finishing school and we all thought it was a fantastic idea and begged to be allowed attend.

A few months later cue 10 girls heading to Scotland to Darlings Academy under the care of Mrs Darling (aka Lucy) and Miss Hammond-Grant (aka Amy Hunter.) The scene is thus set. Some of the action unfolds as follows:

I wait nervously at the airport to be picked up, along with three others until we are met by Miss Hammond-Grant, who cuts a terrifying figure in her smart clothes and her strict voice. Having never met Amy before I am shocked that we go straight into role. She announces Parker our driver and we trail about 5 metres behind them along the airport out to the bus, all shocked into silence.

Once safely on the bus Caoilfhionn and Jemima find their voice and keep up a  monologue of questions, singing and giggling the whole hour long journey to the academy, torturing both their escort and Parker as we go. It's not until after dinner that night when we relax out of role briefly that Amy finally tells us Parker wasn't a kinkster at all, but a regular hired bus driver. Eliane and I don't quite get over the mortification of this the entire weekend!

Admittance to the Academy (a spectacular castle) is dramatic. We wait in the cold night as the bolts are slowly and noisily drawn back and then Mrs Darling herself bades us enter. Once shown into the Drawing room to be inducted to the school rules we collapse into nervous giggles. We are, as was the desired effect, completely unnerved.

The only lesson of the evening is Grooming and all 10 girls listen in raptures as Mrs Darling and Miss Hammond Grant demonstrate make-up and hair techniques, genuinely wanting to learn. The next morning I try to bouff my hair and although some unkind girl (Tombola) says I look like Elvis, it makes my day when Miss Hammond-Grant compliments me on my efforts.

The day starts with Assembly and we are taught the school song and sing it with enthusiasm! My room mate Catherine Thomas is pronounced as head girl, a role she carries out perfectly, leading all the way, and very much a girl to be looked up to. She was also very capable of mischief, although generally of the more subtle variety.

Caoilfhionn genuinely tries hard to be good, but mischief is never too far away! And along with Alexandra, Tombola and Jemima is soon vying for the worst placed pupil award!

Her first prank pantygate as it is christened in discovered in the first assembly. All dressed in our matching uniforms we are meant to be wearing suitable ladylike underwear. However, some advanced plotting (aided by Abel no less!) means we are all wearing matching Little Miss Trouble knickers. A scheme of which our teachers have already found out about! We are all bent over and soundly lectured and spanked for breaking the rules. However it's just the warm up to the day that's needed and we all visibly relax.

Lessons are devoted to preparing for a Gala evening of entertainment for our bachelors. My class prepare songs to sing as well as flower arrangements to decorate the rooms. We also learn to prepare cocktails for cocktail hour. Whilst there was much spanking and mischief in our first music lesson, we are concentrating too hard in the second for anyone to get spanked at all!

Flower arranging also passes by, almost without incident. On a trip outside to collect foliage, Caoilfhionn is egged on by Cate to jump on the snow covered trampoline. It's tremendous fun until Mrs Darling catches her and spanks her in the snow. She is also given a stern lecture about fool hardiness that evening which reduces her to tears (more on this later).

That evening the girls have 15 mins to dress for the visiting gentlemen, in their prettiest dress. Each is assigned to escort a gentleman to his rooms and show him around the castle. Mrs Darling has impressed on us the seriousness of not letting her down and every girl tries hard to be the perfect hostess whilst we also prepare and serve dinner. Only Tombola can't contain herself and is the first to be in trouble at the dinner table.

Caoilfhionn conspires again, this time with the Head Girl no less, to serve the gentlemen their after dinner coffees with 'willy' shaped mints on the side. Our heads are not impressed, and poor Tombola is at first accused. I soon own up and my protests that I thought they were plain after eights are ignored, with a scathing put down from Mrs Darling.

I'm sentenced to a caning in front of all assembled and to my horror both heads stand either side of me with a cane each. What follows is the most painful of the punishments meted out to me, a double caning form either side, 12 agonising strokes delivered at a blistering pace. I still have the 12 clear lines on my bottom.

If they were angry at my part in this prank, the involvement of our Head Girl is an outrage and she is given twice the punishment, 24 hard strokes delivered at the same speed.

The next day as we washed up over breakfast the thought struck me that we might be expected to know the school song off by heart. The head girl suggests we learn it off and one of my best memories of the weekend is singing it over and over with the other girls as we attended to our duties, delighted that we'd escape that punishment at least

Morning assembly, however brings punishments for nearly all girls for various misdeeds of the night before. (Mine is for tweeting after lights out!) Although Caoilfhioon is very sore, courtesy of the canings and several spankings by the gentleman the night before, and resolves to stay out of trouble it's a short lived hope.

The sexual etiquette lesson is a fountain of knowledge for the girls and several of us take detailed notes. I carefully noted, as instructed by Mrs Darling that I should not monopolise conversations during dates. However my real shame comes when I am ordered to demonstrate the furniture top dancing that I listed as a special skill on my application form! In front of the school and the gentlemen I have to dance on a stool, aided by Jemina and the girls singing the Trinian's theme. As I topple off my stool I am caught by Miss Hammond Grant and neatly out across her knee for a very sound spanking.

The snow interrupts my last lesson and I miss final assembly but am told on the way out that Caoilfhionn came bottom. Considering the antics of Alexandra, Tombola and Jemima this is quite a feat and although Caoilfhionn has the decency to be a bit ashamed I am almost proud!

There is so much more I could say, however the other girls must tell their own stories. I will be posting again about how deeply I went in role, and why I think the weekend worked so well for me.

But massive thanks go to Lucy and Amy for their ambitions and attention to detail that resulted in such a fabulous weekend. Having never met either of them before we easily fell into role with each other and  they both embraced, and let Caoilfhionn flourish.

All the other girls and tutors were also wonderful and added so much to the weekend too. And although, as with all incredible roleplay weekends like this and the Regency House Party, I and several of the other girls have been crashing terribly today, but it's certainly been worth it!

The beauty of roleplay

Caoilfhionn is preparing to set off for finishing school. Actually that's a lie, she's doing nothing and Emma Jane is procrastinating! A last minute shopping trip where a small fortune was spent on lovely grown up knickers and stockings is all that's been achieved so far.

Still at least Caoilfhionn's not nervous. It's just another of life's adventures. Her biggest concern is if she can put her stockings on without laddering them.

But Emma Jane is a little more worried. Not that it'll show over the weekend, but she is a bit nervous meeting so many new people at once. Even if they all have lovely reputations, and she knows she loves meeting new people. Not to mention the last time she met so many people at once it opened up a whole new and wonderful world for her.

Still it's a whole weekend of putting her best side forward, the nice side. She wants all the other girls to like her, and all the teachers, and all the visiting bachelors. It's a long list of people she wants to like her. That will still like her after a whole weekend of her company.

Then there's what's expected of her in Finishing School. Caoilfhionn can be mischievous and giddy, but Emma Jane wants to do well all the same. She wants to be good at being a a lady. (And misbehave on her own terms!)

But still she'll be OK, cos she'll hide behind Caoilfhionn. She's brave and confident and has several of her Lowewood friends to keep her company (as well as the delightful scallywag Tombolla). That's the beauty of roleplay. If you don't like who you are you can just be somebody else.

Shamrocked!

I've been to the first ever Shamrock Spanking Society party and am still buzzing from it. A fantastic venue, an excellent group of people, including so many of my close friends, and a great weekend of fun. Huge thanks must go to Ian, Frank, Caroline and Sarah for putting on the most awesome kinky event Ireland has ever seen.

I have lots to say about this party, not least the emotional rollercoaster it turned out to be where I went from beyond myself with excitement to getting overwhelmed by it all, dropping at the goodbyes to the pleasant happy state I am now in, two days later!

For those of you not familar with the term, Shamrocking is the state of having an amazing time in Ireland with a bunch of fabulous, not to mention perverted, people who may or may not be Irish.

More specifically if you are an Emma Jane it involves:

Inability to sit still or focus on anything for more than 5 minutes. There are just too many people to meet and greet with and so many hugs on offer it's heaven. (A particular pleasure to meet Ian's two imaginary partners!)

Delight that the kinky family (Ablel, Haron and Cath) have all come across the water to visit together and brought the much loved Sarah and Ella with them too.

Permanent grin plastered on face, related to the point above.

Needing a bedtime spanking to calm one down and set one to sleep, followed by a morning tawsing to remind a girl to behave.

Having the pleasure of introducing friends from both sides of the water to each other and giggling at Chalk's reaction to meeting the 'bad man from the blog'!

Dressing in the first of the 3 party outfits - Regency Lady, complete with fan and gloves and the compliments that I looked so demure until the grin re-appeared.

Enjoying the sight of everyone so smartly dressed at pre-dinner drinks and glowing in  the obvious pride Abel had on escortng his 3 girls.

Laughing at both Ian and Frank making speeches and feeling touched when Frank reminded us parties have so many possibilities and that he had met his darling girl at just such an event

Feeling discombobulated at being the only Irish person at a table full of Brits (apologies Irelynn but for these purposes that is what you are!), whilst the next table was full of all my Irish friends (I sneaked over during dessert).

Traipsing upstairs after dinner to change into outfit number 2, corset and heels

Returning to the party to discover the scavenger hunt is in full flow and joining in with gusto, giving and receiving spanks for trading answers to the questions (I came third!)

Being briefly overcome with madness and asking the Meanest Man on the Internet to give out the spanking due for said scavenger hunt.

Dashing off with Caroline Grey and another lovely new friend to change into outfit number 3, matching school girls - with burgundy pinafores and cross ties.

Being severelly caned by Mr Allen at one end of the hall whilst the vanilla staff looked on (in horror, amusement, bored disdain??).

Having  Caroline hold hands and look into my eyes during above caning, reminding me how often we used to do this and how powerful it is.

Experiencing a scene with HH that started out in fun but became an outlet for pent up emotion and energy and resulted in intense tears and tight hugs, quite extraordinary for a public event.

Delighting in joining forces with Haron and giving a naughty young man a well deserved spanking. (He would go on to get an even more deserved caning from me the next day, but that's another story!)

Realising I was done for one party and curling up with Abel for a cuddle that lasted all night.

Having a very sore and bruised bottom from excessive play.

Orchestrating a school scene with Cath, Bandree and Sarah and being punished by Retep, Abel and HH for running amok at a debating contest. (Our arguementative skills were not appreciated by any of the teachers)

Having a mini-meltdown that the weekend was drawing to a close and the thought of the kinky family leaving me.

Crying goodbyes but being restored by the lovely Retep and Bandree, and a highly recommended nap.

Ending the weekend with a great chat with Mr Allen, Cate Stoker and Simon Jenkins, a rousing rendition of Any dream Will Do in homage to a certain top who shall remain nameless, the realisation bastinado is not for me and an excellent caning lesson.

Driving home in the dead of night and falling into the deepest of sleeps, to wake up the next day feeling reinvigorated and sated.

These are just a few top of mind highlights, there are so many other people and moments that also made the weekend special and thank you to everyone who made it what it was.

So I'm well and truly Shamrocked peeps and it feels just great!

1810 - The way we were

Protected. Beautiful. Wanted. Loved. Understood. Worthy. Special.

That's how I felt this weekend. No other roleplay makes me feel this way like the Regency House Party does. Last year wasn't just a once off, a new experience blown out of proportion. At the second tasting it was just as profound. Many times I looked at the people around me and felt humbled to be part of this. To be included.

For men to ask me to dance, stand when I entered a room, seat me at dinner, fetch my napkin, give me an arm when walking, compliment me in ways that I heard.

For beautiful ladies to tell me that I too had beauty, to share a whispered secret, to giggle behind a fan, to help me dress, praise my choice of clothes, shoes, jewellery, to enjoy the other's company.

The swish of my dress as I flounced into a room, the pure girlyness of my own laughter sounding strange to my ears, the blush of an unladylike thought, the gentle beating of my own happy heart.

The indulgence of exquisite food, the carefree abandonment of eating and drinking at leisure, the joy of servants on hand.

The frisson of excitement on entering the Hellfire club masked and cloaked, the thrill of being won to Lord Fawcett, the submission of being leashed and led, and the fear of the look that promised retribution.

The anticipation of being blindfolded and dealt with by each gentleman in turn, the surrealness of hearing all the ladies endure as I endured, and the certainty with which I went to my own man.

The laughter at some joke or trick, the sudden realisation it has gone too far and punishment quick to follow.

The pleasure of writing and receiving  letters, the promise of fun and delights to come, the thrill of new experiences, and the pleasure of old ones revisited.

The ritual of the dance, partners barely touching, chemistry at its most potent, catching an eye across the room, and finally coming together for the waltz, dancing all of us in harmony.

The shameless posing and flirting with the camera, and the girl with the camera, in the hope there might be a photo that captures the essence of love and life and togetherness of this wonderful weekend.

The wonderment that one person could have such vision and ambitions to create this uptopic fantasy and bring it to fruition, the frustration that mere words would never be enough to convey our thanks to the Arch-Duchess.

The tears welling up as it all came to an end, the drop crashing around my head like the bells of doom.

And the acceptance that 1810 is no more, but happy memories, photos and friendship endure in the real world too.

Protected. Beautiful. Wanted. Loved. Understood. Worthy. Special.

With love from me to me...

I came across a wonderful book last weekend: With Love from Me to Me, letters to my sixteen-year-old self.

Written by some very well known Irish people it’s a collection of letters they were asked to write to their younger selves, from the perspective of where they were now. The proceeds from the sale will go to the Irish Youth Foundation.

It’s a really beautiful book and most the of letters are very touching, as the older selves recognise the confused young people they had been and try to advise and reassure them.

It really struck a chord with me and at the end of the book they suggest the reader should write their own letter. I couldn’t resist. 16 is such a turbulent time as you change over into adulthood. You’re doing your final exams and preparing to leave home, your hormones are going wild, your body is changing and you start to experiment. Add in kink to that mix and it’s a minefield.

So below is the letter I would write to my 16 year-old self. I would really love to hear what you would have written too, so please share either in the comments or on your own blogs.

Dear Me

First off you really need to figure out a decent wardrobe. Your younger sisters will put you to shame at that age. You have the best figure you’ll ever have in your life, make the most if it! Bright blue flares and orange shirts are not a good look on anybody.

Also EJ please stop worrying so much. Things will never get better between your parents, you can’t fix them and you can’t protect your brothers and sisters forever. The lying awake at night worrying and listening for the rows will ruin your ability to sleep for years to come. They are the adults here, leave them to it. They’ll eventually sort themselves out. OK yes, the worst will happen but then it will all get better, I promise. No amount of worrying will sort it though, so stop.

But here’s what I really want to talk about. The secret; those feelings inside that you can’t even put a name on. The reason why you still love reading Chalet School and Road Dahl and Enid Blython. Of course all in secret. And how you feel funny when you see spankings and canings on TV. Not to mention the things you do in bed on your own when you have those thoughts. And then feel bad about it, cos you’re weird and it’s wrong.

Well EJ you’re not weird, you’re just a kinky girl. And you’re not the only one either. There are loads of us kinksters. You probably won’t believe this but when you get to college you’ll discover the internet and find sites like the Treehouse, and read about people that will make you feel so much better about yourself and what you’re feeling.

And it gets better EJ. You’ll also actually get spanked for real! Someone (actually several someones, you’re a total spanko tart) will take your knickers down and spank you. And cane you. And tawse you and so and so on. You’ll be able to act out all those fantasies you’ve ever had. You even get to go to a proper school, just like the one you’ve made up, with a proper uniform and strict teachers and canings in detention.

And best of all you’ll met a fantastic group of friends along the way. Who not only indulge your inner brat and desire to play out your fantasies, they’ll actively encourage it ;-)

And one day you’ll tell your best friends about this and they will be OK about it and not think you’re weird at all. But the bossy older sister won’t go anywhere either. You’ll still be determined and in control of your life. That’s good, but you’ll be happier, less at war with yourself and others.

I wish life could be like this for you right now, but afraid you still have a lot of growing up to do and you won’t believe what I tell you now anyway. I know you, you have to experience it all yourself. But please EJ, stop worrying and thinking so far ahead, live in the moment.

Oh and just one more thing – you know how people tell you to calm down, and relax and complain you have too much energy? How they say you’ll grow out of it? Well you won’t and don’t be ashamed of it! Your energy and enthusiasm will stand to you in life, your career and your friendships.

Love and hugs

An older, wiser, brattier EJ xx

Ps Life will work out much better for you if you quickly develop an allergy to the touch of a rubber gymshoe on your skin!

A Social Experiment - Outcome

Dear Blog, I promise I still love you. I'm sorry I've been neglecting you lately and even sorrier I missed Love our Lurkers day. It caught me unawares and I was away. But I do love all my reader and my lurkers especially. So if you've been waiting for the right post to comment for the first time, here it is!

Now back to the matter at hand. So I did my social experiment, detention at Abel's house for a full day whilst I was also working at my day job. As I wrote in my last post I was a little bit worried as to how it would turn out, with me in controlling, focused work mode.

Well first off I'm glad to report that Abel survived the experience intact. I dare say he actually enjoyed the day. And Haron didn't have to intervene in a full on row. But best of all, I ended up with a very sore bottom! (See Exhibit A below, 30 very painful strokes)

There are a couple of things that made detention scene work well. Firstly, Abel warned me well in advance when punishments were due and clearly scheduled the day. I was to get 5 sets of 6 strokes - first thing in the morning, morning break, lunch, afternoon break and end of the day.

We started out well. I wore a school uniform and reported for punishment after breakfast. A blue tartan skirt, white knee socks, white shirt and navy jumper. My work laptop was set up on the school desk, we were set.

But to keep it light I didn't wear one crucial aspect of uniform. Those who know  me well can probably guess; I purposely didn't wear the tie. For me a proper tie is crucial to being a school girl and without it, the scene was never going to be intense or head spacey. Instead I was aiming for fun.

Before each caning Able gave me 5 minutes notice to finish what I was doing work wise. The first two sets were with a regular cane, stinging but not unbearable. But I wanted to feel the strokes as I sat down, so requested the dragon for the rest.

I wasn't disappointed. And whatever qualms I had about working and playing went out the window from the pain of the dragon cane slicing into my bottom. Sitting down after each set was a further delight with my bottom burning very satisfyingly!

All in all it was a fun day. I enjoyed the chance to hang out with Abel and Haron for a whole day. As well as the naughty thrill of talking to my colleagues with a nicely stripped behind. And I actually got an awful of work done, whether that was cos there were less distractions out of the office, or because I was extra motivated, who knows?