I was a typical 12-year-old boy. Basically pretty well-behaved and at home, mum and dad hadn’t had to smack my bottom since I’d started at secondary school. That didn’t mean that they didn’t approve of such discipline – but on my own, I rarely got into too much trouble.
But then I went to stay with my cousin Tom, who was about a year younger. Tom was always up to some mischief. He was at the same school as me, although a year below.