I grew up in the 1960s in the English town of Walsall, in the West Midlands. Back then, Walsall was a hugely important centre for the saddlery industry, so it was perhaps not surprising that when it came to corporal punishment, leather was the favoured material for applying to youngsters’ bottoms!
Leather punishment straps were a common sight in the shops, and many parents bought one for use on misbehaving children, and the strap, rather than the cane, was the norm in schools, mostly given on the hand but, for more serious offences, the bottom too.