C. (Colin) Farrell has been researching into corporal punishment in his spare time for well over forty years. His interest began at primary school when he saw other boys being spanked in front of the class. Later he attended a boys' grammar school where there were daily canings. He became particularly fascinated by the social dynamics of this process, and its place in the prevailing culture, as well as its wider implications in terms of deterrence, retribution, authority, rebellion and conformity. He managed to avoid getting the cane himself but was interested to hear about it from those who received it. Over the years he has spent a great deal of time in libraries. He was inspired to start this website partly by a growing sense that long-standing historical realities were being lost sight of in a new and different era.

He was brought up in the UK but for a quarter of a century was mainly based in continental Europe, with regular forays to the Far East. He has recently returned to settle permanently in his beloved London, which, he maintains, is the greatest city in the world.

He is not to be confused with the (much younger!) Irish screen actor of the same name. Although he had the name first, he cannot hope to compete with Hollywood celebrity and now refers to himself as C. Farrell in order to minimise any confusion on the internet.

This website began in mid-1996. C. Farrell is at pains to point out that it is not intended as part of a "campaign" for or against anything. It is a historical record of things that have happened, with the odd opinion (clearly identified as such) thrown in along the way.

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