THE harsh realities of education in bygone Musselburgh are shared in a new exhibition at the town’s museum.

One of the artefacts – a three-inch piece of wood with four holes and two leather strips hanging from it – has generated particular interest, said the organisers.

“It was a Victorian finger lock to stop youngsters writing with their left hand,” explained writer George Renton, who curated the display with Kitty Renton, a retired headteacher.

“It was cruelty in the extreme,” he added.

The exhibition, which runs until mid-June, looks at the development of education in Musselburgh over several centuries.

George said: “The aim is to provide memories for older folk and to show today’s young folk what it used to be like at school a few decades before.”

Kitty added: “The education and development of children continues to be my central life interest, which made the collection and display of memorabilia a pleasure.”

Also on display are two tawse – better known as the ‘belt’ –which were wielded by teachers, sometimes for the most trivial offences.

In quotes from older people remembering their school days is a case of one pupil who received “14 of the belt” for using the wrong pencil.

The exhibition, entitled ‘Tawse were the Days’, is on at the museum at 65 High Street every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10.30am-4.30pm.

People can take a step back in time to their own days at school, share their stories, look at school photo albums and take along their own photos to add to the museum’s collection.

Admission is free.