Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 29 of March 2008 - Circular No. 334
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I am back home in Caracas, Venezuela, ready to send out Circulars.
The trip was wonderful, I took my two smaller kids to meet the two elder brothers, who live in Valencia, Spain.
This is the first time the four met for at least in the last five years.
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tevelyn
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 9:06:45 PM
Ladislao,
Got your emails today and will contact you as soon as I get all the info.
At 75 I have got a little slow but will try to hurry things up OK YOUNG FELLA
I have found a photograph of the whole school taken in late 48 0r early 49.
I have enlarged it to 15" x 11"
This was taken when Fr Bernard was moved for a short time and Fr Gantaume was put in charge of the school.
I am hoping to send same this week along with some other stuff.
Regards
Trevor
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No hurry, it is just that I am cleaning some of the old emails.
I have reached January 15 , 2008. and still have 100 outstanding messages to read.
I have started Circular No. 337 with the material read.
You are getting a lot from me because I have read your comments and Cecil's.
Just take your time and I am sure that the list can be finished soon.
Yes, 10 years makes me younger, hahaha.
I have not been called younger since sometime, hahaha thanks.
Remember the address is:
Ladislao Kertesz
Apartado 69072
Caracas, Venezuela 1062ยช
Telf. +58 212 263 5346
God bless
Ladislao
----- Original Message ----------------------------------------------
From: Elizabeth Ince
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2008 4:15 PM
Subject: Mount St. B. information requested
Dear Trevor:
Our masters were Dom. Basil Mathews, M.A., (English Language and Literature) - Father Paul (Maths) - Father Chrysostom Leesing (Spanish/French) - Father Leo (Latin) - Dom Ildefons Von Scroots (History and Geography).
I attended M.S.B. from January 1948 - December 1949.
John Gordon Lang (his second try) and I (my first try) both secured "First Grades".
In the previous year (1948, I think) Noel Llanos was first student to gain a First Grade,
I believe he also came second in the island and was awarded the Jerningaam Medal.
He was, I think 14, when he sat.
Yourself, J.G. Lang, Hamil Marcelin, Norris Blanc, Angus Fraser, Raymond Vivies, Raymond Devaux, Scipio Soodeen, Louis Ache, Sidney Raymond (Seminarian) Vincent Compton (Seminarian) Gerald Farinha (Cramody-Crammer boy) - also a Seminarian and myself.
Oh, yes, another day student Philip (Pip) Vire, Ligouri Inkim and Archie Didier - Ince, Inkim and Didier were all from Arima.
This was the class of 48/49 -
Dom. Bernard Vlaar was our Abbot for awhile then Dom. Adalbert Van Duin (at the time, only 32 and the youngest Abbot in the world).
Dom. Placid Ganteaume was Abbot a while and perhaps because his family also hailed from Arima was really one of the few masters who would display an almost fatherly kind attitude towards me - even calling me by my first name.
Herewith are a few stories worth telling which I hope Ladislao will use:-
1) One afternoon, I happened to be standing next to Father John - we were watching the boarders enter the Chapel adjacent to the College and he remarked to me - "You can always tell when someone has been taught good manners" - I asked why - his response - Of all the boys who have entered the Chapel (Nobby) Blanc was the only one to wipe his shoes on the doormat.
2) In 1978, and I still have his reply, I wrote a good natured letter to Father Ildefons who I knew had become an outstanding charismatic Priest in Trinidad. This seemed so much at odds with the personality I knew back in 1948/49. I told him that he had the distinction of being the only teacher who had ever expelled me from his History class - not only for that day but he told me to get out and never to return to his class. He replied saying that for most of his life, he had been searching and had only found true faith about 12 years before.
3) The 'day students' were generally regarded by the Masters as tokens - we were 'add ons' and the main thrust of the College was, believe it or not, on the boarders. Our day students, apart from the three Arima boys (in Form Five, my Form) were the good looking Frankie Cook, Desmond Brunton, Ian (Guinea) Lee Kam and two other East Indian boys who never used the Abbey Bus as we did - they always walked - one was named Mohammed - the Abbey bus drivers were Straker and Edwards.
4) Fast Forward to the late 80's (I think) - Dom. Bernard (the Cobra) was visiting Barbados and staying with friends of ours - he asked them to call me - I was of course happy to see him after those many years and he said to me - "You know we had it all wrong in those days - we catered only to the boys of the elite families - in Trinidad, Guyana, Grenada, St. Lucia and of course Venezuela". Sadly, Father Bernard who had subsequently suffered a stroke after he left Barbados, died a rather tragic death, I think in St. Maarten (Dutch side) - accidentally he had turned on the hot water to fill his tub and because of his stroke had limited mobility - he just could not reach to turn off the tap.
In conclusion, Dom. Adalbert Van Duin was always exceptionally nice to me, so was the incorrigible Father Chrysostom Lee Sing. I had a good relationship with Brother Anthony (Drake) - Brother Gabriel (Pax Honey) - Brother George (who had been previously the sexton at the Santa Rosa Church in Arima) as well as Brothers. Gerald, Michael (Bakery) and as every other boy was aware - Father Peter, our resident Saint.
U.I.O.G.D. UT IN OMNIBUS GRATIA DEO - THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE BLEST.
Best regards. CECIL
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Saturday, January 12, 2008 11:57:36 AM
Ladislao,
Recd. your Emails , regarding the one from Cecil I have no comments at this time I notice that you have Prep B in 1943.
I thought that the school started in 1944.
The first boys that I can remember were John Darwent, John Mendes, John Llanos, Vincent Compton, Sydney Raymond..
When I arrived in 1945 April there were only about 40 students.
Oh I forgot Jack Knaggs, the names of some of those are Norris Blanc, John.D. Miller, Scipio Soodeen, Tony Gomes, Clive Bettencourt Gomes, Emanuel Mendes, Terence Gonsalves, Brian Gonsalves, Bunny Gonsalves, Jeffrey Prada, Big Arneau, Hamil Marcelin, Tommy Jardim, Terence Paulic .
There were others at the start but I cannot remember.
We were housed on the top floor of the building at the bottom of the the path of the New school at top of hill
The bottom floor was the rec. Room, the refectory and Bro Michael in his bakery.
Will add to this later
Trevor
(From news the school started in 1942, but of course I do not know with what grade. Ed.)
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tevelyn
Sunday, January 13, 2008 1:42:10 PM
Ladislao,
Just sitting around doing nothing but thought of something in your email who left MSB and went somewhere else to finish school well here goes.
These left and went to England
Brian Gonsalves
Bunny Gonsalves
Terence Gonsalves
John Willems
Anthony Willems
John Farfan
David Farfan
Nigel Slinger
Paul Slinger
There may be others but cannot remember.
Have not received replies from the old boys I contacted perhaps they do not want to open up old memories.
I cannot see why in those days we had the best of everything those years.
1945 to 1949 were some of the best years of my life.
Good friends who unfortunately have ended up all over the world so the friendships were lost.
Something I cannot understand is the fact that the person who should know a great deal about what took place in the past is not helping ??????? Art.
Perhaps I am totally out of touch any way I will try my best from time to time to send thins to you.
Regards
Trevor
(Art is having difficulties in settling down at a computer, with all the travelling. Ed.)
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tevelyn
Saturday, February 2, 2008 1:40:38 PM
Ladislao,
I am in contact with Nigel Boos and together with a lot of old boys we are hoping to develop a web site with Email addresses etc.
I speak as if I know what Nigel is doing ???
I am the 5th wheel to the coach.
Will be sending you the photographs sometime this week hope they get to you safely.
What I am going to do is give you the names I recognise in order of the rows eg., back row form 5.
May be I do not know too much of the smaller guys.
I do not know the names some of the boys of 1947 & 1948
It is sad to see some of the comments made by some of the students of course those are the ones with so much to say??
Well my friend together we will go forth.
Regards
Trevor
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tevelyn
Monday, January 7, 2008 11:02:03 PM
Ladislao
Man you are fast, I look forward to your letters and everything.
Yes I know:
John Willems he and his brother Anthony together with Clive Bg
Brian Gonsalves
Bunny Gonsalves & cousin Terence Gonsalves
Bernard Gomes
Osmond Gomes
Tommy Jardim
Mickey Chatterton
Maurice Correia
Gregory De Cambra
Hilary De Cambra
Benedict Lopes
Raymond De Cambra
Tony Gomes along with myself all came to the Mount from Guyana.
There were some others that I believe came after me so cannot give their names.
I am trying to gather a list of those that were at MSB during my time I am hoping that some of the old boys who I ented with to contact will help out.
Bear strain my friend all will be OK.
Regards
Trevor
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Tony Vieira
Monday, January 7, 2008 5:06:27 PM
Dear Ladislao,
I do not know a John Vieira, Terry John Vieira AKA spoof is my father's brother, my uncle; he is still alive living in Guyana, there is therefore no Terrence Vieira as well.
Clyde Vieira was at the mount with us and I knew him well, his entire family mother, father etc. moved to Canada years ago before 1970.
I know that since I was looking for him to invite him to my first marriage and I have never heard of him or his family since.
Anthony Vieira is of course yours truly.
the Dornellas', the Ferrieras and the Gonsalves' have all migrated to Canada, Robert Wight is still here in Guyana.
I'll find out if he uses a computer.
I did not know of anyone whose Name Vieira is spelt another way but the Guyana telephone directory does tell me that only one Michael Viera lives here in Guyana obviously an error of some sort.
Strange things happen in countries when different races migrate to it, I once had a friend whose name was Yacub Ali but his father had a company called A. Mazaralli and sons, so I once asked him how the hell his surname was Ali and his father's name was Mazarali, now these people were big lumber dealers had several sawmills around Guyana they still do,
he explained that when his father was born he was to be called Anand Mazar Ali, and the idiots at the post office registering the birth recorded his name as Anand Mazarali.
I have met one old timer who went to the Mount when it was first opened [he must have some real interesting stories] his name is John Williams he would around nearly 70 plus.
I can make contact with him he is still active since even though retired he is a member of the ethnic relations commission.
You are well?
I have been under the weather somewhat and it has not been a very joyful season for us this year, my mother died two days before Christmas day 2007.
I know that you sometimes enjoy my writing, so I have attached her Eulogy which I delivered in the church.
Tony
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Any more comments on this CLASS jigsaw and I shall go crazy.
Those of whom that keep up to date photos, do not forget to down load these.
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Photos:
58LK0001LKEGL,
60UN0001STANTHONY, St. Anthony House on the parade grounds. The best house at the Mount.
60LK0001LKETC, Your Editor stranding the Tennis courts
60LK0002LKECA, Photo of the Cachacare Island Cave´s roof, been told that the rest collapsed??
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