Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 28 of March 2015 No. 699
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends,
My trip next
took me to Munich, to visit my daughter, who left Venezuela last year.
She is studying
for her Masters, to be able to revalidate her Venezuelan degree.
As you may
imagine, we went to the beer gardens and the many museums.
Since a week
passes very fast, and the weather was cool, zero degree C, and strong winds
50Kph, we did not take in many outdoor sights.
The BWM museum
is very nice at the Olympia Park, just as the royalty´s city home.
It is
interesting to be able to take Trams, Buses, Underground, and fast Trains, all
well-coordinated. On our side of the world, in Latinoamerica this is
impossible.
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Leary &
Gillian O'Connor gilleary@raafawa.net.au
26 Mar
Hi
Ladislao,
It
has been a long time since we communicated.
Used
to do so regularly while you were sending the newsletters.
We
have managed only a couple times to visit Mount St Benedict and caught up with
those priests and brothers who were still there.
Don
has asked that we let you know something about our family.
We
came to Perth, exactly half way around the world, from Trinidad in 1967
together with my brother Richard and his wife Elspeth and have lived here ever
since.
Our
five children were under the age of 7 at the time and Richard’s 3 were also under
7 so it was a big adventure.
Three
years ago we left our home in Booragoon and moved into the RAAFA Retirement
Village as they had recently built some new apartments here.
We
are very happy here but obviously have less space than we did in Booragoon.
As
regards to our family, we have the same five children who are all married now
and gifted us with sixteen grandchildren.
So
far no great grands!
Two
of them live in the country about two hours’ drive away but the other three are
in Perth and we manage to see them all regularly.
Unfortunately,
the second part of Don’s request we cannot help with as have never really got
into taking photos that can be sent by email which I sometimes regret.
Over
the years we thoroughly enjoyed your newsletters and are pleased to hear from
Nigel and/or Don from time to time.
We
realise that I am now 80 and older than most of the people who write articles
but still enjoy reading them.
Hard
to believe that when I started at Mount I was 9 years old and the youngest boy
in the school.
By
the time I had done my A levels I think I was18 and probably the oldest pupil
at the time!
I
retired 20 years ago.
We
have a block of 13 acres which is mostly scrub although I did have a few years
when I tried to grow fruit trees and some vegetables but working away on a
rotation basis in the oil industry at Barrow Island and then Thevenard Island
made it too difficult to do much in that line.
Still
get the occasional avocados and limes but that’s about it.
Keeps
me busy and relatively fit as it is only 20 minutes away and I try to go most
days and keep the growth down as there is always the problem here of bush
fires.
Gillian
complains that she has to book me for any social events that take place during
the day.
Thanks
to you all who have kept us in touch for all these years.
Leary
O’Connor
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From:
amickiew@att.net
Subject: ABBEY
SCHOOL ALUMNI - PREDICT ALL THE CRICKET WC QUARTERFINALS, SEMIS & FINALS
WINNERS
Date: Mon, 16
Mar 2015 07:26:13 -0500
Hi
Guys and Gals,
Here
is an activity that most of alumni can get involved in.
We
are looking for new things to share.
Most
of us played, enjoyed or loved the game.
Many
of us have and will probably watch some of these games on TV, listen to them on
radio or followed them on the internet.
Personally,
I liked the game.
Was
lucky to represent the AB in a few games against other teams…..good enough to
be the last player chosen.
We
can use it too as a reminiscence of our “old glory” days.
We
will certainly hear from Rock Head and others that they hated it…….
Pass
it on to others if you are interested and agree.
It
should provide a few new entries to Ladislao’s Circulars.
May
God bless you and yours.
Yury,
Shish, Jorge, George
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Simon Da Costa <simon.monica@xtra.co.nz>
22 Ma
Hi,
I
am Simon Da Costa. I have 2 Sons and 1
Daughter, 6 Grandchildren, 3 boys and 3 Girls, 4 Grands in New Zealand, and 2
in UK.
Cheers
Simon
(small beam)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Raul Sojo
22 Mar
Hi.
This
is Raul Sojo, I spent 2 years at the school.
I
have a son but no grandchildren.
I
live in Caracas, just turned 59 and have been living with the same woman for
over 25 years.
I'm
a photographer and right now, like almost any other Venezuelan not doing
businesses with the government,
I'm
in bad shape, economically speaking.
I
don't have any photos from that period, in fact the ones I've seen came from
Salvador.
Regards
Raul
------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
DAVID JOHNSON <the-beetle@hotmail.com>
20 Mar
We
are David and Debbie Johnson
I
have been living in Canada for the last 27 years
My
address is:
118
Forestwood Street
Richmond
Hill
Ontario
Canada
L4S
1Z2
I
have 2 Daughters, Dayna and Dawn, ages are 25 and 28, both not married with no
children.
David
Johnson
-------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: idmitch@anguillanet.com
Subject: Abbey
School Circulars
Date: Wed, 18
Mar 2015 11:20:43 -0400
Dear
Alumni,
If
you have not recently given Ladislao an update on where you are living, how
many children, and how many grandchildren, etc, please do so now at kertesz11@gmail.com
He
always wants school-days photos for the Circular.
Any
newer ones showing you, preferably before you lost your hair and gained your
stomach, would be welcome too :-)
Please
copy the photos to Kazim at empowerwithart@gmail.com for the records as well. He puts them
on the website at www.msbaatt.com or www.msbaatt.org
Sincerely,
Don
------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>
19 Mar
Thanks,
Brian,
Yes, I
was able to see the photos.
Scanning
is a pain for me as well.
I hope
Ladislao will be able to crop them and use them individually
Keep
well.
Don
------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: Brian
Gonsalves
Sent: Thursday,
March 19, 2015 1:44 PM
I'm
going mad with my laptop ... herewith the "then & now"
attachment ...
Brian
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: Brian
Gonsalves <brian.gonsalves36@yahoo.com>
Date:
Thursday, 19 March, 2015, 17:39
I
forgot to send the "Then & now" attachment (twice!) now scanned
and I trust it will arrive safely ...
Brian
----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
From: Brian
Gonsalves <brian.gonsalves36@yahoo.com>
Date:
Thursday, 19 March, 2015, 15:58
Don
Mitchell,
Thank
you for your email and, as you suggested, I am copying brief "Then and
Now" details to Ladislao and Kazim,
Covering
69 years from 1945/46 - when my late brother (Bernard) plus cousin (Terrence)
and I were among the early contingent of British Guiana ('BG') boys at Mount St
Benedict...
Most
of us completed our education in England with the Jesuits (from 1946-1954).
After
schooling, I was employed by the British-American Tobacco Group, working in
overseas territories (Nigeria, Jamaica, Europe, Zambia & South Africa)
before settling in the UK in 1986, working in the International Investment
& Finance Markets.
I
am now happily retired in the UK, residing in Oxfordshire.
I
enjoy reading the Abbey School circulars, although most of the comments are
from later-day scholars and not from the really ancient 'old boys' from the
mid-1940s!
Regards,
Brian
Gonsalves
--------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Photos:
Bandit p18 The
Early Times
15LK0328LKE
Ladislao Kertesz in Munich
15LK0010CJAWFE,
Csaba Jakobszen wife
15LK0011CJA,
Csaba Jakobszen
