Circular No 704

Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 2 of May 2015 No. 704

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Dear Friends,

Check out the Calypso Medley:

https://youtu.be/q5yXCDw427w,

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On Mar 11, 2015, at 1:36 PM, Robert PREVOT <r.prevot@orange.fr> wrote:

Nigel,

Thanks a lot, You bring me back 45 years ago that really touch me, I think none of us will forget this time.

In case you have pictures send them for me, if anyone have picture of our class form3 68/69 that will be nice.

So long

Robert

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On Mar 10, 2015, at 6:43 PM,

Robert PREVOT <r.prevot@orange.fr> wrote:

Nigel,

Thanks for the pictures I have some of already, the pictures that I need are pictures of 1968/69/70 if you have some of them that’ll be very nice

Thank in advance

Robert

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Message du 10/03/15 22:29

De : "Nigel Boos" <nigelboos@yahoo.ca>

Robert,

Perhaps, the boy whose name you remember might have been Nigel Gomes (MSB Grad 1972?)

I’m forwarding your note to some of the Old Boys.

Thanks for spending the time to explain your situation to us.

This is very interesting.

Here are some pictures for you:

Nigel

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On Mar 10, 2015, at 1:35 PM,

Robert PREVOT <r.prevot@orange.fr> wrote:

Hi Nigel,

I'm sure in my time we had a Nigel - I'll find his name, so I'm from French Guiana not Guyana.

I'm a transportation manager for a bus company (school children, transport of people working at Kourou by the space base, transport with Limo (when important people (Minister, Chairman of big company when the Base sending rocket with satellite) garbage truck, grass truck, and a company cutting grass on the road. (160 workers in 4 companies)

I'm married - 3 children, one of my children is a robotic engineer in Boston, one girl is a notary, and the last - she's at university.

They all speak, read and write better English than I do.

What I still remember of MSB - I remember Father Bernard , Father Cuthbert, Father Martin who was my French teacher in form 3, and I remember a teacher get killed in house I forgot the name.  He used to live in the small path we take to go to the field, I remember Miss Marcus, at the refectory.

I remember Molly, one of the maids.

Rafael Echeverria and Kitty Marcus

When the band was practicing I used to play drum with them, with Mick McCartney,

I will send pictures of me and my company.

Soon I'll try to get pictures from MSB boys 68/69/70

Before i forget I don't know if any of you remember, when TRINIDAD had problem, some guys from the REGIMENT (army) came to our school? 

(Robert is probably referring to the 1970 Black Power troubles - Nigel)

It's time for me to go back to work

Later

R.P

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Message du 09/03/15 18:57

De : "Nigel Boos" <nigelboos@yahoo.ca>

Robert,

Rather than me trying to answer the questions that are beginning to come in, may I invite you to get back to us and tell us a little about yourself?

For instance, when did you attend school at MSB?

Who do you remember from your class?

Were you in the Scout Troop?

Were you in the band?

Did you play soccer? Cricket? Tennis? Did you swim?

Were you a member of the Aqualads?

What was your last Form at MSB?

Do you remember any of the teachers?

The monks? 

Now that you are a working man, what have you worked at in your life?

Where are you based?

Are you married / single? Have you any kids? Where do you now live?

Is there anything at all that you would like to know about the Abbey School alumni?

We can certainly try to help you with that information.

Finally, do you have a decent recent picture of yourself?

Maybe you can send that to us as well.

Kazim, over to you.

It might be an idea to send Robert a copy of the current database.

This should answer some of his questions.

Regards, everyone.

Nigel

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Date: March 7, 2015 at 5:47:29 PM EST

From: Attila GYURIS <gyuris@yahoo.com>

Nigel:

What period and class was he in the Mount?

Attila Gyuris

1964-1969

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David De Castro 

Well I must tell you all especially Glen I laughed and was quite amused at glen's remark that I am carrying a lot of baggage about my young days at school - not true my friend remember I don't care if Monday falls on a Sunday.

As regards to old boys that Phillip mentioned Alan Deveau said he was in the church that day when I cuffed the brother during mass and it was the worst day of his life.

Joe Meckdessi lives in New Orleans - his brother Raymond is dead.  My brother Delano is dead.

The others are still around.

You guys dont seem to understand how busy I am in my retired life.  Check out the website, new video and songs all the time. calypsobandit.com.  Now all I need is some stones to pelt at all of you (HA-HA) "BANDIT"

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Philip,

In attempting to answer your query about some of the “boys”, now in their 75 - 85 age range,

I’ve gone back into the old MSB Database which I’d maintained up to a year ago, before passing it over to Kazim Abasali.

I’ve deleted a lot of info for the years following 1951 as well as all of the relevant photographs.

Anyway, I hope that this reduced file will answer some of the questions you had raised about the guys who you remembered from your MSB days.

Best of everything.

Nigel

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Date: Sun, 26 Apr 2015 19:35:28 +0000

From: heatherset8@yahoo.com
Subject: JUST A QUICK RESPONSE

Hi Again, Glen,

Thanks for your response to my enquiry -  nice of David to reply to you, however I already knew from past correspondence concerning the same matter that it was in fact David that had attacked me on the first day as a boarder all of those years ago in 1944, and I don't of course hold anything against him for it - we were very young children at the time - and anyway I am oddly enough rather grateful to him in a way for the happening inasmuch as I had been such a mollycoddled young boy at the time - a real little Lord Fauntleroy and the slapping up did me a lot of good as I had never before ever had anyone even say a rude word to me much less raise their hand to me, so his attack had the very desirable effect of bringing to the surface another inherently and rather fierce side to my nature that up until that point of time I never knew that I had, and as a consequence since that point of time I have always been ready, willing, and able to defend myself, actually adopting the view that "attack is the best form of defence" and as a consequence even at this great age I tend to deal with confrontation pretty promptly indeed.   

What still intrigues me however is who in fact was it that had written perhaps to Ladislao recalling the event to us and suggesting that it was in fact David de Castro, as I am fascinated to know just who else could have recalled such an obscure event. I think that I recall having Trevor Evelyn write in saying that it was not him as he did not attend as a boarder until 1947 if my memory serves me right.

Just by way of mention, although I will remark that although I read all of the circulars that come my way, I never seem to hear anything about any of the lads that go back to my time such as; Alain Devaux, John and David Maingot, the Farfans, Lawrence Macaulay, Leary and John O'connor, Peter Gafney, the Meckdessie brothers Raymond and Joseph, David's older brother Delano, Etc.

Thanks for going to the trouble that you have and are going to over my little inquiry.

Best regards to all,

Phil Clegg

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Photos:

Bandit p23 The Early Times

12LK4377FB, Paul Quesnel

14LK5603FB, Rory Pasea

82GP0001GPRWFE, Geoffrey Prada and wife