Newsletter for
alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 24 of February 2018 No. 851
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Dear Friends,
Some interesting
comments below.
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Harold Imamshah
Excellent;
was a Reunion held and was an Alumni Association formed? That was a lot of
admirable work.
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Keith Allen
Hi
Fr. Harold.
Apparently
it never happened. When I left I wanted to join the association and enquired of
it.
Fr Superville who was the principal at the time indicated that
nothing was happening with the association and gave me the file to see if I
could do something.
I tried but unfortunately it never got off.
I was doing some cleaning and came across the file compiled by
the beloved Ms "Kitty"Marcus with most of the names of the Abbey Old
Boys I think I need to scan it and post
Bless
up
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Sir Art did a lot of work, but you must remember no internet, so
he relied on mailing letters, very slow process,
He is still in contact with those boys from
that time.
I know Sir Nigel Boos is
a past president of that same group.
Sir Joseph B M Drax,
did keep a fire burning and was in contact at all times with father Cutty, and
kept a local chapter active for many years, however, there were no contact with
the boys outside Trinidad.
Then Sir Ladislao Kertesz,
put us on the map, and here we are now 2015,
The Ox is slow but the Earth is patient.
As it was written, many things will be
revealed, at the appropriate time, thank Sir Keith Allen, perfect timing
& thank you for your silence for so long, a job well done, we have 107
members on facebook, right here & right now,
So that’s His-Story,
Cheers Glen,
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From:
Tony Vieira <tandjv@networksgy.com>
Date: 14 Mar 04:53 (PST)
Las,
Brendon Gurley was in my class at the Mount, the class that
graduated in 1964, Don Mitchell was in that class, so was Joel Guy Blandin, the
picture of the class is in circular 101.
We became good friends, it was Edward Lloyd and I who took one
look at Brendon and said that his forehead was too big, and so we called him
five head.
Brendon and I became such close friends that his parents
approached mine, and I [as a Guyanese] was allowed to stay with the Gurleys
when we were let out for short holidays, wonderful family.
I remember one Carnival, Brendon and I crawled under the fence of
the country Club and we had a ball, I asked him why we don't just buy a ticket,
his response was "Nah no fun in that".
At this same Carnival jump up at the country club the young lady
who won the miss world title that year, a Trinidadian girl was there, and
Brendon and I ogled her all night, we even spoke to her.
Sometime in the 70's Brendon married a Guyanese Girl, who I knew
very well, my father was the best man at her father's [Hilary Gonsalves]
wedding, so we practically grew up together, and when Brendon came here for the
wedding he asked me to be his best man. First public speech I ever made.
I have not seen Brendon for 30 years but hearing that he died
came as a complete shock, accompanied by a great sadness; strange isn't it?
I do not see him for 30 years, but when I hear that he had died
it struck me with such force, it's as if knowing that he was alive and well
somewhere on the planet was enough, even though we don't see each other, now
that I hear that he has died, I feel this emptiness inside and I will miss him,
it is a strange set of beings we humans are.
Anyone in Trinidad who is in contact with his family please give
them my deepest condolences.
Is anyone in contact with his younger brother Christian? or know
how I can contact him? in the attached picture which I searched for in the old
circulars to send it to David Bratt, look at the back row on the right I
believe that that is Brendon [but it could be Simon some thing or the other]
then Blandin, then me, then Piton.
If that is not Brendon then he and Edward Lloyd are missing from
this photograph of the 64 class. I wouldn't know why that was.
Michael Azar has called me twice over the past week he now lives
in Portland, Oregon same old "big Joe" full of energy.
Puds Laquis and I were discussing the circulars last year in
Trinidad he, as I did, thought that it was an incredible exercise and whatever
the difficulty we have to find a way to keep it going, you can count on me.
I think that you can count on Michael Azar also, from our
discussions he knows a lot about the Internet web hosting and so on.
What do you say Big Joe?
Tony
Vieira
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MISTERIOUS OLD BOY FROM GRENADA
I have found the
following story in the internet when looking for Paul Slinger, who appears in
the list as being an oldboy from Grenada.
So I
am enclosing excerpts of three different articles where the name Paul Slinger
appears, maybe someone can confirm if he is the oldboy that went to MSB.
The
story is about Hash House Harriers, if you want to know more about the sporting
event please look up the internet.
Basically
Hashing originated in Malaysia sometime in the early 1930s. British senior
officers invented the game to keep their men fit and burn off the excesses of
weekend partying. Leaders or hares would mark a trail--and many false
trails--through the dense jungle around Kuala Lumpur. The hares were then
pursued by teams of "hounds" vying to reach the finish line first. As
added incentive, there was cold beer waiting for the winning team at the finish
line. The name Hash House Harriers was adopted in honour of their beloved Hash
House pub, which of course sponsored many of the events. Not much has changed,
but today, everyone wins and gets beer.
About
our friend, the writer continues
Two
weeks later, I was down at the Portofino Restaurant, in St. George's, waiting
with about 60 other eager hashers. The leader or "Hasher Master" that
day was Grenada's HHH founder and premiere hasher, Paul Slinger, who describes
hashers as "drinkers with a running problem." After getting
directions to the hash we piled into cars and headed to Grand Etang National
Park, the starting point of that week’s hash.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Another writer
wrote:
Following a brief
stop for refreshments, continue to the Tower Plantation House to meet Paul
Slinger, the owner of this fully operating fruit and spice plantation located
in an area of wooded hills behind the island’s capital, St. George’s. After a
tour of the historic house and a walk in the manicured garden, you may wish to
visit St. George’s main shopping streets before returning to the ship. B L D
---------------------------------------------------------------
And lastly the
following appears in the HHH internet page:
Paul "Rigor Mortis" Slinger, Hash Founder.
It is said that Paul
first hashed around the time that Napoleon was defeated but that is just
bragging on his part - we all know he goes further back in time than that. He
also claims that his real hash name is "Semper Rigourus", a
soubriquet which he boldly asserts has been attributed to him by many a
Harriette - and if you believe that you'll believe anything.
Paul,
one of the original pirates that ravaged this part of the world, brought over
the hash from Trinidad with his fellow pirate, Englishman Peter Frearson, who
had in turn contracted this disease (and others) in the Far East. Paul is
easily recognisable at any hash - both for holding a beer in each hand and for
his horribly ugly knees.
He met
his martyr of a wife, the lovely Victoria "Quick Drawers" Slinger at
a hash. He was wearing long pants at the time - she couldn't see the knees.
They
committed matrimony soon after.
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Bull N0. 3 OVERSEAS
ABBEY SCHOOL INTERESTED STUDENTS. O.A.S.I.S.
By Arthur Knaggs
This is the
transcript that I made of the original Bulletin.
It is missing the
photos and advertisement.
June 1982
Dearly Beloved
fellow Urchins of the Old Establishment.
You
look at our heading and wonder, no doubt. With all the strife in the Middle
East, perhaps this will have a new significance to those who hunger and thirst
in these hard times. It certainly is no indication of the fountain of youth
when I look around at my old school pals and have visions of the wheel chairs and
walking sticks – No sir, this is my chosen new title of our little periodical;
which, when-ever Fr. Cuthbert digs me for complaining about Mount Inside or
outside, I retaliate by writing. I thought of Mount Overseas, but ended up with
OVERSEAS ABBEY SCHOOL
INTERESTED STUDENTS.
That is the good
news.
The
hard and testing news is that during these hard and pressing times, and
considering the fast failing Canadian dollar, I, the one-man committee, is
suggesting an annual subscription of $10.00 U.S. dollars, mainly to cover
postage; but also to help pay off my mortgage, carry my children through
school, upgrade my subscription to the Old People’s home (where we will all no
doubt end), and enable me to send a donation of $5.00 to Fr. Adelbert for a
beach picnic to Maracas Bay, to help wash all the troubles and worries he is
accumulating by marriage counselling. Theoretically, there is no such thing; as
we have learned that the sacrament makes two people one, and it takes two to
have differences.
The
second greatest gift a spouse can give their partner is a Marriage Encounter
Week-end – ask about it. You already know that the first greatest is your
undivided love and attention.
***************
PARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS?
– Well, earlier this year, our Company, R.N.G., meaning Real Nice Guys, had our
Sales Convention at Mount Gabriel, a Ski Resort, and you should have seen your
“boy” dashing down the slopes – a real thrill and treat.
I also
met in Montreal, Raymond Devaux, who is well established in business up here
with his fingers in many pies; his hobbies are golfing, skiing and drinking
wine like all good Frenchmen. Also met J.D.Miller, who lives in Montreal with
Michellene, and a host of his tribe. Both quite well. J.D. was out in Nova
Scotia exploring the possibilities in the Offshore Oil here, as he is thinking
of getting back into the “Black Gold” business.
******************
We are happy to tell
you that Ms Marcus, M.I. Queen and former Secretary of the M.S.B.C., is coming
along slowly but surely. She needs our playful support.
******************
Fr. Cuthbert writes
to state he is taking Fr. Paul and Kitty Markus to Holland this month, but not
why?. Understand Kitty is not well but no news yet on Fr. Paul. Heard that
Abbot Bernard has improved very much but is still in Holland. He met my
brother, Jack, in Mayaro – Jack works for AMOCO on the Offshore there. He says
terrible floods in Central Trinidad, only way to Mayaro is by boat. Bernard
Lange teaches at Mount and puts out the Mount Inside magazine.
-----------------------------------------
Here is a card I
received from Bro. Roland, who is editor of the MSB Newletter, and always keeps
me on the mailing list.
Subscription is 5 “Our
Fathers”, 10 “Hail Marys” and a blank cheque.
PEACE
Of your Charity pray
for the late Father William Boers, O.S.B.,
Monk and Priest who died suddenly on Tuesday 29th September
1981. He was 70 years old, having been professed for 48 years and ordained
priest for 42 years.
Father Anselm van
der Heijdt, O.S.B., Monk and Priest who died suddenly of a heart attack on
Tuesday, 3rd September 1981. He was 65 years old, having been
professed for 43 years and ordained priest for 38 years.
////////
Fr. Vincent, our
principal, left for the U.S.A. early in the morning of Tuesday, 30th
March for a medical check-up. Our prayers accompany him we trust all will go
well.
Our
senior students have been exposed to Lectures on Banking Diplomacy &
International Relations. Also, students have made tours to Lopinot, Iscott,
Tritoc and the Pitch Lake and only last week an enjoyable visit to Caroni came
off.
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EDITED by Ladislao
Kertesz, kertesz11@yahoo.com, if you would like to be in the
circular’s mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include.
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Photos:
87UN0012Jubileum p40
17AA1215AAUTUCUPITA, Adolfo Aumaitre
04LK0001HAHPLC, Hector Ahow
11LK4863LKEAAU, Ladislao Kertesz and Adolfo
Aumaitre
