Newsletter for alumni of The Abbey School,
Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 20 of March
2016 No. 750
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Dear Friends,
I am in Valencia Spain visiting my sons.
Hope to be able to send you photos in the
next issue.
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Gregory milne
13 Mar (2 days ago)
Dear
Ladislao and Fellow Alumni
I
attended The Abbey School MSB from 1975 to 1982, from the Prep Class (pre-Form
1) right through to Form 5 and then repeated Form 5, in order to re-take my 'O'
Levels in the hope of securing better grades, but ended up getting the same
grades in 1982, as I did in the previous year of 1981. What a disappointment I
must have been to my poor parents! God bless them! Then it was straight on a
Bee-Wee flight to London, England, in February 1983 where I have remained ever
since.
Thanks
be to God, that my secondary school experience at 'The Mount' proved to be a
far better one, than that of my primary school experience at St Xavier's
Private School, which 'scared' me emotionally for year after leaving, experienced
which I won't discuss at this point. I absolutely loved my seven years at 'The
Mount' and felt I could stay there forever, which probably contributed to me
wanting to repeat Form 5.
I have
thoroughly enjoyed the regular on-line circulars of the Newsletter for Alumni
of The Abbey School and remember with much fondness so many teachers, priests
and brothers, including Fr Odo, Fr Cuthbert, Fr Benedict, Fr Vincent, Fr
Francis, Miss Marcus, Mr Basanta and the list goes on. By the way, is Miss
Marcus still going strong?
Finally,
there is a beautiful but short film on Mt St Benedict on YouTube. Go to 'Top
Shot Trinidad Mount Saint Benedict'. Check it out, it's amazing!
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Gregory milne
15 Mar (1 day ago)
Hello
Ladislao,
Thanks
for your email. I can confirm that Peter Milne is my older brother;
Anthony
Milne was my 1st cousin (deceased in 2013);
Michael
Milne is also my 1st cousin.
Bruce Milne
and Iain Milne are both well known to me, as I remember them well from Maracas
Valley (and from Mt St Benedict) though we are not related (as far as I am
aware).
Please
be advised, that I am the only Milne in 'our clan' to have attended The Abbey School
MSB. The only other Milne's to have attended The Abbey School are Iain Milne
and Bruce Milne.
Hope
that helps.
Kindest
regards,
Gregory Milne
London, England
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I
don't expect anything better curry
Looking
good.
What that
is you! Whey yuh ketch? Lost 2 an pelaisse today.
Looking
good Gregory, where is the bottle of Carib that goes hand in hand with fishing.
Is Chris Cabral with you?
No
fish that day...Chris was absent..lol
Absent!
You knew Chris that there would be no fish.....lol
------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
George Mickiewics
amickiew@att.net,
"Shish"/
"Yuri"..
Today,
I * Am a practicing Catholic journeying through the last miles to meet
God *
Married
to Fara for 42 years with three children (Marc – 38, Matt – 36, Melisa 32) and
5 grandchildren (Tanner – 12, Kylie – 9, Madelyn – 7, Megan – 5, Charlotte –
2) *
66
years young, semi-retired for the last 6 years working as a safety consultant
after 37 years working in DuPont *
Reasonably
healthy but starting to experience the little aches and pains; weight is a
constant challenge *
Live
in Collierville, Tennessee, which is in the Memphis (Elvis Presley hometown)
metropolitan area *
Very
thankful and appreciative of the good, bad and in-between experience from 1956
to 1962 at MSB *
Mom
and dad in heaven *
Try to
spend as much time as possible with family *
Work
related trips to Europe, Asia Pacific and North America *
Faithfully
read the Abbey School blog; very thankful for Ladislao for his time and
devotion to keep us all in touch
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Gomez, Ramon
angelmgomezster@gmail.com
Lives
at 13 Norbrool Crescent, Norbrook Mews No. 5, Kingston 8, Jamaica.
May
24, 2013: "I am in Jamaica since 2011 , I came to work , looking for
opportunities which my country cannot offer me in this time.
I
travel to my country every 3 months and keep in contact with the new Venezuelan
Political leaders that are doing a great resistance against the Chavez
dictatorship system.
Since
I came to Jamaica and went back looking for my roots ( let’s say ),...
my
beginning ,...then I was contacted by Salvador Coscarart.
Finally
I travelled last year to Trinidad and went to MSB.
I met
Winston, Joseph, Enrique, Edmund and many others,
I
contacted in Miami, Antonio Mezzana, we had lunch together and remembered old
times. It was good to see one of my best friends....
I have
been in contact with Salvador, Neil, Winston, Glen , Tony, Jose Antonio
in Venezuela but we haven't seen yet.
Definitively,
having met this group of friends is a moment were it seems like we are still
the young boys ( that's what we have in our memory ) with old bodies,
great to have had that opportunity to met so many nice people which I really
value today.
(Values,
Principles, and positive aptitudes ).
Your
job of putting this DATA together its a blessing, thanks very much.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Hector Ahow
Belonged
to the "Robert Falcon Scott" Patrol of Senior Boys, formed by Fr.
Cuthbert.
I
actually joined the Troop twice...I first joined in the early '60's as a Junior
Scout, didn't enjoy it too much and dropped out pretty quick.
Then
later on in Form Four a group of us wanted to join, so Fr. Cuthbert formed a
new Senior Patrol called 'Robert Falcon Scott'.
This
was a whole different experience...
I
think Harry Laughlin was the PL and Mervyn Assam was the Second.
Harry
being a good scout tried to make us into a proper patrol, but we were a bunch
of 'skylarkers' only out for kicks.
I must
be getting old... the only other name I can come up with in the patrol is
Hector Ahow, because he was the cook."
R.I.P.
Frankie, died on July 1, 2013, one day after he had retired.
May
his soul rest in peace.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------.J
Jean Ambrose
jean_ambrose@hotmail.com,
Great
stuff, Don.
Not
sure if we know each other but I was from the final class when the school
closed.....last of the borders.
What
memories of that school thank god for the opportunity to have gone there for
four years.
And to
be part of something that has stayed for the last 30 years....
sigh
hahahaha,
------------------------------------------------------.
Ken Austin
kentrini@verizon.net
Doctor. Internal Medicine. Rheumatologist.
Lives at 5864 Nebraska Ave., Washington, DC20015 - 1266 Ph:
202-362-9255
Hello
Ladislao, Thanks for Circulars No.328 and 329.
They
arrived while I was in Trinidad to inter the ashes of my uncle who died in
Pensacola, Florida.
I
stayed with my sister and her husband who live in Westmoorings.
Also
resident at that location is an old Mount boy, Allan [Sonny] Blanc who was a
member of 2nd. Mount St.Benedict Scout troop.
He was
on my first scout camp to Caura and I still have a photo of us sitting on rocks
fishing.
We
visited for a short while and I will be trying to send him a copy of that
photo.
I will
try to send it to you also along with any other old Mount photos which I can
dig up
Of
course, while in Trinidad, I visited the Mount and met with Abbot Pereira.
I gave
him a copy of the inscription page of a missal, signed by members of the scout
troop and which was presented to me in December1953, shortly before my
departure to the USA to study Medicine.
I
asked Fr. Abbot to get it to you as I believe the signatures may jog the
memories of some of these old boys.
Fr. Abbot
also informed me that Fr. Benedict had fallen the week before and sustained a
fractured hip, necessitating surgery.
I was
able to visit Fr. Benedict in the hospital and tried to raise his spirits by
showing him a memento pamphlet of his ordination in 1952.
I
believe that a reunion is being planned for April 2008.
Unfortunately,
I will not be able to attend as I am committed to being in Africa at that time.
However,
please keep me informed of plans for future reunions.
Thanks
again for the good job which you are doing. .
-----------------------------------------------------------.
Abbott Leonard
lenabbott@hotmail.com
Nigel,
I
meant to respond on Sunday when you first asked the question but I was
travelling back to Trinidad from the US that morning and my former classmate
Roberto has beaten me to a response.
Anyway
here is my take on the failure of the school.
I
entered in 1980 and I distinctly remember the 1st day assembly speech delivered
by the late Fr. Vincent.
He
announced at that time that 1980-81 school year was going to be the last year
the Abbey school was going to carry Spanish on the curriculum because of the
high failure rate
This
also coincided with a marked increase in school fees (however I can't remember
the figures
The
ensuing years saw the saw a reduction to the aging monks retiring from teaching
and being replaced by civilian teachers.
The
calibre of teaching staff declined and in retrospect it must have been as a
result of the remuneration package offer to teachers.
The
Abbey was never a government assisted school
At the
start of the 83-84 school year it was announced because of declining
enrolment, shrinking curriculum, shortage of quality teachers,
there were insufficient numbers for a Form 1 class.
This
marked that beginning of the end.
I've
copied two of the old boys from my era maybe - Robert and Miguel could chime in
and add to this.
I hope
this helps as piece of the puzzle.
Best
regards. Leonard Abbott (MSB 1980-85)
----------------------------------------------------------------------.
Stanley Achong
stanacho@gmail.com
Stanley
owns an auto parts supply business, GTS Auto Parts.
I have
been living in Toronto Canada, since 1975, and was at the Abbey approx 1964 -
1969.
This
is really a good thing that the guys are doing in getting old mates back in
touch with other and I hope we can all meet some day.
I got
married in Trinidad just prior to immigrating to Canada.
I have
two sons, Jeremy and Jeffrey 29 and 27 and I imagine they will be leaving the
"nest" pretty soon (smile).
I've
worked mostly in the Computer industry here in Toronto and have been self
employed for roughly 25 yrs now.
For
the past 10 yrs, I have been distributing automotive parts at a wholesale level
to garages and dealers in Toronto.
For
the past 10 yrs, I have been distributing automotive parts at a wholesale level
to garages and dealers in Toronto.
With
the precious little time I have left, my wife Judy and I have been doing
Ballroom dancing, photography and quite a bit of travelling.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------.
Roger Ames
roger.ames@mac.com
Scout.
Nickname: "Sausage".
Attended
St. Mary's University in Nova Scotia.
Roger
Ames was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of Warner Music Group
in August 1999, four months after he was appointed President of Warner Music
International.
Upon
leaving the Warner Music Group in August 2004 Mr Ames was appointed
senior advisor to Time Warner and to EMI Music.
Mr
Ames began his career in the music industry with EMI UK in 1975.
In
1979, he joined PolyGram UK and in 1993 he was named Chairman and CEO of
PolyGram UK, responsible for all of PolyGram’s activities in Ireland and the
UK.
Ames
was named executive vice president of PolyGram and president of the PolyGram
Music Group in 1996.
------------------------------------------
EDITED by LadislaoKertesz
Send information to: 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:
56RB0002e7, Scouts at the base of the observation
tower 1956
62DB0001DBRGRP, David Bratt and a group of
classmates.
02UN0001WVBJAM, Wayne Vincent Brown
03SC0354GRP, Salvador Coscarart and a group
with Fr. Benedict
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