Circular No 123

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 13 March 2004. Circular No. 123
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Dear Friends,
Here is a short remembrance letter from a friend of Brendon. Those who would like to add memories, please feel free to write, and here I mean that those from his classmates. Maybe Don can decipher the photo???

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 Blondin. 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, 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 Blondin, 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
(I am resending the photo but this time with numbers, please check it out, ed.)
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I have found the following resume in the Internet. I am still waiting for a formal report from any member of the Club.
A large sports facility was developed for the Abbey School. Athletes from the Abbey School, St. Bede and the Aqua Lads and Lasses swimming club went on to compete at national and international levels.
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Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2003 03:46:32 +1100
From: "Brian Andrew Wickham" <wickee@lycos.com>
Abbey Aqua Lads and Lasses Swim Club

Hi,
Unfortunately, I am now coaching a different club.
Do you know Brother Gerard by chance ? He was the last manager of the club whenI was there.
Brian
wickhamb@notme.com,

(information given to me by a former coach, ed.)
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From: "Roger Henderson" <rhenderson@tstt.net.tt>
Date: 5 May 05:29 (PDT)

Ladislao, I did not recall the bank at the Mount until you mentioned it but I never used it. Do you remember the procedure for haircuts. Rughead would go around the study hall and put you on the list. You then had to spend the entire afternoon waiting on the very slow baber. He was situated next to the showers for the small boys dormitory. Any one remember his name?
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De: Robert [robert.huggins@3web.net]
Fecha: 20/12/2003 12:32:41

Hi Las,
It's been sometime since I wrote about MSB, and don't plan to start now. Maybe in the New Year I will try as for the past year I have been concentrating on getting my business established here in Canada. We have been trying to get work going in the area of waste management, in their case animal and human waste and have been slowly making inroads into the market.
It would be nice to try and stimulate some interest throughout the islands, but have not been able to do any work down there.
Maybe there are some old MSB's who are interested in this area so they can contact me.
In the meanwhile, I will like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family, and the MSB family all the best for the Christmas and coming New Year.
God Bless,
Robert.
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From: "Robert Huggins" <robert.huggins@3web.net>
Date: 10 Jun 14:46 (PDT)

Hi Las,
As long as the MSB net work continues I will try to put in my 2 cents. It's sad to see that so many went there but so few want to write about the things that we did while there. I don't think that our stay was that bad that everybody wants to forget what they did, at least I don't. Also I don't think that people are so busy that they can't spend 5 minutes to talk about their time at MSB. Any how, I suppose that is life, and the world we live in.
No Las, I didn't build model airplanes, instead I watched you build rockets and try to get them to fly. But that's another story.
Actually my sports activity was swimming. I was also giants B captain of the football and volley ball team, both championships which we won. I also played cricket, and anything else that looked good. Have no fear my friend I will try and put something together soon, but I need to get the cobwebs out of this old brain and try to remember some of the things we did.
I may have to try and contact Don Mitchell as I know he, his brother Gordon and I were always doing some crazy thing.
God Bless,
Robert

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From: "Ladislao Kertesz" <lkertesz1@icqmail.com>
To: <robert.huggins@3web.net>
Sent: Thursday, May 08, 2003 6:28 PM

Dear Robert,
I am glad that you wrote, the email of Manuel is: Manjosepra@hotmail.com. His box is full at this time.
I need your help for articles or short stories.
Boxhead told me that the rocket did fly??? Can you remember??
Did you build model airplanes???
What was your sports activity?
I just contacted a swimming coach that trained lads and lasses at our pool some three years ago. The club is called, "The abbey aqua lads and lasses swimming club". There is a little story on it. maybe I shall write on it.
Did you remember Fr. Francis? and the singing?
I am asking you all this to get new writer for the Circular Writers Guild now that the strike is over.
So long my friend
God Bless
Ladislao
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On Thu, 8 May 2003 08:21:48 -0700, "Robert Huggins" wrote:

Hi Las,
Since I don't have Manual's address Can you find out from him what scout patrol he was in?
I am trying to remember a prank that a bunch of us pulled on scout camp at Mayaro.
Robert.

(please do not keep us in suspense, ed.)
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From: "eden hutton" <edenhutton@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 07 May 2003 23:56:43 +0200

Hello Ladislao,
It would be interesting to know if Fr Benedict ever recorded the Gregorian chants the monks' choir sang at Pontifical High Masses.
I used to serve at high mass under the watchful eye of Fr Augustine and Lawrence Scott, and I remember that the singing and the blending of voices was superb. So much so that years later when I bought a recording of Gregorian chants done by an English Abbey, I thought that their singing was far inferior to Fr Benedict's Choir. I hope he has some good tapes set aside for posterity.
Yours, Eden Hutton.

No luck with Lawrence Scott, can someone help, ???? ed.)
(There is a CD published last year that has some of the songs !!! and can be purchased from the Mount, ed.)
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From:: edenhutton@hotmail.com
Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 03:09:40 +0000

Dear Ladislao,
Thanks for the circulars. I do not have Julian's or Bruce's addresses. Christopher went to Mount and so did Andrew but they both died I'm sorry to say.
I left Mount in the same class as Peter Laughlin, Paul De Verteuil and David Bratt ........but I don't remember what year it was.
Cheers,
Eden Hutton

(Sorry to tell you that I have no record on the graduation dates for the above mentioned, can any one help, ?? ed.)
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From: eden hutton
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 18:23:26 +0100

Hey Ladislao,
Thanks for the circulars, I really enjoy them. It's good to see Donald Goddard giving Wayne Brown some fatigue. Modern day "Political Correctness" was definitely not born at the Mount. Upfront fatigue is much healthier, and I'm sure Wayne sees it that way. So how about Brian and Christian Goddard, are they still in Venezuela? and Roberto and Luciano Savorgnan, Do you ever hear from them?
Cheers,
Eden Hutton.

(No luck with Savorgnans, too many in internet to be able to locate, ed.)
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Lets see how remembers the winning song in carnival?
1942 - 45 No Carnival - War
1946 No Competition
1947 Pharoah King Pharoah
1948 Melody Canaan Barrow
1949 Wonder Ramgoat Baptism
1950 Killer In a Calabash
1951 Terror Tiny Davis
1952 Spit Fire Post Post
1953 Spit Fire Bow Wow Wow
1954 Blakie Steel Band Clash
1955 Happy Wonderer North American Ballad
1956 Sparrow Jean and Dinah (attached)
1957 Valerie North American Ballad
1958 Sparrow Pay As You Earn
1959 Sparrow Mae Mae
1960 Sparrow Royal Gaol
1961 Sparrow Royal
1962 Blakie Maria
1963 Kitchener The Road
1964 Kitchener This Is Mas
1965 Kitchener My Pussin
1966 Sparrow Obeah Wedding
1967 Kitchener Sixty Seven
1968 Kitchener Miss Tourist
1969 Sparrow Sa Sa Ya
1970 Kitchener Margie
1971 Kitchener Madison Square
1972 Sparrow Drunk and Disorderly
1973 Kitchener Rainorama
1974 Shadow Bass Man
1975 Kitchener Tribute to Winston Spree
1976 Kitchener Flag Woman
1977 Calypso Rose Tempo
1978 Calypso Rose Soca Jam
1979 Poser Smoke Ah Watty
1980 Blue Boy Soca Baptist
1981 Blue Boy Ethel
1982 Penguin Deputy Essential
1983 Blue Boy Rebecca
1984 Sparrow Doh Back Back
1985 Crazy Soucoyant
(A list that you may use to find out your graduation date !!!!, ed.)
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Has anyone been in touch with Richard Knox??, please inform him that I would like to receive his resume and exchange messages.
God Bless
Ladislao

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Listado: none attached.
Photo: class 1964 no.vieira
From bodington, file 0001Swimming
Column: wvb - can be seen at www.jamaicaobserver.com,
Column: dbratt -for boys not fitting in
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Send information to: Ladislaokertesz@hotmail.com, if you would like to be in the
circular's mailing list or any old boy that you would like to include.
Telf. 0(212) 263.5346 Caracas.
Please note: you may have missed some of the circulars, if you have not received one every week, do not hesitate to ask for the missing number.
idmitch@candw.ag,

For those that would like to contact me here I include my telephones:
Telf.Office: 58 (212) 263.5346, 267.2416, From: 11:00GMT to 22:00GMT
FAX: 58 (212) 261.0829,
Home: 58 (212) 238.4084. From: 00:00 GMT to 04:00 GMT
Cellphone: 58 (0416) 612.5695
ICQ# 158597413
Remember that Venezuela's time is the same as Trinidad's, -04:00 GMT.