Circular No 293

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Caracas, 16 June 2007. No. 293
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Dear friends,

Finally an email from the 1980 generation, why I make a distinction??

I have about 10 email addresses, all taken from the 2003 Reunion.

None of these have written the 50 words DUES, neither sent the photos of the reunion.

I have sent out in the Circular photos taken by the older generation ASSISTING THE REUNION, and I have been unable to place names on the photos that I have.

There are no class photos either, maybe these alumni have been waiting for the new digital cameras??

I had presumed that Miguel Gonzalez the chief organizer would have been kind to send information on the successful reunion, but no luck.

I hope that Neil can fill us with these photos??
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From: NEIL TROTMAN
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 10:00 PM
Subject: Old abbey school boy

Dear Ladislao,
Just in from work and great to get your email.
Raeburn, Guillen, Gonzalez etc were all class mates when we were at Mount together.
They were a year below me.
I was in Class with Garvin Gonzales and others like Gerald Dornellas who is cousin to Dornellas on the Alumni list.
I emailed Dornellas in connection with Kitty Marcus' 90th birthday, that is how I know this.
Now I am in touch with Jean van Leuwen who was secretary of the school with Kitty Marcus.
When I joined the Abbey school in 78 Jean used to teach Library science with Fr Edwards.
Am also in touch with Dr. Kathleen Phillips-Lewis (History teacher).
You can see lots of information about her on the web.
She is a distinguished historian and is working in Atlanta Georgia.
And the last teacher is Pamela Razack (nee roopchand).
She is in Trinidad and was excited when I told her that I had come across your blog.
Here are their email addresses:

"Kathleen Phillips-Lewis" kplewis@aol.com>
"Pamela Roopchand" <pjr100@hotmail.com>;
"Jean VanLeuen" <maartenmt@wanadoo.nl>

I have an old picture of my year taken by the then Abbot Hildebrand Greene in the mid 80's.
Even have old report cards.
For the reunion I was sent pictures too and could easily send them too you by post if you would like.
Also have pictures of our trip to Bogota Colombia in 1984.
I think it is great talking about the Abbey School.
There were unpleasant memories and good memories too.
Did you know that when I started there was only one language available, Spanish, and that there was no Literature O'level available in the 4th/5th years?
I was so annoyed about that.
Hope that this finds you well and happy.
Neil

Neil Alexandros Trotman
20 Norfolk Street
Forest Gate
London E7 0HN

0208-519-2006
0790-8220253
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To: neiltrotman@hotmail.com
Date: Mon, 28 May 2007 12:00:18 +0000

Dear Neil

What a surprise, an alumni of the 1980s.
I say that it is a surprise because you are the first to write about life at the mount in the 1980s.
The few, about 10 alumni that we know of, are poor writers.
From my calculations about 100 alumni passed through the school in the 1980s.
There are no photos neither names.
I am the "editor" of the Circular; basically I take your emails and photos and edit them.
It is a weekly affair when I have the time.
God Bless
Ladislao
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Neil Trotman
Monday, May 28, 2007 3:40:58 AM

Dear Sir,

I hope that you do not mind me writing to you?
But came across this bog yesterday.
I was at the abbey school 1978-1984.
I repeated form 5, we all can’t be brainy. :-)
I see that you are in contact with John Raeburn well we were all around at the same time.
Barry (John) and his friends were in a year below me.
I left the abbey in 84 and returned to London the place of my birth in May 1985.
I was sad when I heard that Abbey School was closing down.
I guess that we can all thank Fr. Vincent Merrique (he subsequently left Mt St Benedict's got married and had 2 children) for that.
He always maintained that Abbey School was for "rich white boys" so I guess that with an attitude like that with those views he started the ball rolling.
But I have always maintained that we were all very privileged to have attended the Abbey School.
What a school, what views, what surroundings and what a wonderful community.
I did not know this at the time but when you have time to grow up and reflect truthfully then it becomes apparent.
Through Abbey School we went to Caracas (1980) for a week with Fr Cuthbert and Mr Lange.
In 1984 we went to Bogota Colombia with Mrs Razack (Pamela), Bro Ronald Yee Mon and other class mates like Garvin Gonzales.
I could not make it to the Reunion in 2005.
I turned 40 and so I had a big celebration with my partner and friends.
However Pamela Razack sent me lots of photos.
It was good seeing old faces and it was not nice remembering others.
Hope that you do not mind my interrupting your day.
We do not know each other but as I said to Don in a previous email it is always great to hear from other old mount boys irrespective of the time they were there.
Until I hear form you again.

Neil Trotman
Abbey School 1978-1984.

(How about scanning the photos for the Circular? Ed.)
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Don Mitchell CBE QC
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 8:20:28 AM

Hi Neil,
Many thanks.
You will have seen the ones of me on the website, so I shall not repeat them.
Just in case you did not send these photos to Ladislao I am doing so for you.
He is collecting photos of both the old times at Mount and current photos of "old boys".
Don't forget to send him a short bio so he can bring your ex-school mates up to date.
If you have any photos of your Mount days, please scan them for him.
Keep well.
Don
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From: NEIL TROTMAN
To: Don Mitchell CBE QC
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 7:19 AM

Good Morning Don,
Just thought that I would let you put a face to the name.
Neil
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From: Shaun
Subject: Tardieu boys
Date: 5/29/ 11:10:07 PM

Dear Shuan

I have no Tardieu kids in my listing.

Can you help??.

Sorry to have to report the accident.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Jean Pierre (Deceased) was the oldest.
He would have graduated between 1976-78.
There was a Jean Paul and another but I really don’t remember these guys too well as I didn’t hang out with them.

Shaun

(Can anybody help?? Ed.)
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Use the code of the photos when replying.

This is for now, keep well.

God Bless

Ladislao
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Photos:
06NT0001NTR, Neil Trotman in New York
06NT0002NTR, Neil Trotman
01LK0001LKEGRB, Pablo Castellani, Roberto Bodington and your editor Maracaibo
01LK0002PCA, Pablo Castellani Maracaibo
01LK0003LKERBO, Roberto Bodington Maracaibo