Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict , Trinidad and Tobago
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Dear Friends,
Can anyone remember this visit??
Here is a compendium on Castro’s visit to the mount.
I must sadly say that I cannot remember, so “no comment”.
Maybe our house writer, Wayne Vincent Brown might be kind to confirm the visit???
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Re: CASTRO'S VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!
Norman Smith
Tuesday, June 26, 2007 10:39:01 AM
Fidel's visit was before my time (61-66)...
I remember the map that was posted on the bulletin board during the Missile Crisis.
It showed the range of reach (and destruction) of the missiles in Cuba
For a brief moment we were scared.
The view of Mount from Piarco Airport
For those that have viewed Mount from space (Google Earth), you have seen there is a cloud blocking most of the view.
How can we request they upgrade that shot?
The pool looks abandoned.
Have a nice day!
Norman SMITH
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Re: CASTRO'S VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!
Nigel Boos
Monday, June 25, 2007 8:13:53 AM
Seems like I'll have to do it again, eh?
In a while, Che Che. . . . . . . . . . . OK - how's this?
The Abbey School
We had ½ day classes on Wednesdays and we made up the lost time by having ½ day classes again on Saturdays.
Which meant, of course, that we actually spent MORE time in class than every other school, because whereas the afternoon classes ran only from 1.00 p.m. to 3.00 p.m., (i.e., for 2 hours), morning classes ran from 8.00 a.m. until 11.30 a.m., if I remember correctly. (i.e., we put in at least 1 ½ hours MORE per week than any other kids in Trinidad ).
But that’s another story.
BUT ….. it also made us that much more fit, because every half-day, we had to trek downhill to the Sports Field at the base of the mountain on which the School was built, and then back up again, at 5.30 p.m.
So, whether we liked it or not, we just had to do it. . . .
But what the heck!
It was good exercise, and it made men out of us.
It was on one of these half-days, I can’t remember whether it was a Wednesday or a Saturday, that we received a message that the President of Cuba, Senor Fidel Castro himself, was about to pay an unplanned visit to the Mount.
We were asked not to interrupt the great man, but to carry on with whatever we were doing, except that, should we run into him, we should simply be polite and wait for him to pass by, as he wished.
Excitement ran high.
We finished our lunch and headed to the dorms to get dressed for lawn tennis, cricket, swimming, or whatever.
And, with towels around our necks, rackets in hand, ready for the afternoon’s games, we headed down the hill.
Bro. Vincent accompanied us, as he always did, and chatting as we went, it was soon apparent that something unusual was happening.
The line of boys had come to a complete halt.
Right across the road from the “Rest House”.
(The Rest House was a place where pilgrims to the Mount could purchase refreshments and relax while eating their food).
And there, standing outside his motor car, surrounded by a small group of his officers, all clad in fatigues, was the Great Man himself.
Fidel was a tall man, as I remember, and one or two of the Benedictine monks (possibly Fr. Abbot) and Fr. J.C. Lee Sing – our Spanish teacher) were there, chatting and most probably explaining the story of Mt. St. Benedict to him.
Noticing our presence, he nodded to us and waved once, but sadly, he did not come over to us to talk with us.
Any further information, I suggest that you might like to contact former Bro. Vincent.
I believe he's a deacon now, and a lawyer, somewhere.
Don or Ladislao should have his contact info.
Nigel
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CASTRO'S VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!
Don Mitchell CBE QC
Monday, June 25, 2007 5:00:46 AM
Hello all,
I tried doing a search of the Blogs for the word "Fidel".
I searched them all.
I could not find a positive result.
Perhaps it was not published?
Don
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Re: CASTRO'S VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!
Rafael Echeverría
Sunday, June 24, 2007 11:34:18 PM
Thank you so much Don !!!
Believe it or not Don... just the brief description you give means a lot to me for the chronicle I am working on !
Thank you so much Don !!!
Even though you do admit to have been just a kid when all this happened ....
Can you confirm to me- to the best of your own recollection - if what I recalled about Fr. Bernard's description of events is correct ?
Can you describe Castro's personal demeanor ?
Was there any particular issue - about the man or the moment - that might have impressed you or "impacted" you ?
Please tell me.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Believe me, it's important to me.
I am carrying on a research on the matter by direct testimony from witnesses and you are a very qualified one !
You were there.
Siempre Amigo !!!
Rafael / CheChe
P.S.- Can anyone else give me a hand ?????? LADISLAO !!!!!!!!!!!! ....... HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Re: CASTRO'S VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!
Rafael Echeverría
Sunday, June 24, 2007 11:19:07 PM
Thank you Nigel,
Please! If you do find your article kindly send it to me.
I am highly interested in this issue.
Thank you Nigel !
CheChe
P.D. Hey Ladislao!!!! Do you have Nigel's Article???? Can you re-send it to me????
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On 6/24/07, Nigel Boos <nigelboos@yahoo.ca> wrote:
Che Che,
You are quite right about this.
I distinctly remember the occasion, and in fact, I had written the story as an article for Ladislao about 2 years ago.
I can't remember whether it was ever posted onto the now-defunct website, but maybe Don or Laz can tell us both whatever became of the article.
Good hearing from you.
Blessings.
Nigel
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Hello CheChe,
I was there.
I can remember as a small boy, in about 1958 or 1959, standing among a large crowd of persons on the road to the Abbey waving at the great man.
I do not recall much about it, as I was a very young boy, perhaps 11 or 12 years of age.
He was dressed in his green military fatigues and sported his big beard, and waved back at all of us.
But, what it was all about was way above my head.
Don
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CASTRO'S VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!
Rafael Echeverría
Sunday, June 24, 2007 4:25:13 PM
REF: FIDEL CASTRO's VISIT TO MOUNT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dear Ladislao ... and all the rest of you ... good friends from the ol'days !
During my stay at Mount (1964 - 1967) I was told that Fidel Castro had visited the Island of Trinidad shortly after becoming Cuba Cuba Mount St Piarco Airport
According to Fr. Bernard's account (as I hardly remember it!!.. I was with other fellow students .. I don't remember whom... I believe I was with Irvin Allum or Norman Smith... I'm just not sure) and right before entering into the plane, Fidel Castro pointed at Mount and asked what was that building(?). People informed him that it was a Monastery of Benedictine Priests and a School for Boys. Castro - surprisingly - went back down the stairs and asked to be taken to Mount to visit the site. And he did!
Can anyone confirm this with a more detailed description? Can you ask any of your class mates or ask any or the priests still at Mount ? (Fr. Cuthbert perhaps?)
Exact date ?
Who was Castro accompanied by?
Who received him at Mount?
Was The Abbot present?
What did Castro say?
Are there any particular detail or any other remembrance from such an event?
What facilities did he visit at Mount?
Any particular comments from him?
Did he speak to any of the Mount students?
Can anyone from the generation of the late 50's into the 60's (1958 to 1962) tell me about this ??? I am HIGHLY interested in this.
Can anyone help me ????
Please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rafael Echeverria / CheChe
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That was the correspondence on Fidel´s visit to the Mount. Any comments are appreciated.
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Photos:
02LK0001LKEGRP, Dinner in Caracas
02LK0002LKEGRP, Dinner in Caracas
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