Circular No 300

Newsletter for past alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.

Caracas, 4 August 2007, No.300

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Dear Friends,

Yesterday I got my new computer and things have not been as smooth as I would have liked it to be.

So it is going to be a while to get the Circulars going with the regularity as most of the times.

I just want to let you know that I am well and think a lot about the weekly schedule.

So for now a couple of the old ones.

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Don Mitchell CBE QC

Monday, July 2, 2007 5:30:11 AM

Hello all,

Yes, the Circulars are a little irregular at the present time.

Ladislao has told us that he is under a lot of work pressure.

But, they are still coming out pretty regularly.

We might also drop off his circulation list from time to time.

This is especially so when he changes computers, and has to reconstruct his address folders.

All you have to do is to email him and let him know you are not getting the Circulars.

He will put you back on the list.

There is always the Blog where all of them are posted pretty much the day he sends them out: http://abbeyschool2007.blogspot.com/.

Here in Anguilla, we are managing to get by on a tide of corruption.

It is producing its own energy in Anguilla.

Enough to ru[i]n the entire economy.

Keep well,

Don

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From: Ed Lloyd

To: Tony Vieira

Sent: Monday, July 02, 2007 4:25 AM

Subject: Re: Golf terms

Hi Tony,

If my memory serves me correct, isn't there a very strong current which covers the Atlantic region of Guyana?

I remember from past offshore ventures around Guyana that many operations were suspended due to tidal/current problems?

This Brazilian/Amazon basin tide affects also Trinidad and Venezuela's East coast, but not as ferocious as the Guyana one.

With you chaps having to import hydrocarbons, might be a good idea to look into this tidal power generation.

I'll let you know if I hear of anything about the Pentlands Firth experiments.

You're right; the notes from Caracas have dried up?

What about Boxhead?

Haven't heard a peep from him in recent times.

Retirement too good?

Edward

PS. have a good well deserved holiday in the US of A. Heard about our brush with terrorists in recent days? London and Glasgow - - - too close for comfort.

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From: Tony Vieira tandjv@networksgy.com

To: Ed Lloyd edwardlloyd@yahoo.co.uk

Sent: Sunday, 29 July, 2007 5:05:00 AM

Subject: Re: Golf terms

Thanks Ed,

Are you good?

Did I miss the circulars or have they stopped?

I am off to the US in two weeks first time in nearly two years I will be taking some time off.

Ed if this energy thing ever comes off and you hear about it, I would like as early a warning as possible, some of us might just want to invest in property around such a development.

Other people will also be speculating as well, so this has to be really early after they build something that works; what i saw on the BBC looked like a faith accompli but you know how that goes.

its like one of your blonde jokes "duhh i thought that it would work"

Tony

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At 11:27 AM 6/28/2007, you wrote:

Hi Tony

It's called the Pentlands Firth and can have currents as high as 17 knots.

It's the body of water between the mainland of Scotland (Wick area) to the Orkney Islands.

Fabulous place, I've visited a few times.

There are experiments going on just now, but they always come up short mainly due to equipment failure - very treacherous waters, the place is littered in wrecks (at Scappa is where the Germans scuttled their war ships during at the end of the First war)

Ed

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Tony Vieira wrote:

Cheers Selwyn,

What’s this massive current off the shore of Scotland that has enough power to give electricity to all of the UK?

It uses what is called a tidal pump.

Have you heard of it?

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Tony did lot of literature at School, he did this resume a couple of years ago.

Who can remember these two books?

More than 40 years ago when I was in school the two books we had to study for GCE literature were Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and "A Man For All Seasons" by Robert Bolt.
I have not seen Bolt's book since I left school but I have a good memory for these things, now Bolt's book concerned the life, and death, of Sir Thomas Moore later to be canonised by the Catholic Church to become Saint Thomas Moore.
Moore's king, Henry VIII, wanted to divorce his wife Katherine, now Katherine of Aragon was in fact Henry's elder Brother's wife, his sister in law and Henry had asked the pope for a dispensation to marry his brother's widow when he became king on his brother's death, since Katharine's father was the king of Spain and it was a political/military/strategic arrangement. Now I am speaking from memory of what I studied 40 odd years ago so if I make a small error here and there, you will please forgive me, as time went on Henry had no son by this Katherine of Aragon so he asked the pope to proclaim that he had made a mistake and should dispense with his previous dispensation, declare the marriage to Katherine invalid and void, and this would allow Henry to marry his new sweetheart Anne Bolin.
The Pope told Henry to go to hell and Henry told the pope to go to hell, the result was that Henry was kicked out of the Catholic Church, we call it excommunication, and he formed his own church, the Church of England of which he made himself the head.
But Thomas Moore who was the Chancellor of the Exchequer [a position much like our Minister of Finance but with far more wide ranging powers] was one of the most celebrated scholars of his day in Europe, and refused to play ball with Henry; but Henry was insistent since Moore's support would have given enormous credibility to his shenanigans. One day when all in England were required to take an oath saying that they would support Henry in this breaking away from the church and swear allegiance to the issue of his marriage to Anne Bolin, Moore who did not want to take this oath was trying to tell his friend the Duke of Norfolk about the importance of the Law.
Norfolk who was not noted for his intellect said to Moore, "Thomas I can never understand you, I would cut down all of the laws in England to get at the devil" Moore looked at his friend in a most piteous way and asked him "and after you cut down all of the laws and the devil finally turns on you, where will you hide? Having no laws to protect you!!"

Exerps from Tony’s speech oct 05

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"Don Mitchell CBE, QC" <idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:

The below exchange is too funny to be kept private! I am copying it to Ladislao for him to give it light, air and water and let it flourish!

Don

PS: I have taken the liberty of editing Tony's atrocious punctuation!

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From: Tony Vieira

To: Michael Stein

Cc: edwardlloyd@yahoo.co.uk

Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2006 9:57 AM

Subject: RE: Missing Circulars

Sorry Michael,

I am 62 years old and my beautiful smile is not marred by a broken tooth nor do I have any crowns in my front teeth, so my getting a broken tooth has to be wrong.

I remember a couple of things about fights, I did have a fight with one of the French boys Piton or maybe even this same Zeven, outside the library one night after lights out and I did break his front tooth.

I carry the mark on my knuckles to this day.

Selwin, do you remember this fight?

I believe that you were my second.

I also remember punching Don Mitchell and practically knocked him out whilst we were fooling around in the old boys room with boxing gloves.

Do you remember that Don?

Worst experience i ever had at the mount watching you lying on the tennis table groaning.

I thought that I had killed you and that I was going to get JAIL!!

I also remember kicking the crap out of Wayne Gittens in the dressing room near the play field.

I also remember Edward Lloyd [my frigging best friend] cuffing me in the mouth and giving me an abscess in the gum which nearly made me lose my canine tooth [bottom Jaw left side] since someone lied to him and told him that I had hit his little brother, Chriastian.

I don't remember you at all Michael, can you send me a picture?

Around 1985 I met Richard Gault.

He was living in a place called Coral Springs, Florida.

He was a really successful Insurance broker, had his own agency and doing very well.

I wouldn't venture a guess as to the size of his ....! but one thing I do remember, in 1985 he did not look so big to me anymore.

Don, regarding the circulars, I sent what I have.

I will check to see if I sent it in a manner which erases the attachments.

That happens sometimes also, in addition to the premature ejacumaling.

Tony

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Use the code on the photos when replying.

Any comments on the old boys that signed the manuscript.

This is for now, keep well.

God Bless

Ladislao

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Photos:

02TV0001JVIGRP, At the boat landing, by Tony.

02TV0002MONGUY, Monastery in Guyana, by Tony

58EL0001Signatures of some old boys taken in 1958

06DM0001DMIANG, Don having fun.