Circular No 969

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

Caracas, 30 of May 2020 No. 969

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Dear Friends,

There follows a couple of exchanges between old, Old Boys of the 1940s.

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Brian Gonsalves <brian.gonsalves36@yahoo.com>

Thu, Apr 23 at 1:03 PM

Thank you, Clive,

for your prompt response to my nostalgic email following the sad news that that Arthur had died in Canada.

I note that you do not remember the "snake incident" which - although I can't pinpoint the actual date - must have been during our time at MSB in '45/'46.

I do recollect that it was an impressive snake (an 8+ft young python?) so I hope that there may be an ancient old MSB contemporary 'out there' who may be able to verify matters.

When the current COVID-19 crisis is finally resolved and you next set off on your travels from Spain (to Barbados?) why not fly via the UK so we can meet up?

There is always spare room available with Michelyne and myself in Oxfordshire. Meanwhile, I do hope you are safe and well in the current medically dangerous COVID-19 times.

Take care, best wishes and good health to all,

Brian

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On 23 April 2020, at 13:57,

Clive Bettencourt <clive_bettencourt@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:

Brian, thanks for your email and photos.  They brought back lovely memories. 

I do not remember the incident with the snake.

I knew Arthur very well. In fact, I stayed at his house in POS once.

On another occasion he stayed at my family home in Georgetown.

I also met him in Barbados two or three times whilst we were both on holiday.

He then ended up living in Canada and I in Spain.

I spent the month of January in Barbados and a week in February in Guyana staying with Kit Nascimento.

In fact, I did the same thing the year before.

Un abrazo.

Clive.

----- Forwarded message ---------------------------------

From: Brian Gonsalves <brian.gonsalves36@yahoo.com>

Sent: Tuesday, 21 April 2020, 16:50:53 BST

Subject: Arthur Knaggs at MSB 1945/46

Dear Ladislao (and Don)

Even though I only met Arthur Knaggs fleetingly 75 years ago, I was saddened to hear that he had died and I would like to send my sincere condolences and sympathy (via your renowned bulletin) to all his family and many friends. Nigel Boos' email to Mrs Sue Knaggs was a most courteous and fitting tribute to Arthur, who was one of the senior "giants" at the Abbey School, when a group of very young "Boys from B G" (now - Guyana) arrived at MSB in 1945. Most of us remained at MSB for just over a year, before departing in 1946 to finish our schooling in the UK.

Now, as an ancient 84-year-old ex-Mount Boy (with a fading memory for everyday matters) I still retain clear, concise and vivid recollections of incidents that transpired at MSB (75 years ago) which leads me back to Arthur Knaggs, with his youthful fascination for all forms of wildlife. I remember Arthur being involved in capturing a large snake from the forest behind MSB and bringing it to the School to show it to a gathering of astonished boys. Fr Ildefons was there, and I assume that he must have allowed Arthur to release the snake on the stone terrace, at the side of the main School building, where it slithered around for some time. Eventually Fr Ildefons instructed Arthur to collect the snake (in a sack) and (presumably) return it back to the wild?

It would be a bonus if any (ancient) Old Mount Boy, circa 1945, might be able to substantiate this snake event? I realise that there are not too many Old Boys from the '45 era still around (only 3 of the original "Boys from B G" - Clive B-G in Spain, Johnny Willems in Guyana and myself in Oxfordshire, UK) are still standing - BUT "hope springs eternal" that someone, somehow and somewhere may recollect what was a truly unusual incident ...

Finally, on behalf of the old "Boys from B G", I would like to pay a special tribute for the loving support and generous hospitality that we received from Mrs & Mrs A Farfan, who sent two of their sons (John & David) to MSB in 1945. Mr Ainsley Farfan was a good friend of my father (both Horse Racing fans) and his wife and himself virtually adopted the B G boys and sheltered us from the all the forlorn rigours of being away from home. Mrs Farfan was a very beautiful and gracious lady, who was largely instrumental in persuading Fr Bernard to allow us to have numerous 'exeats' away from MSB, over weekends, to be thoroughly spoilt and entertained (as indicated in the old prints attached to my email)..

Take care, best regards and good health to all in these medically dangerous (C/Virus) times,

Brian Gonsalves

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idmitch@anguillanet.com

Tue, Apr 21 at 5:18 PM

Hello, Brian,

Many thanks for this memoire of yours. You won’t find this easy to understand, but we are more likely to hear from members of your generation at Mount than those of the late1960s, the 1970s, and the1980s. They don’t seem to have been taught to write essays like we were.

The very best to you and yours, and here’s hoping you all keep safe during the pandemic.

Don

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Don Mitchell <idmitch@anguillanet.com>

Tue, Jan 15, 2019 at 7:07 PM

Hello, Brian,

How good to hear from you, and a Happy New Year to you too.  Amazing to me, I was not even born in 1945 when you were an early Mount Boy.

The MSB database started by Nigel and maintained by Kazim Abasali shows the details of Trevor’s life and death as follows.

“Attended MSB from 22nd of April 1945 and left on 12th Dec 1949. Scouts. King's Scout 1948. It is with heavy hearts and much sadness that we write to you about the passing of Trevor Evelyn. He passed surrounded by his family on January 27, 2017 at the age of 84. Loving husband of Jacqueline (Nee Wight) for 60 years. World’s best dad to his 6 children Donna, Jackie, Paula, David, Simone and Anne. He will be missed by his 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

Jackie Evelyn”

I have no idea why I still have him in my mailing list.  But that is now corrected (there are two families of deceased Old Boys who have asked me to continue sending Ladislao’s Circulars as they enjoy reading them.)

Best,

Don

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From: Brian Gonsalves

Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 9:51 AM

Dear Don Mitchell,

Just a brief note from a really ancient MSB old boy, who attended Mount St Benedict in 1945, together with 6 friends and family members (Trevor Evelyn, Anthony & John Willems, Clive Bettencourt-Gomes, Bernard, Terrence & Brian Gonsalves) all from British Guiana (now Guyana). Except for Trevor, who stayed on at MSB until 1950, the rest us departed from Trinidad to England in 1946 to be educated by the Jesuits (who were just as dedicated as the Benedictines to strict Catholic discipline in academic studies, sporting prowess and corporate punishment!).

Out of the original 7 youngsters, only 3 of us (Clive B-G in Spain, John Willems in Guyana and myself in Oxford, UK) are still "fighting the good fight", albeit at a much less robust pace than in past years. For me, poignant memories of the halcyon days in Trinidad at MSB still remain, enhanced and helped by the regular circulars that you send out to MSB old boys. One minor admin matter, Trevor Evelyn died in Toronto about 4 years ago and perhaps his e-address: (tevelyn@rogers.com) should be removed from your MSB contact list?

With belated best wishes to you for happy and holy 2019,

Brian

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Brian Gonsalves <brian.gonsalves36@yahoo.com>

Wed, Jan 16, 2019 at 7:39 AM

Thank you, Don, for your prompt response to my initial email and I note my mistake about the date of Trevor's death in 2017. I was also pleased to receive a copy of the email from Nigel who helped me (several years ago) to renew contact with members of the Farfan family, whose grandparents had been exceptionally hospital to all the BG boys during our time at MSB ...  happy memories of being taken by Mr Ainsley Farfan to Maracas Bay, as a group with two of his sons (John & David) and then being thoroughly spoilt by their mother at their home in Maraval ....

Excellent idea of yours, Nigel, to request the Principles at MSB to consider keeping the historical photographs, plus other significant memorabilia from the past, in a formal archive at the Abbey. Please let us know if even an 'old timers' (like me), can help progress this worthwhile project.

Best wishes

Brian

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<idmitch@anguillanet.com> wrote:

Date: Wednesday, 16 January, 2019, 0:51

Hi, Nigel,

Just seeing this, and that after I sent you the first draft of the catalogue I prepared for you to look at before I circulate it.

I like the idea of the documents being housed at MSB.  It will probably last longer than any of us!

Looking forward to any comments or improvements you can make to my descriptions of the items catalogued in due course. It only took about 3 hours, as I started at about 5:00 and finished about 8:00.

Best,

Don

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From: Nigel Boos

Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2019 8:07 PM

Don,

Brian’s note (Hello, Brian) to you reminded me to let you know - many of the photographs and a few of the MSB booklets included in the package I sent you by FedEx (so glad that it arrived safely – thank God!) were transferred to me by Trevor Evelyn himself, shortly before he died a few years ago in Ontario. Just for the record, and thanks to Trevor, they’re still “alive”.

Now, about a location and a responsible person to maintain these and other artifacts that might turn up. . . . . I got to thinking, and I believe that the BEST place to store this material is right there at MSB, somewhere in a room where visitors to the monastery, Old Boys of the Abbey School and their families, pilgrims etc. can spend some time looking at them during their visit. I know that Abbot Pereira and/or Bro. Paschal Jordan should have the right to approve or disapprove of this idea, so maybe we should ask him to them to consider such a proposal. In addition, perhaps one of the brothers, appointed by Fr. Abbot, might be encouraged to take over the task of cataloguing, protecting and displaying these docs, Terrence’s Sports and Scouting awards, and so on, and perhaps this might be a small fund-raising idea ($1.00 / visit ??) to support the work of the Benedictine Monastery. Perhaps too, photographs of the various pictures of the monks of Mount, with an emphasis on those who worked or were involved with us at the Abbey School, might be requested from the existing Community and used to supplement the artifacts now under discussion.

Just a thought!

Any comments?

Nigel

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz, 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:

36LK4628FBEDIMSB, Noviciate Building

71LK9750FBTFEGRP, UNKNOWNS

59UN0051TENNIS, UNKNOWNS

18LK2975FBKKH, Kamal Khan at school