Circular No 1017

 

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

Caracas, 22 of May 2021 No.1017 may C

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Dear Friends,

We have reached the middle of May and I want to thank you for the material that you have sent.

Missing lines from Glen Mckoy, promised but not sent.

Also remember to keep sending funds to overcome the dire difficulties, may God reward you tenfold.

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Harold Imamshah

For a year I have heard people saying, “I just can’t wait for things to be back to normal.”

I remember even saying that a few times myself.

But as I’ve thought about our current situation, I have realized how much I don’t want things to go back to the way they were.

Here are a few of thoughts...

1. I pray that the next time a friend grabs me and pulls me in for a hug, I actually take the time to appreciate the gift of their embrace.

2. I pray that when school resumes and you are dropping your kids off, you take the time to thank the staff for the amazing gift that they give to your family.

3. I pray that the next time I’m sitting in a crowded restaurant I take the time to look around at the smiling faces, loud voices and be more appreciative for the gift of community.

4. I pray that when I am at the grocery store that I take a moment to acknowledge the necessities of life and the amazing people who work so hard to keep us supplied.

5. I pray that I never again take for granted the ability to hop in the car and visit a friend, go to the mall, go to a movie, etc.

So, truth is, I don’t want things to return to the way they once were.

I pray that we take the lessons and challenges of the past year and create a new normal.

My goal is to appreciate more, love harder, and truly appreciate the daily abundance of blessings that were so easily overlooked a year ago.

If someone tells you they love you, take it to heart!

Please feel free to share as I have done, just copy and paste on your wall

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Albert Viarruel

11 Apr 2021, 10:15

Hi, Albert, I am the editor of the Abbey School Mt.St. Benedict newsletter,

Are you an alumnus of the school?

please keep me informed,

God Bless

Albert

11 April at 10:44

Yes, I am.

You can now call each other and see information such as Active Status and when you've read messages.

Class of 76 and 77

Ok thanks, I shall add you to the list,

I need your email address to send you the latest Circular No. 1011 and a class photo for you to make correctios.

You

sent 11 April at 10:48

Did you graduate at Mount?

If not, at which form you left the school

Albert

sent 11 April at 10:50

I graduated 76 and repeated 77

Lbrtvrrl@gmail.com

You

sent 11 April at 10:50

Are you in TT

Albert

sent 11 April at 10:51

I am

You

sent 11 April at 10:57

I just sent you circular 1011 Hope you enjoy the 1000 published before that in the Blog. Do you have a phone number?

With whom are you in contact right now schoolmates?

I just sent you the 1977 class photo

Albert

sent 11 April at 11:24

Ok Chat later

You

sent 11 April at 11:24

I have whatsapp +58 412 222 5695

Albert

sent 11 April at 11:25

I'll send you a whatsapp message later

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MY DIEGO MARTIN IN THE 50’s.

By Jerry Bain.

I spent the first 18 years of my life growing up in the beautiful town of Diego Martin.

I was born at # 14 Ann Avenue (for some reason, it was also called Fairview Ave. although I never knew why) across from the way from Pouchet family and between the Prizgars (Len) and the Patience family who had 3 daughters.

At the top of the street on the main road were the Lashleys, then coming down the hill, the Guillens, the Mills, the Stanleys and the Cross families.

We also had friends who lived at the River Estate Plantation, the Ross family, and my father drove an old Ford ’jitney’ when he worked for Geo. F. Huggins.

Three houses away lived Dave and Delano de Castro.

Dave of course, formed the Calypso Bandits in his day.

We would later build our own home and move to Strathayes Ave. near the Boys Industrial School, as it was called in those days.

In the backyard there was a mound of stones for ‘bleaching’ the white clothes and a line for sun drying.

There was also mango, zaboca, guava, soursop, and lime trees, in the backyard.

In my day, when you pass Cocorite and got to the roundabout, go straight and you in Carenage, turn right and you at Four Roads junction.

One road to Diego Martin, one road to Petit Valley, one road to the San Diego chicken farm and St. Finbars Church, it was that simple.

Christmas was the most significant season of family togetherness, feasting and merriment.

The house had to be thoroughly cleaned.

The furniture had to be polished and floors had to be scrubbed or polished and shined manually.

We had glass louvers throughout the house, so guess who had the job of cleaning all the glass, and you couldn’t do it from outside, because every window had wrought iron, even the front door had wrought iron gates.

New curtains had to be sewn and hung.

Occasionally, an imported Christmas Tree, cut from a live tree, was purchased from Grell and Company.

The tree had the “Christmas smell” to the house.

Residents and visitors to the neighbourhood extended “Merry Christmas” greetings to everyone, and not the recent “Happy Holidays” greetings as introduced in recent times.

Christmas was and continues to be about celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

We erected our creches at home and, on Boxing day, it was our turn to have the whole family over to eat, drink and be merry.

On our street we had the Knowles family, the Gittens family, the Bournes and another clan of Pouchet family, all part of the special people who lived on that street and some of the nicest families one could ever hope to meet.

I also used to hang out in Petit Valley a lot too, the Pinards on Hibiscus Drive, the Geofroys (Peter) on Laburnam Avenue, the Rouses, Lousaings, Battoos, and the de Gannes family (Rolf and Ferdi) along with the Holders from New Street.

On Saturdays we were all at Eric Woon Sam’s place working on cars to go to Wallerfield on Sunday along with Ralph Thom, Sidney Manhin, Emmy Kong, Pernel ‘PeeWee’ Welsh, Silborn Clarke and Michael Nunes to name a few.

There was a guy called Rudy who was a mechanic of sorts and had an outdoor garage in the triangle at Sierra Leorne Rd. and the main road…

There was a huge tree growing in the yard that he used as a winch to pull engines out of the cars he worked on.

My cousin and riding partner when we got our driving license was Dennis ‘Reds’ Grimshaw who lived on Thomas Drive near Majuba Cross Road.

We went to church at St. John the Evangelist or St. Anthony's depending where I had to serve Mass on Sunday morning.

There was Fr. English and Fr. Ward in Diego Martin and Fr. Cyril Ross and Fr. David Olivierri in Petit Valley.

I was taught to be an acolyte by Cecil Williams, now Bro. Marius of Mount St. Benedict.  His brother Carl was also our barber up in Rich plain road.

At Carnival time we hung out with either Valley Harps on the Morne Coco Road in Petit Valley, or Merrytones, a great steel orchestra located in the Green Hill Village of Diego Martin.

There was also another steelband side in La Puerta Ave, but the name escapes me.

"Coolie Block" in the early stages was a virtual squatting area where vegetables were cultivated by a number of Indian and Irish families.

The Irish came mostly from Barbados and St. Vincent and were regarded as 'poor whites'.

Iris Toyer was of Irish heritage and was born in "Coolie Block" and lived there all her life.

Her mother was a Redleg from Barbados and she came to Trinidad in search of better opportunities.

The name of the place was changed to Patna Village in 1958 by Dr Eric Williams, because he wanted the word "coolie" removed from the local vocabulary.

It was called Patna Village because most of the East Indians living there had roots in Patna, a town on the Ganges, and the capital of Bihar state in India.

The water wheel was located at the entrance to the village was used for crushing the sugar cane produced on the estate.

Blue Basin Waterfall remains as one of the major show pieces in the valley and the most accessible waterfall in Trinidad.

Diamond Estate has its own history, it was home to many East Indian families until the land was assigned for housing development.

Tola Ram, a former resident, once commented that the villagers were asked to move to Cumuto when government decided to convert Diamond Estate into a housing settlement, but they refused because Cumuto was too far, as many of the villagers had already established themselves in the valley, so they went to Patna Village.

In 1961 Homes International built 2,000 houses on 102.4 acres.

The project was the first of its kind in Trinidad, launched on April 5, 1961 and Diamond Estate became Diamond Vale.

In earlier times this area was occupied by native Amerindians.

Later it became home to African slaves, Irish and Scottish families, East Indian laborers, a small number of Jews, French Creole landowners, and a few Chinese butchers.

The slaves came from Sierra Leone and the Congo, the Irish and Scots from neighbouring Barbados, East Indians from Bihar, India, Jews from Israel, and Chinese from Hong Kong.

Also arriving there was Grenada-born Roume de St Laurent, who after visiting many places in Trinidad, decided to settle temporarily in the valley along with his friend Maurice Lapeyrouse.

The valley now stretches from the north coast to Cocorite, with small villages scattered here and there.

Up in La Puerta Avenue, we hung out by the Aleongs, the Josephs and the Besson family and I remember the great Diego Martin flood that took out the bridge near Four Roads.

It was eventually replaced by a one-lane Bailey bridge that stood there for many years after.

Now, I don’t know if anyone remembers, but down by where that bridge at Four roads, at Zev Ben Eliazer Ave., a friend of mine, Revel Sankar had a steelband right across the road from Gubby Metevier’s home.

Anyone remember the name of that pan side?

Further down the Diego main road was Louis Hurdle, the Alaha’s (Anton and Hayden) Ena and Una Arneaud (Tiny and Lupsie), the Diesel family, Ann Marie Noreiga, Judge Eman Anisette, the Wiley family, whose mother was my mom’s seamstress… her daughter was the love of my life before I was shipped off to Canada by my father, again, that’s another story.

Peter and I used to ride from Diego Martin to San Juan to lime with the Olivierri’s, Andy, Emily and Eddie at Campo and John Street.

Schooling started at Miss Smith’s private school on Charles St. in Cobo town, next door to my Grand Mother, Mama Bain and my cousins, the Hinkson family across from Chas. Mc Enerny on the corner, then on to Mount St. Benedict and finally Fatima College before having to serve active duty working in my father’s store.

After that, all hell broke loose when I was sent off to Canada to study, but that’s another story.

My Dad hung out in Belmont quite a lot by the Bordes on lower Pelham St. and I was always brought along for the ride.

We also visited the Thompson’s from Darceuil Lane who, as I remember, had 4 sons and they had a panside called Tropitones that practiced in their backyard.

I think these 4 guys all became pilots with BWIA later on.

My favourite aunts and uncles were Henry and Rita in Gallus St., we lived in their house in Woodford St. for a while when they were in England, Charlie and Doris, he was the family dentist and had his practice above the Arcade on Frederick Street, where ’Crazy’ Bob Arneaud and Sonny Bugoe used to hang out, they lived across from the Hospital on Charlotte Street.

Don and Joan lived on Irish Ave. in Glenco, he was the person who started me off in my record collection days, and there was also Georgie, Andy and Auntie Jeanette Hinkson, my father’s sister.

Going to school at Fatima was the happiest time of my life.

I used to stay at my aunts place at Warren and Ana Street, right across from Hi Hi which was famous for its Chinese-style chicken..

Behind her house you could hear Starlift practicing at Carnival time.

It was also convenient for J’ouvert morning and other carnival times.

It was also across from St. Teresa’s convent.

Some of the people that I remember from those Woodbrook days, Irvine Lee Pack, Steve Raghunanan, Albert ‘Philo’James, Reynold ‘Puddin’ Marcellin, Jeffrey ‘Rabbit’ Mahabir, David ‘Splav’ Waddell and Winston ‘Reds’ Mulligan.

And you can’t forget ‘Agarat’.

Some of the youth soccer teams that functioned during this period included Fallen Angels, Totspurs, and Rockerfellas.

But coming back to Diego Martin in the steelband days, there was La Creole Pan Groove from up in La Puerta Avenue, Merrytones who moved to Bagatelle Road, Panatics from up by the Water Wheel, Plain Phonics on Rick Plain Road and later, West Stars of Parakeet Avenue up by River Estate area.

Diego Martin’s claim to fame includes…

Her Imperial Majesty Empress Shebah ‘Ra – Queen Shebah lll was born in 1963 in Diego Martin, Trinidad, the 4th generation of migrated Nubian-Kushites of Nubia-Sheba Sudan, North-African Royals Ancestry.

Queen Shebah III, as all of the family, lived a normal unassuming life in Trinidad, and attended the Diego Martin Girls Roman Catholic School, and later Providence Girls Convent in Belmont.

Shebah III was born on September 19th 1963 to Asere - Kasambu 'Ra lines descendants, H.R.M Prince Michael I and H.R.M Queen Meryre/Mary 'Ra VII, the daughter of the late Nubian Imperial Matriarch Iris Meryre II, in Trinidad and Tobago, holding in accordance to Imperial Kingdoms tradition at birth as future Matriarch, the title of Imperial Queen, Shebah lll.

Shebah III is the Sovereign Imperial Empress of the African Nubian Nations’ Imperial Empire Kingdom of Sheba.

The Sheba Imperial Empire Kingdoms is the Matriarchal Empire of Nubian Royal Kingdoms Nation throughout East, West, North, Southern and Central Africa Sheba/Nubia descendant Nations Lines of Africa`s over 350 Major Empire Kingdom Nations and several thousand Royal Kingdom and Chiefdoms Nations on the African Continent.

So now you know…. Doh mess wit we Diegonotaries.

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Glen G. McKoy

Moderator,

Urgent Notice. In order for our Circular to continue this year 2021, Members that want to continue receiving the Circular, will have to contribute a donation of any amount, will be acceptable. We are at our 1001 issue of the circular.

It’s been decades, Sir

Ladislao Kertesz

& Sir Don Mitchell have been circulating it. Those who will donate to this our #1 cause, lets us know thru Sir

Kazim Abasali

for any questions on transfers and payments. This just off the press and in the works. I expect to see more on this. Thank you all for your kind co-operation. The Club..

Terrence Ferreira

I got screwed on my last donation, it's been years now, and no one is able to tell me where the hardware went, therefore I'm done with donating - sorry.

Neil Charles

Donation is not a problem; it's making sure it gone to the receiver.

Neil Charles

....absolutely. Yep, and that's what I've been trying to do over the years - make sure. Once bitten twice shy, yes.

Glen G. McKoy

This is for the Circular to stay alive,

Terrence Ferreira

you sent stuff to someone which we will trace but we the Club had nothing to do with that situation all we can do is try to recover your stuff.

Glen G. McKoy

why would we have to recover the stuff when it was donated to us; that bit I should get?

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EDITED by Ladislao Kertesz,  kertesz11@yahoo.com,  if you would like to subscribe for a whole year and be in the circular’s mailing list or if you would like to mention any old boy that you would like to include, write to me.

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Photos:

63TF0001CLASS1965, Changed date of when the photo was taken

70LK6317FBJBA, Jerry Bain in Canada

20LK9110FBJBAGRP, Jerry Bain and Winston Salah

13LK4337FBFHI, Fr. Harold Imamshah