Circular No 379

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

Caracas, 7 of February 2009 No. 379

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Dear Friends,

Here is news on Paul Zeven, Gordon Walker, David Bain and more photos:

For those that have found photos in an old chest hidden somewhere in an attic, please remember to share it with the Circular, we only attach them if we get them.

If possible use a resolution of approx 500kb.

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Paul Zeven

16 Mar

Hi Jan,

I have been following all the correspondence on The Abbey School.

I think that you were there some years after me; I was there from 1959 till 1964, getting my O-Levels and an additional level.

I am not sure if I remember your name.

I was sent there from Venezuela, where our family lived so I went up-and-down to Caracas 3 times per year.

I have a huge amount of pictures, but they are all in storage in Holland (I have been away for the last ten years).

From the Abbey School, I went to International School Eerde in Ommen and then onto Nijenrode in Breukelen; should sound familiar to you......

I have been with Philips for 38 years, of which 4 in Chile and 6 in Brazil, as well as stints in Asia.

Currently I am in the US (since 2004), where I head up the North American operation.

I see that you live in Oosterhout: I am there quite often, as my father and his partner live there also. He is in De Bussel, in the centre of the town.

Maybe next time I am there, we can meet up and share memories.

Best rgds

Paul Zeven

p.s. I will retire in October , and my wife Carol and I will move to France, where we are building a house. I should have access to the pictures then (I hope that I still have them....)

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Gmail Jan

Wednesday, March 19, 7:33:00 AM

Dear Paul Zeven,

I am surprised that some old boy from Mount St. Benedict has connections with my hometown, amazing!

De Bussel is just in the centre of Oosterhout, I pas it frequently.

I came to the Abbey School in September 1963 and stayed there until july 1967.

I must have seen you on the schoolyard but I cannot remember it any more.

When I arrived I did not speak one word English, so the boys gave me the nickname Doetch, maybe you might remember that.

Nijenrode is a famous and well known business school in Holland.

If you have that degree you are indeed qualified to be the manager of a company.

Amazing that you have been with Philips for such a long time.

From 1980 on there was a lot of unemployment in Holland, it was hard to get a job from Philips.

Maybe that was different in the countries you stayed.

If you are in Oosterhout, please make contact.

Me and my wife would be happy to share some memories.

If you have old pictures of the Mount maybe Ladislao would like to have a copy for the circulars.

I would like to see them too!

I passed exams in 1967 to go to Form V but then that summer my dad decided to put me on a newly founded Dutch atheneum in Paramaribo which gave better access to the university in Netherlands.

It was a boy and girl school and I got a motorcycle to go to school.

All this freedom and the girls was too much for this Mount boy to cope with, so I had to do that year over again.

In 1970 I went to the Technical University in Delft to study architecture and finished in 1978.

I was meaning to go back to Suriname to work on the plantation of my father, but then the family decided to sell it so I stayed in Netherland.

I have been working with several companies but since 1997 I started on my own as an architect working my buts out.

Amazing too that you are building a house in France, we were aiming to look for a cheap little farmhouse in France or Germany as a second home.

If you have plans to come to Oosterhout, please send a mail so I can let you know if we are in Oosterhout.

Much greetings and thank you for making contact!

Jan en Berthy Koenraadt

Remy van Haanenstraat 4

4907 NR Oosterhout N-Br.

Netherland

Tel: 0031-162-456325

email jankoenraadt@gmail.com

----- Original Message --------------------------------------------------------------

Paul Zeven

Sunday, November 30, 2008 3:47:57 PM

Hi Ladislao,

The mails are coming thru nicely to the new address - Thanks very much.

At that time I will have access to a lot of MSB pictures from the period 1959-1964 (I hope - they have been in storage for 12 years...)

All the best y grande abrazo!

p.s. we have moved from the USA to France but will only move into the new house in June 2009.

paul.zeven@Gmail.com

website: paulzevencoaching.com

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On Sun, Nov 30, 2008 at 6:46 PM, laszlo kertesz <kertesz11@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Paul,

Hope that you are receiving the Circulars.

Please inform me.

God Bless

Ladislao

----- Forwarded Message ------------------------------------------------

From: Nigel P. Boos <nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca>

Sent: Monday, September 8, 2008 9:01:59 AM

Subject: Re: Abbey School Old Boys - change of address

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your kind note.

I certainly remember you, and look forward to meeting you again some day.

I'm passing your note on to Chris Knowles, who is on the Reunion Committee.

Regards.

Nigel P. Boos

P.S. Would you mind sending me a photograph of yourself and your family? (For future publication purposes via email to other Abbey School Old Boys.)?

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On 7-Sep-08, at 4:35 PM, Zeven, Paul wrote:

Hi Nigel,

I have seen a lot of correspondence in the past months ref Abbey School, including a lot of good work by yourself.

I remember you well (I think) from the Abbey School times - but you were an "older" class (I was there from 1959 till 1964).

I have all my Abbey School stuff back in Holland and will be able access when we are back home (we have been on the road since 1997).

My present assignment ends at the end of this month - can you change my address to the following

paul.zeven@gmail.com

Best regards,

Paul Zeven

CEO

p.s. I am afraid that I will not be able to make it this time - but I have plans to join next time!

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From: Nigel P. Boos [mailto:nigelboos@eagles-wings.ca]

Sent: 2008 Sep 05 9:15 AM

To all Abbey School Old Boys:

I have been asked to pass on this invitation to everyone whose names and email addresses I happen to have on file, and I do so with the greatest pleasure.

However, there are many other Old Boys regarding whom, for one reason or another, I have no information.

That being the case, please feel free to pass on the invitation to any others known to you, with whom I may not be in contact.

We'd all appreciate the help

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Gordon Walker

Nigel P. Boos

Monday, December 8, 2008 10:08:31 PM

To:Walker Alan

Dear Alan,

I wrote to your brother, Gordon, last week, seeking your email address, and it was only when I received a response from your sister in law, Rita, that I heard that he had died five months ago.

I have never met Gordon, nor you, and it was only with a view to updating our Abbey School Old Boys' Database that I had tried to contact Gordon in the first place.

Please accept my sincere sympathy on the loss of your brother.

I hope he did not suffer any pain, and that he was "ready to go", as they say.

May his soul rest in peace.

Perhaps you would be good enough to drop me a line and let me know some details about both yourself and Gordon, for the benefit of other Old Boys who may have been his and you peers.

We have identified 1100 Old Boys and have also collected some 400+ email addresses, through which we try to communicate regularly with our friends.

Undoubtedly, you will be able to find many of your old friends and classmates here too, and you might wish to establish some links with them, as time goes on.

With best wishes.

Nigel P. Boos

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From: Art & Val Knaggs

Sent : Wednesday, November 9, 2005 6:39 PM

Gord,

Was really great talking with you, and touching base after all these years.

Have copied Ladislao and he will put you into the system, and we can move from there.

If you are ever over this way, Nova Scotia, don't hesitate to look Val & I up at 2 Dubonnet Dr., Dartmouth, B2X 2V3, our ph # 902- 404-5845.

Wonderful pleasure,

Art

Ladislao,

Gord went Mount just after I left, he was there from 50 - 53, then finished schooling in Ireland, but he will give you all his data. Thanks for reviving me, and all the best. Send us some oil, our prices are out of sight these last few months!

As ever,

Art

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Ladislao Kertesz

31 Jan (6 days ago)

Dear Glen,

Sonny Blar??? please write something more about this SPARKS.

Are you sure of the spelling??

God Bless

Ladislao

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gevelyn1@bellsouth.net

3 Feb (4 days ago)

Lad,

You are correct --- spelt Blanc.

And I like your word SPARKS.

I will try and bring some memories out.

My father told me recently that Sonny is alive and living in POS.

Saludos Glen

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De: bainven@cantv.net [bainven@cantv.net]

Re: Invitacion a la cena MSB

Fecha: 08/05/2007 21:02:08

Ladislao:

Gracias por la invitacion.

Lamentablemente no podre asistir en esta ocasion.

Aprecio tus mensajes.

Yo soy de lo viejos, sali de MSB en Diciembre 1956.

Saludos,

David Bain

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Would like to get in contact with the following old boys:

Ramadhar, Dave

Ramlogan, Wayne (868) 645-2559 (Home)

That is for now, till the next one

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Photos:

08UN0647REUNION2008, photo with the names of ALUMNI on White Stones.

09AK2028FCH, Fr. Christopher Theunissen.

84JK0002EDICHB, Churchbell tower being built.

05PZ0001PZE, Paul Zeven as CEO of Philips.