Newsletter for Alumni of The Abbey School, Mt. St. Benedict, Trinidad and Tobago, W.I.
Dear Friends,
Now a few lines from Pete Da Costa.
Very nice article.
"Pete Da Costa" <petesco@sympatico.ca>
Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 20:12:39 -0400
Dear Ladislao,
Sorry did not get back to you before, here is the picture attached you requested.
I was looking at the pictures of some the old teachers and I saw a picture of Miss Marcus who taught us chemistry.
This brought to mind a incident in her classrom in the lab that went as follows.
I was told that putting Sulphuric Acid and another chemical together (don't remember the name of the chemical) would create an offensive odor (Stink Bomb, Rotten Eggs).
so curiosity got the better of me and I tried it, I however put too much acid and it didn't work.
I then proceeded to pour it into the sink which was OK until someone came along and turned the tap on, this then created the desired effect as a gush of vapour arose from the sink followed but the offensive odor and the entire class ran out of the classroom,
I unfortunately was the only one left in the lab together with Miss Marcus.
This was my last chemistry class with Miss Marcus.
I of course blamed this all on "Voosh"(Fr. Benedict) who was instrumental in awakening a curiosity in me which resulted in me always trying to find out how things worked. (I think he had this effect on many of the boys)
I also paid a visit to "Bobo" office (Fr.Bernard) who promptly administered the appropriate punitive action.
One of my fond memories of Mount.
Regards
Pete
Pete Da Costa
Saturday, September 30, 2006 2:17:48 PM
Ladislao,
There were two Da Costa brothers from Barbados
There were only two DaCosta families in Trinidad, mine and one other one, all my father’s family migrated to Canada starting in the mid fifties and now there is no one left in Trinidad .
The best I can find out about my father’s family is that his grandfather came from Portugal
My mother still has some left in Trinidad but not many.
Her father came from Venezuela , Ciudad Bolivar
I have nothing left from those days except the picture I sent you.
My phone number is (519) 622-5827.
God Bless
Pete
From: "Pete Da Costa"
Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 21:06:36 -0400
#9 ?? Vargas Venezeula (Father was Ambassador to US in Washington
#11 David (I think) Da Costa Barbados (Parents lived in South Africa
#14 ??? Gomez(I think) T'dad
#17 ??? Diaz "
#19 Pierre Martinique
#20 Eden Hutton T'dad (Last I heard in San Francisco
#26 ??? Gonzalez(I think) T'dad
Eden Hutton, Peter Laughlin and I sat together from Form 1 to Form 4.
I came across Eden Hutton from a business associate in Burbank who told me he had a guy from Trinidad working for him and his name was Eden Hutton.
I never did make contact as he left and went to work for United Airlines.
I left MSB at the end of Form 4 in 1961 and never did graduate,
I moved to Canada in 65 and went back to school and graduated in 1971 with an Aircraft Maintenance Diploma from Centennial College in Toronto and have been in aviation ever since.
I don't have a current resume.
I live in Cambridge , Ontario with my wife, my two daughters live nearby, my son lives between Ottawa and Montreal
Many grandchildren and love it.
I work at the Hamilton Airport in Hamilton Ontario
I currently manage the Kelowna Flightcraft Aircraft Maintenance Facility where we maintain a fleet of 20 Boeing-727s and perform Heavy Maintenance Checks on Boeing 727, 737-200-800 & 757s.
No immediate plans to retire.
I found a Geoff Golding who lives 20 miles from me but I lost his address.
I will be in touch.
Regards
Pete
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From: laszlo kertesz
To: Pete Da Costa
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 9:03 PM
Dear Pete,
Thank you for joining us.
How did you get the email?
Please mention the photo’s number as I am trying to straighten out the missing names and check those that were forwarded.
Can you send a resume and graduation year Form V, also the names of your friends or classmates.
I have DAVID and SIMON in the list but no information.
Were there any others of the clan?
Any photo from the past, that you may want to share with your friends?
God Bless
LAdislao
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From: "Don Mitchell CBE, QC"
To: "Pete Da Costa"
Date: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 06:53:43 -0400
Hello Pete,
Good to hear from you.
Which picture are you referring to?
We definitely would like the missing names.
When corresponding with Ladislao, it is best if you use his numbering system.
When corresponding with me it is better if you refer to the Circular Number, as that is my principal reference.
You might like to go onto the relevant Circular on the Blog and put your note into "comments".
That would allow every Mount Boy
If you need any help doing this let me know.
I am copying this to Ladislao so that he can add you to his contact list.
All the best,
Don
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From: Pete Da Costa
Sent: Wednesday, May 31, 2006 8:59 PM
Hi
I am in the picture, #7 Peter Da Costa,
I recently found out about this web site and was interested in whatever happened to the guys.
I have been in Canada
Attended MSB between 1955 to 1961.
I know some of the missing names if you need.
Regards
Pete
Lawrence Scott is from Trinidad & Tobago.
He is the prize-winning author of the novel Aelred’s Sin, which won a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 1999, Best Book in the Canada & the Caribbean .
Night Calypso, his most recent novel, was short-listed for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, Best Book in Canada & the Caribbean 2005, and nominated for The International Impact Dublin Literary Award 2006 and was published in France
His first novel Witchbroom was also short-listed for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book in Canada & the Caribbean , 1993.
It was read on the BBC’s Book At Bed Time.
His collection of short stories Ballad for the New World,1994, includes The House of Funerals, the prize-winning short story for the 1986 Tom-Gallon Award.
His short stories have been read on the BBC and have been anthologised internationally, notably in The Penguin Book of Caribbean Short Stories and The Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories.
He has also published poetry in a number of anthologies and journals: Caribbean New Voices 1 (Longman 1995), Trinidad & Tobago Review, Cross/Cultures 60 (Editons Rodopi B.V. Amsterdam –NewYork, NY 2002, Agenda 2002-2003).
He moves between London and Port-of-Spain in Trinidad where he was recently Writer in Residence at the University of the West Indies , 2004.
He is A Senior Research Fellow of The Academy at University of Trinidad and Tobago
He divides his time between writing and teaching Literature and Creative Writing.
EDUCATION
Primary- Boys’ RC School, San Fernando , Trinidad 1950-1954
Secondary- The Abbey School , Mt. St. Benedict , Tunapuna, Trinidad 1955-1962
Tertiary – Prinknash Abbey Gloucester , England
St Clare’s Hall Oxford, England- BA Hons. (London
AWARDS
Nominated for The International Impac Dublin Literary Award for Night Calypso 2006
Shortlisted for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book in Canada & Caribbean for Night Calypso 2005
A Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best Book in Caribbean & Canada for Aelred’s Sin 1999
Nominated for the The International Impac Literary Award Prize for Aelred’s SIn 1999
Long-listed for the Whitbread & Booker Prizes for Aelred’s Sin 1999
Short-Listed for a Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Best First Book in Caribbean & Canada for Witchbroom 1993
Tom–Gallon Award for the Short Story The House of Funerals, included in Ballad For The New World 1986
Award from The Author’s Foundation & K Blundell Trust (Research) 1995
British Council Grant to attend Carifesta 1995
PROFILES
Aiyejina, Funso, 2003. Self Portrait - Lawrence Scott Novelist, Short story Writer and Poet in conversation with Funso Aiyejina, The University of the West Indies, School of continuing Studies St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago W.I. pp 163-200 (Interview conducted 16 august 1998, Maraval Port-of Spain. First published in Trinidad & Tobago Review 20 no. 12, December 1998 10-11, 14-16, 19
Ferguson, James. 2000. The Worlds of Lawrence Scott - beatprofile Caribbean Beat No. 43 May/June 2000 pp 48-52
FICTIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Scott, Lawrence. 1992. Leaving by Plane, Swimming Back Under Water. God, an anthology of fiction, Serpent’s Tail edited Stephen Hayward & Sarah Lefanu
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
HIGHER EDUCATION (BA MA PHD)
Senior Research Fellow in The Academy of the Arts of the University of Trinidad & Tobago 2006-2008
Writer in Residence University of the West Indies St Augustine Trinidad & Tobago Feb-March 2004
SECONDARY/TERTIARY TEACHING
(English & Drama in England & Trinidad)
Sedgehill Comprehensive, London
Thomas Calton Comprehensive, London
Aranguez Junior Sec. Trinidad 1978-1980
Tulse Hill Comprehensive & Archbishop Tennison’s, London
Aranguez Junior Sec. Trinidad 1982-1983
(Another writer, very good for Fr. Bernard. Ed.)
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Ok Pete, now please send another story about our daily meals?? Or what about the time table?? Just giving you ideas as no one has written on these.
God Bless
Ladislao
Photos in this issue:
06PD0001PDA, Pete Da Costa
06LK0001LSC, Lawrence
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