I first met Pedro when we both entered Boys’ Foundation School on the same day and in the same form 1B. At school he was known as Lancelot and not Pedro. Eventually he acquired the moniker, “Zocky.” I thought that he got that name by the way he walked which in Bajan parlance would be called, “obzocky.” He had a bit of size and so could not be missed by the way he walked with a bit of a curious smile.
At school he was just a regular boy, not an academic genius and got along well with his peers. Most of us knew that he was Pedro Welch’s son who I believed at the time was the chief labour officer for the government. On leaving school I knew or had heard that he had gone into agriculture and had taken a course at the imperial college of agriculture in Trinidad.
In 1990 while at home on holiday I paid a visit to the renamed, Christ Church Foundation School to look up some of my former teachers and the late Mrs. Rosalind Jones who was the secretary during our time at there. She introduced me to a teacher who informed me that she was Zocky’s aunt. I had not heard or seen him since he left school which would have been either 1968 or 1969. She proceeded to give me an update on him. She told me that he went to Cave Hill and did a Bachelor and came back to teach at his Alma Mater and then went on did his Masters. I told her I was very proud of his accomplishments and to give him my regards.
Over the years I read that he had become a professor at Cave Hill, an author, and a respected historian. Fast forward to 2021 when out of the blue I received an email from him enquiring if I knew the words to the old school song. Charles Cooke who has been a dear friend from 1955 when we both entered the old St. Davids boys and then entered Boys Foundation together with Zocky had written a new version of the song together with music. He told Zocky to contact me if he wanted to know the words to the old song. In that email from him for the first time I learned how he got the moniker Zocky and the correct spelling.
I quote” (nicknamed Zockie by Jerry Roberts, who one day remarked to me that since his nickname was Zeli and his brother’s was Dockie, he would combine the two and call me Zockie. Most persons will not be aware that that is how I acquired the nickname and all kinds of stories swirled around about the same. In any case, there are still many who only know me as Zockie Welch)” end quote.
I began my response to his email by addressing him as, “Sir Lancelot.” I went on to tell him not only how proud I was of his accomplishments but ALL Foundationites. I told him of my career and academic journey since leaving our school. He replied to that email giving me a detailed breakdown of not only his academic career but his life in general.
I was really looking forward to seeking him out on my next visit home. Alas that will not happen. And so, I bid you farewell Sir Lancelot until we meet again. To his grieving family I offer my sincere condolences. May he RIP and RIG.

Geoffrey Alleyne
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Formerly of St. Davids Village, Christ Church
p.s. to his family I will be quite willing to forward the emails exchanged between us to any of you if you so desire.