Page 132 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1927

Christmas Eve 1926, Friday 24th Dec

Motored out in the morning & got a lot of branches for decorating the table & then spent most of the rest of
the day arranging everything. Dinner, for 15, on the ping pong table that de Grenier gave us in the hall which
makes a fine big room. Decorated the table with mirrors surrounded by green branches, our six silver
candles with new shades, crackers and every person a menu with a little sketch on it - really very nice. The
party consisted of ourselves, the Barretts, the Spences, the Hakkens, Miss Dalenburg & Miss Jackson
(missionaries) Pickering, Parke, Robinson, Armstrong, & de Grenier. Dinner, hors d'oeuvres, tomato soup,
fish mayonnaise, mutton cutlets, Roast turkey, plum pudding, mince pies, jellies, trifle, cheese straws,
champagne Graves & sherry & port. It was a great success. Pickering became decidedly merry. After
dinner we danced in the hall & some played ping pong. It ended at about midnight & I really think they all
enjoyed it very much. M wore an orange velvet dress, not new but not yet seen here.

Christmas Day 1926

Got up at a reasonable hour. Shaikh Abdulla came to call & then Parke & Robinson with their N.C.O.s.
Afterwards we went to church at the Mission. A less tiresome sermon than usual, by Pennings. Most of the
English people were present. Then motored the Hakkens down to the Post Office to collect the mail & then