Page 104 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1926

Moved into the new offices below this house. The clerks behaved like children & revelled in the move. They are
really very nice indeed & so convenient living above ones place of work. Went a walk after tea. In the evening we
had a dinner party; the Spences & Barretts, Robinson & Pink, eight people altog. the most we have attempted, but a
great success. Everyone much admired the house. The dinner was a great success. Afterwards played Bridge, two
tables. Altogether a great success, our house & accoutrements are so very superior to anyone else's in the place.
Mrs Spence was very envious of it all.

Tuesday October [5]

Court in the new office in the morning. The Court Room will look very nice when fixed up but so far not quite
finished. It certainly is very much more convenient having it on the spot. Tennis at the Spences in the afternoon, had
some quite good games. They now have tea too which I like - & quite a good tea. Penning & family didnt appear as
Spence had a few words with P - who is notorious for walking into offices when he gets a chance & looking at all
letters & papers lying about! Mail - but none bad.

Wednesday [6 October]

Went up to the Fort before breakfast & then motored out to Suk al Khamis to see about mending the road there, &
back by Budeaya road. A nice cool morning. Busy day in office, went over to Agency for a few minutes. A lot of the
people are trying to make something out of the opportunity of there being a new PA & are holding meetings etc &
trying to get some of the Reforms abolished, mostly the orders about estates of deceased persons. A big meeting
was held in a garden near the town & a lot of anti Government talk. The tenant of the garden wrote to say that he
was not mixed up in it & was not responsible or in agreement with the sentiments expressed there. In the
afternoon the Agency Interpreter (& spy) came to tell me that the people proposed shutting all shops as a protest
to force the Sheikh's hand, so we motored out to see him at his country house. Arrived there at sunset & found
Abdulla & Mahomed & about sixty people, a big hunting party. Had a talk with the Sheikh & Abdulla & then stayed
to supper. Quite interesting to see an ordinary meal. They sat in two long rows, servants brought round gray mats
on which there were three or four whole sheep & set them down, sprinkling dates round the edges of the mats, then
the people divided up & settled in three circles round the three dishes. Very well cooked, a huge mound of rice with
the sheep on the top, & a few hares, also a few bowls of stewed spiced meat & vegetables. Plain cooking & no fancy
dishes as he has for parties. Had a very good meal & then after coffee we started off in the car, fortunately Sheikh
Sulman was also returning by car to Manama & accompanied us. The road is abominable & we got two punctures &
had difficulty at the hill which comes rather suddenly so that I hadn't got up enough speed to get up. Got home after