Page 497 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

495

1929

Stayed long in bed. Went to the Bank for Bridge. Mrs Straker announced that she has given up having a day on
Wednesday. I am sorry, I think she is annoyed because I took FitzRoy out hunting on a Wednesday. Holmes and Mrs
Holmes came in to tea. We took James out in the car earlier on, he seems to like driving. Went to the Biladya garden
which is not good this year, I think I put in all the seeds too early and the result is that very few have come up. Parke
and D.G. to dinner as we had some sand grouse.

Saturday [16 November]

Went out at half past seven, taking M, with Jordan to the Palace to see about the lighting, then on to the Fort to arrange
about it there. Got it all done by breakfast time, a good mornings work. Jordan is very much to the point when on a
job. Afterwards I went down the bazaar with him and we went into the matter of the cables and called on Ali bin
Hussein at the Biladya. Motored in the afternoon taking James and the ayah.

Sunday [17 November]

Had a busy morning in the office as I have been out rather a lot lately. Bienenfeld and Ben Simon came to call to say
good bye. They suddenly decided to go on todays boat. They brought a very nice Morocco worked bag for M. Tennis
at Mespers, only Barden besides us, very pleasant, Bridge afterwards. The sea plane came back after a three days trip,
Prior came over after dinner and told us how horrid it had been. He had a most uncomfortable time. Hot damp day,
quite a change. The real cold weather is long coming this year.

Monday 18th November 1929

Court. Took a long time about a case in Hedd, there was a small riot and the Police got the wind up and sent for Indian
sepoys from Muharrak who arrested most of the leading men and took them roped up to Muharrak, really they were not
justified in doing this and so there has been a lot of feeling about it. Shaikh Sulman was extremly good and ticked off
everyone hard so that they should not have the chance of protesting too much. Very late for lunch, didnt get up till
2.15. Tennis at the Mission, full of queer foreign missionaries from all over the Gulf and Irak, some of them pretty
awful looking people but I found one man who was quite decent and had been at Oxford before the War, a Rhodes
scholar. Dined at the Agency to celebrate one of the R.A.F. having been promoted, a very nice fellow called Fullarde
who used to be in the old Flying Corps and has lots of decorations. The Strakers were there. Quite a pleasant dinner.
Prior has an excellent cook and lots of servants. Played Bridge, left quite early.

Tuesday [19 November]

Biladya in Manama. Shaikh Mohamed was in a fury, as usual, this time because the Police had threatened to arrest one
of his sons for driving without a number on his car. He really is a most tiresome little man and always upset over
something. Sent to Parke and told him to go across and see what it was all about. Went to the Agency after the
meeting and discussed with Prior some of the arrangements for the programme for the P.R's visit. Mohamed Ali Zainal
left for Bombay, he wrote long letters to everyone and did not call as he has been ill and also his father died lately. He