Page 509 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1929

not like to go out to social functions. Quite a good party, played vingt et un after dinner. Excellent dinner. M is on
strict diet so didnt have much to eat though they provided a small bowl of bread and milk. The party went on till nearly
midnight, late nights dont agree with me. Prior gave each of the ladies a very pretty little Kashmir box, sort of painted
work.

Thursday [26 December]

Picnic lunch given by Prior on Gezireh island. It was very stormy in the morning but cleared up and fine when we
went there. We sailed across, rather rough as there was a strong south wind against us all the way. The Jordans were
very late as they forgot they were coming. Very pretty on the island, got several snaps of the gardens which go right
down to the edge of the sea. Had to go back almost at once after lunch, which was late as the second boat took so long
to arrive. M didnt enjoy it as she didnt like the sea trip. We had an excellent lunch but not quite enough of it.

Friday [27 December]

Went to the Bank in the morning and played Bridge. In the afternoon went to the Biladya garden to get some flowers
for the house but found none. It is a bad year for flowers most of my seeds did not come up. Dinner party here in the
afternoon, ten people. Mohamed put up a very good dinner and the table looked awfully nice, a colour scheme of
orange and green, orange candle shades and candles and orange and green crackers. After dinner we played paper
games. The party stayed very late.

Saturday [28 December]
Office, a lot of work after being closed for three days. Poured with rain in the afternoon and a terrible swarm of
locusts, thicker than I have ever seen here. Tea at the Agency, we took James as the ayah was at a party at the Mission.
D.G. gave a dinner party, quite a good show, played roulette. His rooms are so painfully ugly but the dinner was better
than usual and didnt look dirty as it usually does. Heavy rain in the evening, the house has not leaked so far this
winter.

Sunday 29th December 1929

Spent most of the morning going over the Shaikhs own accounts. It is always a most irritating job, he spends money
like water on the most useless things and then complains to me and everyone else that he has hardly got anything left in
his account, he spent about £400 on a sword and a dagger which he really had no need of. Went out in the car after
lunch, it has got something the matter with it and makes a queer noise, most annoying, sounds rather bad. No dinner
party for a change so went early to bed. I find this round of dinners is very boring as one always meets the same
people, anywhere else it would be more varied.

Monday [30 December]