Page 574 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Monday [14 July]

Tahreem, one of the sort of Saints days of the Shias so we had no court. Went down to the Customs and
discussed the case of Mohamed Sherif with the Head Clerk, we, the Government are making a case against
him for defrauding the customs. I think if he was here he could probably explain it but he has got away to
Persia and his son too. In the afternoon I went out with Prior to call on the old Kadi at Senobis, Shaikh Ali bin
Hassan. He was very reproachful as I had not seen him for a long time, not called for over a year in fact. He
is a quaint old man, very thin and very wrinkled with a huge turban and one eye, quite a merry one though.
He is I suppose between seventy and eighty but he married a girl of about twelve last year. Afterwards we
played tennis. Marjorie went out for a drive with Major Holmes to Yatim's garden. He took Mohamed Yatim
as a chaperone. The old Kadi is exactly like the people in Arthur Rackham's pictures. Holmes as usual told M
a great deal of gossip as usual mostly about Parke who he dislikes as much as he dislikes Holmes.

Tuesday [15 July]

Manama Biladya meeting, we spent about an hour discussing whether gramaphone records should be
censored by the Council, a most absurd idea and a waste of time. Shaikh Abdulla acted as President,
Mohamed had said that he would like his son Rashid to act for him while he was away. Abdulla talked for a
long time about the Shaikh's money affairs, the usual old story that he has spent all his money and his salary
is not enough. I said I would do what I could but really I cant do anything. Wrote letters in the afternoon and
then played tennis at the Mission. Two flying boats arrived and some of them came to the Mission, Howe
and another very awful young man, quite a bounder. Tiffany was all over him and carried on with him in a
most blatant way, she has no taste and makes a dead set at any man she meets. Howe and Parke and
Barden came in after tennis, as usual the Air Force want us to do a job for them but I have no intention of
doing it. I can help them by getting hold of people who can do it but that is as much as I can do. Warm sticky
evening. I wrote rather a good letter to the Agency complaining of the general attitude among Europeans to
assume that Bahrain is a British possession, the Air Force are the people who are worst at it, I suggested
among other things that we might have the stamps surcharged Bahrain as is done in Kuwait. We now have
our own passports which look very smart and are much liked as it is thought that they make Bahrain more
important somehow. Had a talk to Barden about the building of the new Bank. We want them to lease a
piece of ground on the Sea road for 99 years which they are willing to do if they can get someone to build
them a bank. We should like a fine building there which would improve the town. Rather hot just now, we
shall soon go up onto the roof where we have a sort of little house built for the summer, very smart.

Wednesday [16 July]

Went down to the Joint Court to see the Shaikh and to get the proclamation about passports signed. Went
to the Customs and to the Police Station. Abdulla bin Jabr came in and told me about the trip to Hassa,
apparently as Shaikh Abdulla said they were given money by their host Abdulla bin Jeloui, Rs 2000/- Shaikh
Sulman had said before he left that he would never accept a present of money, he was over persuaded and
as he took it he said it was to be given to the servants but on the way back from Hassa the other young men,
his brother Mubarak and Rashid, son of Shaikh Mohamed, had a row about it and insisted in having Rs 200
each. There was a great scene and the Kozaibis who were with them spread the story all over Bahrain. A