Page 677 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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1931

mince pies, brandy sauce and then cheese straws. The Missionaries, like all strictly teatotal people, fairly leapt at the food that
had liquor in it and took heaps of brandy sauce and stirred the flaming brandy on the puddings. We had to put another table
onto our long one and used cloths instead of table mats, two table cloths marked J.B.R.R. 1875. One of them had never I think
been used, it was interesting to think it should first cover a table in Bahrain of all places. In the centre of the table I had a
Japanese bowl, which I got in the bazaar, full of white jessamine and all down the centre of the table long sprays of asparagrass
fern and jassamine, the crackers were scarlet so it looked very pretty and very bright. After dinner, which didnt finish till after
10.30 we played a game, guessing names of books, and then had some charades which were really very funny, some of the
people quite let themselves go and were most comic. The people left at about 12.30. Altogether it was a most successful party
and went, as they say "with a bang".

December 26th Boxing Day

Did not open the office, it was rather a swindle having Christmas Day on a Friday as it is the day we close in the week so did
not mean an extra holiday. Got up late and then went down the bazaar, it was rather empty, bought a big copper pot for under
two rupees, very much less than they usually cost. M went to a childrens party at the Mission and I gardened then we went
along to the de Greniers and played Bridge. Nasty day, cold wind, the de Greniers had their big electric radiator burning, it
costs a lot in electric power.

Sunday [27 December]

Office. Drove out before tea to the Shaikh's garden, Senian, with the Agriculturist to see some trees that are being cut there,
quite interesting but the people use little hand saws which take a very long time and have never seen a double handed saw as
used in other places. The garden is much better now and he will be able to cultivate more of it than before. Tea at Holmes',
Prior was there, one of the head men of the new Wireless Company came off the boat but I did not meet him as he could only
come when we went out. Had a very pleasant tea at Holmes' and then in the evening to the de Greniers dinner party, to
celebrate the anniversary of their wedding. They had twenty four people, dinner in the drawing room as the dining room was
too small. It was really a very amusing party. The dinner was very lively and at the end Holmes made a speech, also Father
Lamb, who is staying with the de Greniers, and then de Grenier who was terribly pompous and serious, most unsuitably so, he
began to say that he felt too full to speak, I thought it was meant to be a joke and laughed loudly which was very badly
received by him as the remark was meant to be serious, he became terribly sloppy. He and Mrs were very disappointed,
apparently, that I didnt make a speech but as I always dislike speeches I arranged with Holmes to make one instead. After
dinner we played a game of making Limericks about the guests, some were really most amusing, and then we went into the
dining room, which had been cleared, and played musical games, in the intervals Father Lamb did conjuring tricks at which he
is very good, the games became very rowdy and there was a good deal of hugging and rather boisterous flirtation, however it
was all quite amusing and nobody minded. D.G. amused everyone by appearing at first in tails and a white waistcoat, but a
soft shirt, as, naturally no one else wore tails he retired after dinner and changed into a dinner jacket. Mrs D.G. was terribly
enthusiastic and very kittenish, she is well on the wrong side of forty.

Monday [28 December]