Page 678 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

676

1931

Court. Felt rather tired after a very late night. M went up to the Fort to play Bridge but only one of the other women appeared,
all it seemed laid out by last night's party. We heard that both de Greniers and Father Lamb were in bed, said to have colds.
Went out coursing in the afternoon but we saw no hares probably as it was such a cold day. Walked a long way with the dogs
and got quite warm, I saw a man cutting brushwood which is not allowed as it spoils the hunting for the Shaikh and pursued
him, running, with my boy Hamood and all the dogs, I never saw a man run so far, he disappeared, still running steadily, in
some hills several miles off. Prior came back from Basrah, the Parkes came in to Bridge after tea and after dinner I went over
to see Prior who looked in while the Parkes were here but left soon.

Tuesday 29th December 1931

Meeting of the Manama Municipal Council, a very dull meeting too, Shaikh Mohamed has gone to India, much to
everyone's relief, so Abudlla presided, but seemed very bored by it all, and no wonder. Major Holmes came in after I
got back, very cold morning and very cold at the meeting, on my way back I looked at some tiles in Kanoo's office
which he made here in the summer, they are very nice and I wish I could afford to buy some for the offices, in order to
patronise a new local industry. M went to see the Manama girls' school, it is going on very well indeed and there are a
lot of children at it and all much cleaner looking than they used to be. Had tea with Major Holmes. Prior was there.
After tea the Steeles came in and played Mah Jong for a long time till nine oclock as no one looked at the time. Prior
was at Holmes, one of the head men of the new Wireless Company came off the boat but I didnt see him as I was out
when he wanted to come.

Wednesday [30 December]

Office, tea and tennis party here as usual in the afternoon.

Thursday [31 December]

Court. Very cold day. Motored out to Essex Point with the dogs and then as the tide was out we walked a long way
along the beach out to the edge of the fish traps. Came home and after tea worked at M's dress for the party, a rather
vague affair with leaves and a yellowish robe, sort of classical, I wore my Arab dress which I thought would be warmer
than anything else. We dined with Ham, the Bank Manager, at the Bank and before dinner he produced some cocktails
which were apparently very stiff ones as in quite a short time the whole company became very lively, the dinner was an
enormous success, I sat between Mrs Parke and Mrs de Grenier and opposite Mrs Skinner who had taken much too
many cocktails and was very lively indeed, at the end of the dinner two of the ladies got onto the table, one of them
Mrs Parke, to the excessive annoyance of Parke. I have never in Bahrain seen such a dinner, they all made so much
noise that the whole town must have heard, most of the husbands looked furious, specially Skinner and Parke who after
dinner began rowing at their wives, the latter didnt seem to care in the least. From there we drove in cars to the
Russells and people divided up into odd couples, we found all the Mission at the Russells seeming very sober and
sedate and when the very noisy uproarious dinner party surged into the room they looked quite alarmed. The Russells
tried to play tiresome games but nobody took them seriously, the Mission looked extremly shocked and quite alarmed
when they began playing blind mans buff, during which the Bank Manager kissed Mrs Skinner who didnt seem to