Page 868 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

866

1934

Very warm day. Fort in the morning, then Court but I had to leave the court with crowds of people most
of the morning as I had people to see in my office. Shaikh Abdulla called and I had Yusuf Kanoo for
about two hours bargaining about land & then two other men on the same business. Really most
exhausting. Slept & gardened in afternoon then went on a long motor drive up to the new oil camp and
down to the Sitrah bridge which is nearly finished & back by the coast road which is much improved.
After tea 5 officers from HMS Ormonde, the survey ship, came to call, they seemed a nice lot. After they
left we went over to the Agency & took James & nanny & Mrs Loch put on her cinema with the new film
of the Admiral's arrival and the Police guard which was very good. I appeared in it a great deal. The Air
Vice Marshall came in & then some other RAF men from the machines which arrived on their way back
from a trip south & some from Singapore. The AVM said he would arrange for M to be met at Basrah &
Baghdad & said he would book her rooms at the hotel and generally deal with them on their way through,
which is very nice & useful. A dinner party in the evening, Skinners & Hams & de Greniers, we played
Bridge after dinner & went on very late. We are going to have everyone to dinner once before M goes
home - a boring prospect. The Air Vice Marshall invited me to stay with him when I go through
Baghdad.

Sunday 18th [February]

Khaled Mo... came to see me before breakfast. Court afterwards, a lot of cases & the litigants seemed
unusually noisy & tiresome. Quite a warm day. M went out to a party on the "Ormonde", one of the men
she met came from Sandown, I remember his people quite well. In the garden after lunch & then motored
round a bit. The captain of the Ormonde came to call after tea, a very pleasant man..... from Norfolk. Hot
day, it ..... for the time of year