Page 1697 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1694

1944

Wednesday 28th April

Fort. Food committee meeting at customs, quite a good meeting, discussed
village shops & discovered difference between Census figures & returns in
villages. Then a meeting at Agency about tyres, motors & prohibition of
export of cars - Steele, W. Dixon & self. W seemed not so well again.
In the afternoon a Church committee meeting, then to library & to TTs &
then a dinner on roof of the hospital for two of the nurses who are being
married, a young S. Indian couple. Quite a pleasant party & Harrison
made a most amusing speech after dinner. Afterwards went in to see Snow
for some time.

Rode the filly again, she seemed quite sound.

Thursday 29th April

Fort. A lot of new uniforms arrived from army among them some good
officers' shirts, I bought two. Office, Hewitt came in, had not seen him
for some time. Busy day mostly drafting letters, arranged about
distribution of our poor relief budgeted funds. Dr Coyne went down to
see stores in the morning & looked in later on, threatened to come
tomorrow. Went to Jidda after lunch. The workman arrived to start on
Jail - at last. The site is on the highest ground in the centre of the
island where there will be a view all around. The new lucerne growing
fairly well. Warm still evening. Read Dragons seed, Burk, most
interesting.

Friday 30th April

At Jidda. A very boisterous day & sand blowing on the mainland. Sent
message for the car at Budega. TTs came over for lunch, found them
slightly exhausting as couldnt take a siesta. Came back via Budega &
went to a dinner party at Jufair, rather dull but met & liked a new
little Civil Engineer from Burma, a great gardener & fond of plants
trees etc.