Page 1778 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1775

1944

School sports in the afternoon quite a good show, Roselle came to them
with us, Hick & HH present. HH looking very angry. Hick & Smith to
dinner & bridge, dull, H is dully talkative & has little to say except
shop, hope I didnt show how bored I was, but the bridge was quite good.
Cool day. Shamaal, wearing a tweed coat. The Politicals acquire a
certain unctiousness which is very irritating, they adopt the attitude of
a school master towards the Shaikh which does not go down.

Friday 7th April

JIDDA

Left after breakfast & went by launch, warm & calm. Spent a lazy day,
washed the dog & inspected jail, beat two prisoners, wrote letters in the
evening. Some thunder and lightening in the distance. Rather a slack
section here.

Saturday 8th April

Returned from Jidda via Budega but the car was not there to meet us & had
to wait. H said to be ill, two bottles of liquor missing from the store
& Police reported that he came twice to the house at night & was seen
drunk. Decided not to employ him here any longer. Hick put off the
visit of Qattar Shaikh as a result of HH's strong protest, he sent a
letter by air to Dohar.

Monday

Had a dinner party, rather a mixed lot, Agars, Mathews, Shillington,
Brown & Chase. Went off quite well, played tiresome games afterwards.

Dined at Agency, GP & Jackson were there, dull & heavy party, J was
rather a blight, talked about church. GP looked ill.