Page 1790 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1787

1944

Tuesday 9th May

Didnt go to the Fort as I had work. Office. HH & Sh A came & stayed
till 12 hours. Very talkative, discussed prices, Police, Americans, Sh
Moh loan, Snow extra pay, etc etc. Later saw Sunter of Gray Paul re
hiring houses & importing coolies from Persia for steamer work. Sh
Mubarak re wahf garden water rights. Painted after lunch & then rode to
P. Fort & went in to see the Steeles on the way back, Godfrey was there.
She seemed very bright, the children looked gloomy. Dodds came up re the
Bishop & talked incessantly.

HH very full of talk about Abdulla as Suleman, Ibn Saud, finance
minister, who used to be a sandal seller in the Manama bazaar.

Wednesday 10th May

Rode around by the Palace & then back by the Fort & had a look at the
shop which Stoker has imported for feeding troops, a nice looking lot.
Various people came in, Sh M, Sh A & Hutchings. Have finished my Annual
Report, as usual I feel it has been hurridly done & would have been much
better. After tea took Shillington & Doble, rather a nice N.O, out to
see the tombs on the Budega road & then across to Aali. They seemed
interested, then changed in a hurry & dined with the Hadows - L Hamilton
the fourth for Bridge. The Finance Member for India, Sir Jeremy Raisman
was there, off a passing plane, a rather common little Jew, didnt care
for him, consequently we didnt start play till 10 & so a late party.

Thursday 11th May

Fort. Quite cool weather still, sandy mist & a shamaal. Busy morning,
saw various people, Sh Abdulla, Sh Khalifah & others. Spent a long time
at the hospital talking business & having my ear syringed, it got all
glued up & was very uncomfortable. Snow discussed case of the Bank
Manager, Brown, who is to go to Karachi, they ought not to have sent him
here as it seems he was told not to go out abroad. The Steeles, she &
the two children, left by air & Hick returned. Went to Jidda via Budega