Page 2076 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

2073

1945

Wednesday 15th May

Didnt ride. Still quite pleasant weather, a shamaal most of the day. Sh A & Mohd Saleh about the municipal
elections, rather disappointing as so few candidates offer to stand. Then dealt with a few cases. Sh A
seemed rather sour. Later saw various people. Rashid b Abdulla came in in a drunken state & made a scene
& sobbed & said he would leave Bn as his father wanted to make him marry a girl for the father's pleasure &
a lot more. Firmly ejected him from my office. In the afternoon drove to Mhq. The Parkers, BOAC, & a
Frenchman, PCL, came to call, the latter very talkative & all stayed too long. GP to dinner, we gave him
Caviare, a very good dinner, he started glum but drink & food restored him & he got quite cheerful. I cant
make out if he is sorry to go or not. He didnt discuss much of local interest. We sat outside on the terrace
deluged in the scent of jassamine.

Sunday 19th May

Dined with the Grants to meet Reid of Halloways who had come by air, he looked in in the morning, Quite a
bright party, after dinner Reid sang, unaccompanied, scotch songs & Gilbert & Sullivan. Really very
pleasant, all the others were Scotsmen & women. The Grants themselves are very dull.