Page 1148 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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sports. The ground was very wet. Photographer took some photos of the Police. Bridge later, too wet for
tennis, court slippery.

Thursday 9th January 1936 Accession Day

Went up to the Palace in the morning to see the ground for the parade in the afternoon. It had dried up
wonderfully. Arranged about seats etc. Went to the Palace in afternoon. The Shaikh & all his crowd sat in
a line in front of the door & there was quite a big crowd. I sat awhile with the Shaikh, M & her mother were
in the car, also James & Nanny. James wearing his Arab dress & dagger & sword. The Police marched into
the square and did their turn, not half as well as they had done it on the previous day but the camels
behaved quite well but the space was really too small for marching about in. Afterwards the Boy Scouts

gave a display which was much too long & then followed the usual dancing. In the evening a big dinner at
the Skinners, over 50 people. The dinner was at the Skinners' house, very well done, they used both rooms
& before dinner people sat outside in the closed veranda. After dinner we all adjourned to Mespers as the
other part of the show was done by Smith & the Steeles. It was supposed to be a cabaret. A move out into
the cold & by car to another house is well calculated to spoil any party & in this case it rather did so. The
rest of the evening was rather flat. Steele, Skinner & Smith were all dressed up in scarlet uniforms, & Steele
& the others did one turn & the Mission did their negro colours turn with a few topical remarks - one about
my use of hair oil, but but on the whole it was a dull party. The room was got up like a village pub, very
realistic, sawdust spitoons & Steele as the publican. The party got very merry towards the end of the
evening & when we left they were shouting songs. There were a lot of the oil people & all the Manama
community.

Friday [10th January]

Great bore having to get up early on a holiday but I had to attend a reception at the Municipality, the usual
sort of thing, speeches, coffee & outside I had the band playing - an innovation. Dull affair. Went up to the
Fort afterwards to see the ground. In the afternoon we went to the Palace & watched the dancing. M paid
a call on Ayesha who was on the roof looking on. Very cold in the shade.