Page 1244 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

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Usual tennis & Bridge, a lot of people played. Mrs Thornburg came having been to see LBL on Wednesday
last & also James, very kind & thoughtful of them, Americans have such nice ideas of things like that.

Thursday 16th March

Fort. Sh Khalifah bin Mohd came in & spent a long time talking about his work in India.

Dinner party at Rafaa, a house warming by Sh Sulman for his new home. A very picturesque & impressive
affair. There were over 200 guests & we sat at one long mat with huge mounds of whole sheep & young
camels at close intervals. Several of the English women had never been to such a meal before, Dr McDowall
was with us. Afterwards we went to a dance at Mespers given by Smith & Campbell, rather a tiesome affair
& very hot & stuffy, a close stormy day & a south wind. Very late getting home. News from urope very bad
- I would have taken a big wager that this war was going to happen many months ago.

Friday 17th March

Got up very late. Had a camel party at the Fort. Mrs Phillips, & Barbara, the Riley Davies', Mrs Fowle, Mrs
Steele & Davies & the O'Connells, they all rode camels round & round, near the rifle range. It appeared to
give them great pleasure & it was a simple form of entertaining them. Afterwards went in to the fort & to
the cinema after lunch. A good film, "Wings of Morning". Took tea with the Phillips, people came to call
when we got bacjk & then to a cocktail party at Jufair given by the Challenger. Rather a dull affair. Dined at
Agency to meet the new AVM Tyssen, a pleasant man, a great improvement on the last two. Quite

interesting conversation about defence plans, I gather the RAF will be withdrawn in case of war & the navy
are admittedly incapable of closing the entrance to the Gulf. Heard details of the attempted coupd'etat in
Iraq, it came to nothing. Apparently the first news of it in Iraq was on the wireless from London.

Saturday 18th March