Page 633 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

631

1931

Saturday [24 January]

Office in morning, nobody much came in, still very cold but not such a high wind. Went out to Zellag in the afternoon with
Said Andul Nour to see a site where we might bore some day. Made him talk about politics in Iraq, he was quite interesting on
the subject. His uncle is the member for Mosul in the Iraq Parliament and evidently quite a big man. Had a look at the garden
when I got back, it has been badly blown about. Finished copying out my notes on History of Bahrain, I shall now have to put
them together. Saw nobody all day, of the English people.

Sunday 25th Jan 1931

Steele came round and spent most of the morning with me going over electric accounts etc. Parke came in for a few minutes in
the middle and seemed horrified at the complications of the accounts which he will have to deal with while I am away
especially as he will have the job of preparing the sort of end of year report and account of the electric, however if I get it in
running order it wont be so difficult. We are losing money heavily over it this year, the receipts have gone down a lot since the
hot weather. Motored out to Zellag with the Agriculturist in the afternoon to see a site which he likes the looks of for growing
things on. It was very nice out there but very cold, had the sides of the car all shut up. Parke came in after tea, Steele had
lunched with him as he took him round in his car. He gathered that Steele does not propose staying on here in our service. I
find Steele is satisfactory to deal with and very different style to Jordan, less sharp, or in fact less inclined to be slightly
dishonest. He is good at accounts.

Monday [26 January]

Office. Very few people came in as it was very cold and Ramadan. Played Golf with Prior in the afternoon, took the dogs.
Played much better, actually beat him at one hole. Went back to the Agency for tea and the R.A.F. men came in having arrived
in the early afternoon from India, Bentley, Breese and Barrett and a man from the Imperial Airways called Armstrong who
knew a man who I used to know very well in Egypt called Green. Quite amusing hearing of him again, I knew he had been
with the I Airways at one time, he is now Traffic Manager in Alexandria. Stayed to dinner, there was hardly enough. Bentley
told me about things in Muscat. Thomas, the ex Adviser, has not yet reappeared to hand over to the new man Hitchcock and
the latter is very angry about it. They expected to move into Thomas's house but he went off leaving all his things about so
they have to live in rooms over the Customs and are not liking it. Muscat is three lacs in debt and the money affair in a great
mess. Some say Thomas is trying to go right across Arabia from Muscat to Jedda. A very queer way of behaving. Listened to
the gramaphone. Breese and Armstrong staying at the Agency. The new machines are expected out quite soon. Still very cold
weather. The mail is late owing to the rough weather, expected tomorrow, from Dubai.

Tuesday [27 January]
Spent the morning going over all the old proclamations, its a big job and rather dull. Mail arrived, not a single personal letter.
Forgot about the Mission till it was too late so gardened. The D.Gs came in on the way back from tennis and asked me to go
round and play bridge which I did, Parke was the fourth, good bridge. She has had a lot of stuff arrive from England but it was
not on show yet except a new gramaphone which I saw in the dining room. Aeroplane left, worked at my history of Bahrain in