Page 650 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

648

1931

Thursday 12th [March]

Having written about a month ago to the Shaikh formally asking for leave and mentioning the date he asked me yesterday
when I was going and when I said in one month he said "but I thought you were not going for three more months"! I think
perhaps it was meant as a joke. He talked a great deal to Prior about me and about James saying that it was so nice for me to
be at the Agency as I would be so unhappy in my house all alone. He constantly enquires about James and seems to expect me
to have fresh news every day. Court. During the court Sulman and I were both vaccinated and also most of the office staff
who had not been done or had it, the office boy Hilal was very alarmed and had to be carried in by force and done. Had all the
servants done too as it is safer. Lots of the people attending the court were done as they got it free, quite an amusing affair but
rather a delay so as the result we were very late finishing and I didnt get over to lunch till two oclock. A big liquor case, gave
two men 8 months and one man 6 months R.I. Worked in the office after lunch and did some gardening then went out in the
car and had a look at the Biladya garden which is very tidy but no flowers then back to tea. After tea I went over to see Mrs
Holmes who looked very well but very depressed, says she misses so much there not being anyone in this house. The new man
from the Wireless was there, quite black but not bad, he left as soon as I came in. Holmes went out to see Ashraf who has been
very ill with asthma, he is now better but was very bad. Lovely weather but beginning to be a little warm in the sun.

Friday 13th March 1931

Prior went out sailing and asked me to go but as it looked very rough I didnt. Wrote in the office and then went to the Bank
and played Bridge. I seem to be doing very badly this month, losing every day. Strong shamaal so not very pleasant playing
tennis. Tiff looked quite pretty in very chilly looking summery clothes. The drawing room here is still out of order owing to
the new floor being down and not dry yet. Rather uncomfortable in the passage which is very drafty and rather awkward for
Bridge, the lights are very bad. Wrote some of the history before tennis, it takes a lot of doing.

Saturday [14 March]

Strong shamaal still. Court. Abdulla bin Jabr came in and said the Shaikh was at last sick of having bad camels sent to him
from all the Trucial Coast shaikhs for which he had to give very big presents in return, far more than they were worth. He
asked me to tell Walker about it and not to allow any more to be shipped to Bahrain. They have now taken to sending them to
Daij, "from a little Shaikh at Abd Dhabbi" or some other place. I was very glad to be able to do this. Went out to Senian in the
Afternoon, it is pleasant out there and very interesting seeing all the work on the date trees just now. A lot of manuring is
being done which has never been tried before. Went into the D Gs on the way back as they were just coming in but they found
their house locked up so as we couldnt get in we went over to Walkers, he was out at the Bank but came in soon with Barden
and Moss and we played Bridge till eight oclock. Wrote letters for the mail after dinner as it changed the time suddenly and
became earlier than announced. Quite a cold day, really very nice weather now.

Sunday [15 March]

Meeting of Wakf Council. I said I would only stay there an hour but in the end I was almost two hours. Various people to see
me when I got back to the office. Motored in the afternoon and took Siwa out for a run, went into the D.Gs in the evening with