Page 661 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

659

1931

the political situation at home in which he is very interested. He met Baldwin once in England and counts him always as his
special friend. Came back by launch and went along the line of the Muharrak Manama road looking at the poles. In the
evening I went to a dinner party given for me by Zayani, a big show with a lot of Arabs and most of the English, men only.
Prior was half an hour late, he is usually unpunctual which annoys the Arabs. Abdel Rahman Kozaibi talked very much and
very violently against the oil concession and said that the people here should have been given an opportunity of taking up
shares in the matter, but Mohamed Ali Zainal said to me that not half a dozen people would have bought any if it had been
possible. Mrs de Grenier came to dinner with M and Parke and D.G. came in after dinner and we played Bridge.

Wednesday 4th November

Busy morning, a lot of people came to see me, Steele, Abdu Ali and others. There is a lot of bother about taking over
Callenders spare electric stock, they want us to take it all but we have refused as they have over £3000 worth of material which
would last us for several years and we dont want to be responsible for it. In the afternoon we had people to tea and tennis,
about twenty English and Americans, almost too many for our house. We played on our and the Agency court and had a sit
down tea, in relays, in the drawing room. It is amazing to see so many people here. After tea we played Bridge, I really think
they liked coming very much, the party consumed nearly two bottles of whiskey and one of sherry, it is fortunate that drinks
are so cheap here. The court played very well, so many people when I made a mud court said that it would be no good but it
has lasted better than cement ones and is much less tiring to play on. Quite a warm day but I am wearing thick clothes in the
evenings for motoring in.

Thursday [5 November]

Court in the morning, I get so sick of taking exactly the same sort of cases one after the other all the morning. Drove out to the
garden of the Kozaibis and had tea with them in their garden house, the two brothers Abdel Aziz and Abdel Rahman were
there also the Agriculturist and another local man, we had a very good tea, European food and then walked about the garden
and looked at the cotton which is quite a success. While I was in the cotton M sat and talked to Abdel Rahman who speaks
English well as he lives mostly in Paris and Bombay, he is a clever fellow and quite civilised and in Europe dresses like a
European and wears a dinner jacket. We had dinner with Shaikh Rashid, the Shaikh's father in law. All the English people
were there, men and women, and after dinner the ladies went up to call on Ayesha, Parke came in after dinner. Old Shaikh
Rashid looked very ill and had a bad cold. The food was rather poor, very tough meat. All these dinners in honour of my
return are a great nuisance, I wish they wouldnt give so many.

Friday [6 November]

Some women came in the morning about a case, tennis at Agency in the afternoon.

Saturday [7 November]