Page 673 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

671

1931

a reasonable time but Major Holmes stayed on till nearly midnight, a trying habit. Prior looked in for a few minutes before
dinner and we discussed the little play which he is having, it is very broad, in fact decidedly "french". I think some of the
people will be rather shocked, one scene is not to be rehearsed as we dont think the cast would swallow it if they knew about it
beforehand.

Wednesday [16 December]

Expected The Shaikh to come in but he didnt. When Prior finished at the Joint Court I went over to the Agency where the cast
of the play were collected and we went over the plot with them, it is quite a rough thing and we denote the scenery by large
notices, they however insisted on dressing up for it so afterwards the five ladies in the show had a meeting to decide what to
wear, they are supposed to be inhabitants of a desert island, M, Mrs Russell, Mrs Steele, Mrs Schindler and Mrs de Grenier.
They all seemed quite keen on it and not at all shy of acting. Steele takes the only male part and is supposed to be a
shipwrecked sailor who enters on a raft, stayed on some time to arrange about the lights and the curtains and the general
arrangements. In the afternoon we had our tennis party and after tea the cast of the play retired to the Agency to rehearse, the
whole thing is a secret even from the husbands of the ladies so it was rather difficult to arrange but they pretended to be
advising Prior about the dance. Some of the people will be very annoyed about it.

Thursday December 17th 1931

Abdu Ali called in the morning, then Shaikh Mohamed who as usual made a lot of talk in order to explain why he
contemplated going to India, as he goes away quite often there is no reason for his doing this, he always says he has to go on
account of ill health, this time he says it is because of his eyes, I always encourage him to go as he is a nuisance here and
always bothering me for something. I had a letter from Teviott Kerr, of the A.P.O.C. some days ago about one of their men
who was coming here called Luard hearing that the oil boat was in I invited him to stay and he arrived in the morning, a very
nice young fellow about 25 whose grandfather was the parson at Aveley many years ago and whose father used to play with Sir
Fiennes when they were children, such a very different style to the last visitor we had staying here. Court in the morning and
before that a meeting which I and Shaikh Sulman attended to decide the amount of the Diving Advance, Tesquam, we arranged
it at Rs 25 and Rs 30, very much lower than it has ever been, but this year as none of the people have any money they cant
make big advances to the divers, I think even the divers realise this so there wont be any demonstrations about it. In a way I
am glad to have it low as it agrees with my policy which has always been the curtailment of the diving advances which are a
bad thing as they keep the divers permanently in debt. The Shaikh came in after lunch and signed the proclamation. M went to
Muharrak in the morning and paid a lot of calls on the ladies there, Arabs. In the afternoon we went to tea with Holmes and
played Bridge, they all seemed to like young Luard very much. After dinner M went out to a rehearsal at the Russells and he
and I did things for the play, notices and various props which had to be prepared. Holmes came round in the morning to see
Luard as he knew him at home, they both come from the same part of Essex. We both like him very much and find him so
refreshing after the other young man we had to stay who was unbearable this one is so interested in everything.

Friday 18th [December]