Page 683 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1932

Tuesday [12 January]

Had a heavy cold all day and felt rather seedy. Stayed in in the afternoon, M went to the tennis at the Mission. The Sunni
Kadis called on Prior in the morning and talked to him for two hours about a rather violent letter which he had written to them.
They had sent him a ten page answer which he did not read so rather put the wind out of their sails by telling them that he
found it too long to read. Had people to dinner in the evening, the Parkes, Skinners and Major Holmes and Ham, rather a dull
dinner party. Played Bridge, two tables. Prior went out to see the Shaikh about Parke in the afternoon. Very annoying having
a cold. Very cold, at least I found it so, all day.

Wednesday [13 January]

Went across to the Agency in the morning and had a long talk with Prior and heard all about his interview with the Shaikh.
Also about the Kadis, he seems to have been very brisk with them and to have made them admit that the present system was
very unsatisfactory and needed changing, which means that it will be easier for me to make the reforms I want to. There was a
little rain in the night, the first I think that there has been this year, it is most unusual not having had any before now, my
garden looks dreadful, all the leaves are off the trees and it looks as if it had been burnt up though it is caused not by heat but
by wind. Had our usual tennis party in the afternoon and later on we went to dinner at the Agency and danced afterwards,
quite a pleasant evening, the show lasted till midnight. The Gregorys are very pleasant, but he has not much to say for himself,
she is very pretty and quite young.

Thursday Jan 14th 1932

Court, Mohamed bin Ali is acting for Shaikh Sulman on the court during Ramadan, he is quite useless and almost goes to sleep
all the time. A dull court and everyone very cross and impatient as they always are in Ramadan. Motored in the afternoon
taking out the dogs, went to the Shaikhs garden at Senian and looked at the work of tree cutting which is going on well. The
Steele's little boy and his ayah, who used to be James' ayah, came round before tea, he is to spend the night with us as their
house will be so noisy as they are having a big party. A plain little boy but quite nice, I played with him after tea and he got
quite friendly. Dinner party at the Steeles, eighteen people, they had dinner in their new room which has just been built, quite
a good room. Afterwards played games and then they did two sort of acting shows, one of two men telephoning, done by prior
and Steele, which was very good with topical allusions, the other by Prior and Steele and Mrs Shindler which was a sort of
would be wireless thing with three people giving "Talks" all mixing in with eachother, not so good though quite well done. At
the end we danced a little but they had no good tunes on the gramaphone and matting on the floor so not much good. I was
rather disappointed in the party as I had heard so much about it beforehand and so expected more of it. Got to bed about 12.30.
Ham got a bit lively and rather fresh with Mrs Skinner, who since having too much to drink at the New Year party is almost a
teatotler.

Friday [15 January]

Rather a hot day, got up lateish and went up to the Fort where all the people met for the Parkes' picnic which, as usual, was at
the Portuguese Fort and began with a treasure hunt. People here are so very unoriginal, they all have picnics at the same place