Page 763 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Friday 18th November 1932

Stayed late in bed and then read, went to lunch with the de Greniers taking Mrs Pickering, she is not a very
bright guest as she looks all the time as if she disliked whatever she was doing, perhaps she does. Ham and
Freund were there, we had quite a good lunch and stayed some time afterwards. D.G. was very pompous
and talked about people at Brighton. In the afternoon went to the Agency at home as usual, the last one
that Prior is having. We played some Bridge and then danced, everyone seemed rather gloomy at the
prospect of Prior's departure.

Saturday [19 November]

Fort in the morning. M went to Muharraq to see the girls' school there and reported well on it except that
in one small room they had fourty two girls, much too many for the size of it. Court. Motored out in the
evening and then went over to Muharraq with Prior to a dinner party at Yusuf Fakroo's. It was quite a big
show and the Shaikh was there. The house is close to the sea built round a big courtyard with some of the
rooms up above, we sat before dinner in a downstairs room for quite a long time talking. Shaikh Mohamed
was there and talked about jewels saying that he had seen the old Sherif of Mecca once when he first did
the Haj and he wore an enormous diamond so valuable that he had the ring in which it was set fastened
round his wrist with a thin gold chain, they all agreed that this was very unsuitable and that jewels were
suitable for women only not men. We had dinner in the big upstairs room, about two hundred dishes, a
very poor dinner too most of the meat was cold and the small dishes were greasy. Came home at once
after dinner and got back by about eight oclock. As the sun sets at about five fifteen these entertainments
are very early now, the Arabs eat one hour after sunset so it varies a lot.

Sunday [20 November]

Fort in the morning, there is an awful lot of fever about at present. I had 17 men ill out of just over a
hundred. Went on the range with the new recruits, their firing at long range seems much better than on
the miniature. Court. Mrs Pickering left, not sorry either, she has been a dull visitor. In afternoon went to
look on at the Police playing football and then to the Christian cemetery to plant some iris roots on the
grave of the young naval officer who was killed in the flying accident here last year. His mother sent out a
lot of plants but I am not sure if they will grow. Prior came in to dinner. Still quite hot weather, we are all
wearing thin clothes but I in the evening wear black as I like it more. Prior seems to be very sorry to go in
some ways though he is going on a year's leave and going round the world on his way home.

Monday [21 November]

Court, Siadi case. It has been going on for three years but now it seems to be almost finished. Motored
along the Budeya road in the evening, much cooler and a slight shamaal breeze so I hope the weather will
change now. In the morning Shaikh Abdulla came in to tell me he had spoken to Yusuf Kanoo and Abdel
Aziz al Bassam and scared them about chartering boats direct to the mainland, close on his heels came the