Page 766 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

Fort and then court, the Siadi case and others, kept very late in court as we were late beginning as I didnt
get back from the Fort till late. Drove out in the afternoon and then went to tea with Holmes who returned
on the aeroplane. The Skinners came in. Holmes seemed in very good form. He told us that the S.N.O. had
nearly been drowned at Kuwait after a dinner party at the Agency, the launch from the ship was sunk and
everyone had to swim for it, they lost all their things and nearly got drowned. The Steeles arrived on the
boat last night too and had a very bad landing, they had to climb down a rope ladder and the child had to
be tied onto the shoulders of one of the sailors. Prior looked in for a minute after tea and told us more
about the new arrivals who he seems to like quite well.

Tuesday [29 November]

In the office most of the morning. The Shaikh came in to make a call on the new Political Agent with Rashid
and Sulman and Mohammed, I went with them, it was a very sticky visit, he seemed very deaf and very
uncertain about his Arabic. He is much older than any P.A. who has been here, a small neat man with a
little moustache, decidedly a gentleman but very colourless. We didnt stay long as conversation flagged.
He made a bad impression as he seemed to take no interest in anything, but this was mainly because he
missed most of the conversation. I stayed behind a minute or two and arranged about his calling on Isa and
returning the Shaikh's call which he is going to do at Muharraq tomorrow. Had a talk with Shaikh Sulman
and Yusuf Fakroo about the Siadi case and then did work in the office and saw a lot of people about various
things. Shaikh Abdulla has gone off hunting again to the mainland. Before lunch we went along to see Prior
off from the pier, very sad to see him go, everyone looked so gloomy about it especially as it was a horrible
day, very cold and very rough indeed, I didnt envy him the trip out to the mail boat. Yusuf Kanoo went out
with him but the others stayed on the pier. Loch came down to see him off. In the afternoon we went to
tea at the Mission and then called at the Agency and met Mrs Loch, she is a nice looking woman, but too
fat, especially the legs, but seemed to try and patronise everyone rather, from there we went on to the
Russells and played Bridge, all the women dislike Mrs Loch on sight as she indicated rather obviously that
she felt a cut above them all. Mrs Steele and her sister appeared at the Russells, they looked and sounded
quite terrible, such accents and such awful clothes and such dreadful bad style. There was quite a nice
young man there staying at the Bank called Longstaff who is something to do with an English firm of paints
etc, very young but pleasant.

Wednesday [30 November]

Fort before breakfast and then a meeting of the Wakf Department quite a good meeting. Tennis in
afternoon but only a few people came though more arrived later on for Bridge. Dined with Holmes, his
meals are so excellent that one always leaves with a feeling of repletion. We played Bridge.

Friday 2nd December 1932

Went over to Agency in morning to discuss the programme for the Resident's visit and to help Loch
compose the Resident's speech - as he is quite new he does not know in the least what to say. Loch is