Page 800 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

office & didnt appear till all the other people had come. Then Mrs D G became violently lively in a sort of hysterical
way and when she played Bridge she didnt seem to know what cards she was playing - all very tiresome! then
Denison turned up and he immediately started about the calling business and I got really annoyed & we had a violent
argument in front of everyone. I think he is quite in the wrong. Altogether I did not enjoy the entertainment. When I
got home, after dinner, I wrote to Lock and asked him to settle the matter of calling definitely as I disliked such
incidents occurring.

Monday 24th [July]

Denison called on the Shaikh at the Palace, he was evidently very sulky and looked furious all the time; to make
matters worse the Shaikh took little notice of him but talked all the time about some news he had heard from Kattar
that King Ibn Saoud had summoned the Shaikh of K to Reaydh to meet him and everyone wonders what it is all about,
probably oil but perhaps about the Arabian succession. We returned Denison's visit at the Agency & he still seemed
very put out over it all. He is the senior captain in the Gulf, apart from the SNO, and was on the King's yacht and has a
very good opinion of himself. Motored in afternoon and in the evening a big dinner party at the Agency, there were
about 20 people. The Mission were persuaded to dance and seemed to enjoy it very much. Denison seemed to have
recovered, his manners are good and he helps a party. It was wonderfully cool for the time of year. We took James &
Nanny to watch a football match against the Navy in the afternoon which they always enjoy very much. The Navy
won but it was a good game. James seemed to know some of the sailors as he had met them before at another
match.

Tuesday 25th [July]

Went with Gastrell to a meeting of Muharraq municipal council, sailed over in a little joliboat, a lovely day and quite
cool. After some time at the Meglis we borrowed Shaikh Abdulla's comfortable big car and motored across the
aerodrome and out to Hedd where I had a look at the Police, then back to Muharraq and sailed over to Manama.
Found some of the RAF at the Agency, with Hudson the RE man. The machine they were on came down in the sea 10
miles off the coast and one engine collapsed, fortunately they landed on the sea safely but it must have been a near
thing. They were far too heavily loaded, 7 cases of beer among other things, and the other two engines couldn't carry
the weight. Had a long talk about the RAF pier contract and sent for Abdel Lebi Bushiri whose tender is the only
suitable one. More or less fixed it up. Tennis at the Mission, the Bideford suddenly got orders to sail in order to go to
the assistance of the sea plane, so awkward as we had asked the Captain & some officers to dinner and had quite a
crowd coming, however we had Pack, Holmes, Skinner & Gastrell & played Bridge. Quite a pleasant party - an
amusing mixture - English, Irish, French & American, and all people we like so it was pleasant, the Steeles & de
Greniers make any party tiresome.

Wednesday 26th [July]