Page 96 - Personal Column (Charles Belgrave)_Neat

cussion as to whether or not the marriage was legal; the headlines in one
paper summed up the situation with, ‘Their wedding is still in the air.’
After a visit to Corsica the couple eventually arrived with the Anson in
Bahrain, but the pilot and his wife did not stay long in the employment of
Gulf Aviation.
By the summer of 1951 the company was beginning to make progress.
An agreement for mutual assistance between Gulf Aviation and British Eio-hteen
Overseas Airways had been completed and the future prospects seemed
to be good. Then a tragedy occurred. Bosworth had gone to England 011
the company’s business. On June 10th, the day before I left Bahrain on
I’ve been up to London, to look at the Queen.
leave, I got news that Bosworth had been killed in a Hying accident in Nursery Rhyme
England. His death was a grievous blow for Gulf Aviation. Before t left
I appointed another Government official, G. B. Thompson, to act for him
and for me, and while I was in London I spent a great deal of time dealing N February 1951 we celebrated our silver wedding by giving, a
with the affairs of the company. Finally Bosworth’s and his wife’s shares dinner party for twenty-five of our most intimate friends, the main
were acquired by B.O.A.C. In spite of the loss Gulf Aviation continued to course being a gazelle which the Shaikh had sent to us. A few weeks
prosper, and it has now developed into quite an important little company later came the twenty-fifth anniversary of our arrival in Bahrain. Un­
which serves a very useful purpose in the Gulf. beknown to us so me of the Arab officials organized a presentation to mark
There is a novel by Nevil Shute called Round the Bend. The author the occasion. Anybody in the service of the Government was told that he
spent a few days in Bahrain and was for some time in the Gulf, mostly on might subscribe, and everybody who gave anything, irrespective of his
board one of the sloops. The principal character in the novel, as described rank or position, was invited to a tea party in the Water Garden on March
in the early part of the book, bears a very close resemblance to Freddie 31st. This used to be an unhealthy swamp on the outskirts of Manama. I
Bosworth. had recently made it into a public garden with lakes, paths, bridges and
pavilions, and I planted it with flowering shrubs and trees.
i Several hundred people were assembled in the garden. The Shaikh
was there with many of his relations and the Kadhis, in white robes, who
rarely appeared at public functions. There were senior Government
officials, clerks and police officers, but what gave me much pleasure was
to see so many humble people, office servants, syces, gardeners and
labourers, all wearing their best clothes. I don’t think I have ever felt so
i nervous as I did on that afternoon. I knew that I could not escape having
co make a speech, which I usually managed to avoid. When I was young I
stammered quite badly, and on occasions such as this I was always afraid
chat I would do so again.
After some speeches the Shaikh presented iiie with an Arab sword in a
gold-mounted scabbard. Then someone advanced towards us carrying
very carefully an object covered with a square of crimson silk. It looked
like* a covered-over birdcage. It was placed on the table before Marjorie
and me. We had not the slightest idea what it was. I lifted off the silk.
Underneath it was a golden palm tree, about twelve inches high, ex-
17 6 P.C.—M 177