Page 267 - Belgrave Diaries 1945_Neat

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ifl First day of Ramadhan. Very lazy day in the office Thompson came in & we discussed oil matters, the coy

is importing a million barrels of mainland oil by tanker, which will upset Sh S if he gets to know about it, but
*3 I cant find any clause under which we can prevent their doing this.

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Gardened in the afternoon, didnt go out, tidied up the edges round the lawn.

■a Bathed at Senian after dinner, the first time this year. A wonderful crop of dates, for years there has not been
such a fine one.
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•5 Wednesday 31 st July

a
Rode in the morning. Bilal has been off duty a few days, said to have gone off the rails, had him up. Office,
very few people came in so rather a lazy morning. Bathed at Sanyan after tea, the tank has been mended.
3 Riding through the town at 7.30 it looked like a dead place, people all over lying asleep on charpoys in front

of shops & on the benches in coffee shops, though probably less than 30% are really fasting yet all keep up
3 all night & then night into day. Got a letter from M from Baghdad. Quite a cool day, a strong but rather hot
shamaal. I seem to be seeing very little of the "European Colony"

■3 Spent some time at the Fort taking orderley room.

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