Page 340 - Belgrave Diaries 1945_Neat

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1945

James arrived in the morning, looking very well & enormously tall having come from Cairo where he went
by train from there. HH came in, in a very bad temper & stayed till after 12 talking Zubara, he says
Galloway is leaving & going to Bushire & Pelly is to take over from him. This annoys him much as he
thinks Pelly sides with Qatar. James came to see him - arrived unable to talk any Arabic at all -
disappointing. He saw Seyd Said who wanted a loan & Mansoor about some land for a wahf. James & I
painted scenery in the afternoon & then we went out for a short drive to see the new well in the Palace
garden. No water yet. Hay & his daughter came to call, a plain young woman & seemed dull. After dinner
had a rehearsal of the play which went very heavily - in some ways it is not as good as last time, too much
talk & not enough topical songs, the ones they have are difficult & nobody can sing. Dealt with the Egyptian
games master again.

Friday 20th December

At Jidda all day, lovely weather. Finished painting the dining room which looked very nice, rather bungalow
style, yellow black & cream ceiling. Took some photos. Spent some time at the jail & fixed up about new
work on the Irish loom, we are doing some blue stuff, then back via Budeya. Weather delightful, a few drops
of rain but most of the day brilliant sun and quite chilly.

' x