Page 84 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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British Officials.—Group Captain H. P. G. Leigh who was State Engineer from November
1944 proceeded on leave pending retirement. Mr. Donald Brammcr, previously of the Qatar Oil
Company, was appointed State Engineer. Mr. G. B. Thompson, Government Oil Inspector, under­
took the duty of State Engineer pending Mr. Brammer’s arrival.
Mr. R. J. Ward and Mr. M. C. Robinson were employed for some months as Government Oil
Inspectors during the absence on leave of Mr. Thompson and while he was acting State Engineer.
Mr. G. W. R. Smith, M.B.E., Director of Customs, Dr. R. H. B. Snow, State Medical Officer,
Dr. I. M. A. Doeg, Lady Medical Officer, Mr. G. B. Thompson, Government Oil Inspector and Inspector
R. Cochrane, of the State Police, were on leave during the summer.
Mr. Harris, of Holloway Bros, was lent by his firm to the Public Works Department for work
on the Manama town water scheme and commenced his duties in September.

Notable Visitors.—The Rt. Hon. Anthony Eden, accompanied by his son, paid a short
visit to Bahrain in the Spring.
Naval Visitors included the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Squadron, in his flagship H.M.S.
" Norfolk ” and a number of senior naval officers of the U.S. Navy. Among the U.S. ships which
came to Bahrain were two aircraft carriers.

The Shaikh of Dubai spent some time in Bahrain and Shaikh Ali bin Abdulla, the son and Heir
Apparent of the Shaikh of Qatar, was the guest of His Highness.
A number of journalists and some film photographers of various nationalities visited Bahrain
and subsequently published articles about Bahrain in the Arab, British, American and French press.
The articles which appeared were, generally, complimentary.
Public Amusements.—Race Meetings, in aid of funds for the relief of Arab refugees in Palestine
were held in the Spring and Autumn. Various improvements were made to the racecourse, which
is in the neighbourhood of Manama, by the Government. The race meetings have become a regular
event and are attended by many thousands of spectators.

Two new cinemas were opened in Manama and a third was in the course of construction at
the end of the year. Five public cinemas will shortly provide entertainment for the people of Manama
and Muharraq. Most of the picture houses show Egyptian films and occasionally Indian and British
or American films. The younger generation of town Arabs have become cinema minded, people
from the country and older men rarely visit cinemas.

A local organisation, managed by representatives from all the Arab clubs, obtained an agree­
ment from cinema proprietors that they would add a charge of 1 anna on every ticket sold in aid of
funds for Arab refugees from Palestine.

The Government opened a new Public Garden on the edge of the Manama-Rafaa road on the
outskirts of the town. What is new a garden was previously a swamp. The garden contains two
lakes ; trees have been planted and paths laid out around the water and a bridge, bandstand, coffee
shop and garden house were constructed.
New Foreign Firms.—Several new firms opened premises or extended their business in Bahrain
during the year, these included the British Engineering Company of John Birch who occupied a building,
the property of His Highness, which was previously the State Engineer's office; Mercury Boat Lines,
an Arab-American undertaking, concerned in running launches between Bahrain and Saudi Arabian
and other Gulf Ports; African and Eastern, a long established firm in Iraq.
Cable & Wireless Buildings.—-Cable & Wireless Ltd., completed the construction of two
large blocks of buildings on the sea front, one of them containing the automatic telephone apparatus.
At the end of the year the automatic telephone was not yet working and discussions were in progress