| Description | Typed transcript of pp.71-113 of Belgrave's diary for 11 July to 6 November 1951, with Belgrave's leave running until 20 August and a gap in the diary until his return to Bahrain on 3 October. Topics covered include visits to friends and relatives in England such as Miss Keppel near Cromer (12 July), Peggy Weightman, widow of the former Political Resident (15 July) and Marjorie Belgrave's mother (22 July), first sight of a television set (24 July), a European motoring trip from London that took in Bruges, Berne, Montreux, Baveno, the Italian Riviera, Marseilles, Lyons, Chartres and Paris (1-20 August), return to Bahrain to hear about the dangerously hot summer (3 October), more on the affairs of the Gulf Aviation Company (10 October), Muharram procession (11 October), an uninvited visit from Shaikh Abdulla bin Mubarak of Kuwait (20 October), cinema visits (30 October, 9 December - Pearl Cinema- and 12 December), death and funeral of Nair, warden of the hostel (6-7 November), board meeting for the Gulf Aviation Committee with G.B. Thompson taking Belgrave's place as chairman (4, 7 November), naval calls at the palace (20 November), race day (23 November), visits from Wilfrid Thesiger (3-4 December) and James Bell, correspondent for Time magazine (4-6, 11 December), return of the Shaikh of Kuwait (9-22 December), a second Dove aircraft for the Gulf Aviation Company (13 December) and the announcement of James Belgrave's engagement to Erica Cruickshank, who had been staying in Bahrain for the last ten days (29 December). |